Skin care for cyclists and mechanics

Face, lips, hands, forearms, it’s all susceptible to damage and premature aging. What do you use to avoid wind damage, cold damage, and ocasional sun damage to your skin when cycling or working in a workshop?

Worked as a courier for 6 years and only recently started taking my skin care seriously. I always wear an SPF50 on my face when I go outside. Also started using castelli arm screens (SPF50 rated). I hate the whole cycling tan line aesthetic on instagram, a tan is skin damage and increases chances of skin cancer.

AM route:
Wash face with warm water
Mad Hippie Vit C serum
CeraVe moisturising lotion
La Roche Posay UVmune 400 SPF50 on my face, neck and ears.
Blue Lizard (zinc based) SPF50 sun cream on legs/arms/hands.

PM:
CeraVe face cleanser
Mad Hippie Vit A
Mad Hippie eye cream
CeraVe moisturising lotion

Aquaphor chap stick is really good in the winter months.

La Roche Posay UVmune 400 SPF50

This

I barely ride bikes now but I’m a test subject for my gfs skincare routine:

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF50 PA+++ on face and neck
Supergoop! PLAY Everyday Lotion SPF 50 for everything else

For daily cleansing and lotion…
Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré moisturizer
CeraVe Retinol Serum

Curious to get more reccos

For your hands Bodyshop Hemp Hand Cream.

Was recommended it years ago. Sorts them out a treat

Also this again

Strong Bateman vibes

Ask me about my stomach crunches.

Latex gloves when working on bikes. No need to scrub off grease afterwards.
Always wear UV protective eyewear outdoors.

I gave up trying to wear any kind of glove while working on my bike, they either bunch up and you can't pick up small bolts, or they tear in 5secs and your hands sweat.

End of the day:
Rub olive oil into hands to lift grease
Wash with soap
Bizarrely, blue Carex degreases really well too
Moisturise with E45 or if they're bad, Fifty:50 paraffin

Wow. Never heard of any of these brands except Body Shop... How do you find out about them?

I gave up using any kind of sunscreen or SPF decades ago as I got a rash off all types, no matter what hypoallergenic base I tried. I'm a desk monkey though so I mostly just stay out of the sun.

My morning routine is hot water and a facecloth, splash of lavender water, Nivea Soft. Sometimes I use Simple moisturiser. If I'm feeling particularly grimy I do the same in the evening but mostly I don't bother. Bit basic (maybe that's why I'm starting to "look my age"...).

Dr Bronners is amazing for getting rid of grime. Comes in a variety of fun fragrances as well.

Also first time hearing about a few of these brands, will look them up.

I’ve been taking better care of the skin on my hands since developing deep cracking around my knuckles from working on grimy bikes and cycling gloveless in the winter. It would take several days of soaking, brushing and scrubbing to clean them, which of course delayed healing, and wasn’t a good look.

I swapped nitrile glove brands from Aurora and Black Mamba to an accelerant-free brand that I can’t recall, and for the £8 more I paid per box of 100 I’m pleased with them. I also promised myself to stop scrimping and saving my PPE: it’s there to protect me, not the other way around! I do try to avoid trashing gloves but once my skin starts getting dirty it’s time to quickly clean and get a new glove.

For face, a bit of spf helps protect against summer rays and winter cold.

Ultrasun spray is good for me. Clear, non-greasy, spreads easy and lasts a long time. Usually go for the factor 30 ‘sports’ option.

Hands: rarely wear gloves for bike work unless it’s a quick job, due to sweating and splitting. Don’t fuck about with fashionable Insta hand products. Loctite 7850 is the best hand scrub you’ll find in the shops, preferably the pumice one, and it’ll get anything off from grease to carbon dust and won’t destroy your hands or make you stink of petrol (I’m looking at you, Swarfega. You’re shit, you’ve been shit for decades and you need to fuck off forever). Wash off with water and hand soap. Moisturise with something thick without SLS like Diprobase in the big pump.

I never used gloves before covid.
We had to wear them at work and now I am accustomed to them.

I've started using an SPF15 moisturiser daily (or just when I remember). I could probably do with proper suncream for riding now that summer's here.

For hands I found that an olive oil and sugar mixture can be effective at lifting grease so that it can just be washed off just with soap, but it sometimes seems to have the opposite effect of just thinning the grease down so that it makes its way into the cracks and creases in your skin. I've been using hand cream (whatever I have) for a while, but it became particularly necessary during peak pandemic what with all the hand washing.

Palmers cocoa butter

Used coffee grounds and soap for washing hands works for me.

When working on bikes I wear those fabric ones dipped in some sort of plastic / rubber. Reusable quite a few times and offer good protection from cuts and knocks etc and I find I still have enough grip

Bought a small tube of this to try out and it's brilliant. Hands had started to look like a 70-year old's, but daily use of this cream has taken 30 years off. Recommended. Ta for the tip.

Used coffee grounds and soap for washing hands works for me

Came here to say this. I even keep a teeny dish of used coffee grounds in my kitchen for the times when you have really greasy hands. Effective and feels great.

It’s by far the best imo. Unlike so many others that are waaaaay too greasy, this stuff just soaks in and works.

Good to hear that you have it a try and are a convert.