Former Olympic Snowboarder, Steph Prem, talks about sun protection in the snow

Steph Prem is a winter Olympian, motivational speaker, entrepreneur and one of Australia's leading experts on women's health and wellness.

We partnered up with Steph to raise awareness about using sun protection in all climates, and how skin can still develop UV sun damage in the snow.

Hi guys, my name’s Steph Prem, former winter Olympian and founder and director of Studio PP and health and wellness coach. I feel really grateful to live in a country where we can be on an island, at a beach one day, and in mountains, in the snow another day.

I’m someone who’s always been pretty conscious of sun protection. Sun damage is just as likely on the slopes as it is on the beach. The UV rays are actually stronger in the higher elevations, like in the mountains. So, having been a winter athlete or someone that’s lived in the mountains for the last 10-15 years, most of my life, or training outdoors in harsh conditions and having that strong sun reflection, I really learnt the hard way about sun damage. Like when I used to take sick days of school and then turn up back at school with those cute, little goggle lines around my face.

I think it’s easy to forget to apply sunscreen in the snow because we’re so covered up, head to toe. But SPF sunscreen is important when you’re in the snow because it can actually increase your exposure to harmful UV rays even more, like up to 150% more that being at the beach.

After 11 years of back-to-back winters, I relish a summer beach holiday these days. It’s all about protecting my entire body these days, not just my face. I’m pretty passionate about living an active and outdoor lifestyle, whether it be summer or winter, so naturally sunscreen and sun protection is something that has just become part of my lifestyle.