I interviewed polar explorer and scientist Felicity Aston seven years in the past. It was an unforgettable interview (for a lot of readers, too, I do know!). Final weekend, when the mayor introduced that NYC was colder than components of Antarctica, I instantly considered Felicity’s unbelievable tales and winter pores and skin recs. Lately, Felicity lives together with her household on Vigur Island, a nature reserve and eiderdown farm simply south of the Arctic Circle, the place she continues to analysis and lead expeditions throughout the polar areas. All of us cherished this interview, so in honor (?) of this latest chilly snap, we thought we’d share it once more…
Felicity Aston is a polar explorer and Antarctic scientist. In 2012, she turned the primary lady to ski throughout Antarctica alone (!) and now travels the world main expeditions and talking about her work within the polar areas. When she’s not on expedition, she lives between Kent, England, and Reykjavik, Iceland, together with her husband and toddler son. Right here, she shares what she’s realized about concern, the strongest lip balm, and the old-school drugstore moisturizer she brings on each journey…
So, what IS a typical day like for a modern-day polar explorer?
If I’m on an expedition, my day begins by waking up in a tent, in a sleeping bag subsequent to somebody who begins out a complete stranger however in a short time turns into not so. You then spend an hour getting dressed, melting snow for water to make breakfast, and getting your stuff sorted for the day. You then pack up your camp and provides onto a sledge, and transfer on. Then about 12 hours later, you unpack, construct your own home, make meals and do all the things as shortly as attainable so you will get to sleep earlier than doing it once more the following day. You spend a while taking care of your self — your ft particularly. Your ft are an important a part of your equipment.
That is smart. How do you deal with them?
It’s superb how many individuals arrive with their ft in a pair of socks and don’t see them once more till the top of the expedition. However it’s so necessary to have an excellent take a look at your ft day-after-day, to see should you’re getting sore patches or blisters, what’s happening together with your nails, and so forth. In the event that they’re in socks, they’re all the time going to be a bit damp, and gained’t be capable to heal correctly. Some folks spend loads of time placing lotions on their ft, however I simply make certain I give them time within the open air every day.
I’ve to confess, I really feel barely ridiculous asking about your ‘magnificence routine’ on a polar expedition. However then once more, skincare should tackle a complete new that means in that setting.
Yeah, it’s actually necessary! Within the morning, I slap on beneficiant quantities of the best issue sunblock that I can discover. Doesn’t matter what model, however I typically wind up utilizing kids’s sunblock as a result of it has the best SPF, and it’s thicker in your pores and skin (so it additionally helps defend from the chilly, wind, and excessive dryness). You must keep in mind, in locations like Antarctica, there is no such thing as a ozone safety. You’re underneath the opening within the ozone layer, so that you burn shortly and severely. I’m continually placing on lip balm since you wouldn’t imagine how shortly your lips endure. I like Labello with a excessive SPF.
Okay, your pores and skin is superb. Let’s discuss moisturizer.
Within the night, I clear my face with my luxurious merchandise: a moist wipe. I give it an excellent rub to get off all the surplus sunblock, snot, and god is aware of what else I’ve obtained on my face by the top of the day. It’s all the time a bit frozen — all the things is — so it’s like utilizing a chilly compress on my face. Then I placed on a beneficiant dollop of the thickest, strongest moisturizer I can get.
What form?!
the old style Nivea? That is available in a tin? It’s BRILLIANT. I slather it on, and it actually moisturizes my pores and skin in a single day. On many expeditions, I’m the one lady, or one in every of just some, and the blokes are inclined to snigger after I get out my huge pot of moisturizer. However while you’re in a extremely dry setting like Antarctica, in case your pores and skin is sore and your lips are cracking, you’re far more inclined to chilly accidents and severe issues. Generally I’ll persuade the blokes to strive some and so they’ll dip a tentative finger in and dab some on their brow — and I’m like, ‘No no no, you’ve gotta get an excellent handful and rub it in till your face can take no extra.’ After which on the finish of the journey, they arrive again trying like they’ve been dipped in a vat of acid, with pores and skin peeling off and lips massively swollen and cracked — and my pores and skin’s typically all proper. I really feel vindicated!
As an explorer, what drew you to the polar areas, particularly?
I’ve been on expeditions in desert and jungle environments, and so they have been immensely rewarding experiences. However there’s one thing concerning the polar setting that retains pulling me again. I ponder if it’s one thing to do with the place I grew up, in southeast England. Snow was a really uncommon, thrilling occasion. College was canceled, we went sledding, and this world that I knew was reworked into a distinct place. Maybe that’s after I began equating snowy locations with journey. I believe it’s additionally one thing to do with the truth that these environments are on the edges of the globe. a map, my eyes all the time wander towards the fringes — the locations I don’t know something about. I’ve all the time been pushed by that robust sense of curiosity: Who’s there? What would it not really feel wish to be there? And then you definately abruptly notice the one solution to reply these questions is to go there and discover out.
You’ve spent a lot of your profession in Antarctica — a spot most of us can solely think about. What did you find out about that place that you just’d need others to know?
Folks have a tendency to think about Antarctica as this tiny place on the underside of the map. However it’s monumental (twice the dimensions of Australia!), and it has a big impact on our day by day lives. Whether or not it’s the temperature in New York as we speak or the truth that it’s snowing right here in Reykjavik — that may be linked again to what’s happening in Antarctica.
I guess your fingers want loads of TLC, too.
The principle difficulty I’ve with my fingers in wintertime — not simply on expedition — is that the pores and skin round my nails cracks. I really feel like such a wuss after I come again from a visit and individuals are anticipating to listen to about horrible accidents and gore, and I’m saying, ‘The pores and skin on my fingers cracked and it was actually sore!’ However, , it’s like that paper-cut agony. One of the best factor is zinc oxide. There are one million completely different model names, however any zinc oxide cream will do. You rub it into the pores and skin round your fingers and it really works splendidly.
Okay, this can be tremendous apparent however I’m guessing you’ll be able to’t wash your hair on expedition, proper?
No, you’ll be able to’t. It stays underneath a hat. However , after I come again from an expedition, my hair is within the GREATEST form. That entire factor about washing your hair much less continuously? It’s true. My hair clearly will get tremendous greasy and horrible after I’m on the journey, however after I do come again and wash it, it’s shiny and thick and superb. So, even after I’m at house, I attempt to minimize down on washes.
I think about your magnificence routine — and all of your routines — are very completely different while you’re at house.
Whereas I spend a part of my life within the outside, I’m typically house in entrance of the laptop computer. It could take years of planning earlier than you get to do the thrilling stuff. I additionally do loads of talking around the globe, so I’m typically engaged on that (or driving to or from the airport). And I’ve an 18-month-old little boy now, so like most new dad and mom, my days at house are structured round him.
What does your bedtime routine appear to be?
I’m really making the swap to natural merchandise. After I was pregnant, I began trying on the substances in merchandise and it freaked me out. So, now I take advantage of Dr. Natural for all the things: shampoo, deodorant, hand cream. It simply makes me personally really feel safer. And I really like all their varieties — argan oil, aloe vera, tea tree, and so forth. I’m a complete convert.
In 2012, you turned the primary lady to ski throughout Antarctica alone — a 59-day, 1,000-mile journey. Amongst different issues, that’s a very long time to be alone. What was that like?
Sure, that half — the being alone half — was the toughest factor I’ve skilled in my total life. It hit me instantly. These first few seconds after the aircraft left me, I used to be struck by the total weight of my aloneness, and the duty that got here with it. That was probably the most horrifying a part of the expedition. Folks typically ask how I conquered the concern — however actually, I don’t suppose I did. I discovered a solution to preserve going regardless of it, however the concern was all the time there. I realized loads about myself throughout that expedition.
Like what?
Nicely, I realized that though I’m very grateful for the expertise, it’s not one thing I ever wish to do once more. With no different folks round, each single emotion I had could be instantly, intensely expressed. So, if I felt upset, I’d be bawling my eyes out in catastrophic disappointment. If I used to be irritated by one thing, I’d be livid, throwing my poles on the bottom and shouting to the sky. If I used to be scared, I’d be shaking and petrified. My feelings swung so arduous and quick that it made me really feel as if I used to be going mad. It did train me about myself — and about folks generally. The human physique and mind are able to infinite resilience. You see that, when folks survive enormous traumas, and but go on to guide fulfilling, rewarding lives. You see folks in survival conditions, going past what appears humanly attainable, each mentally and bodily. The distinction with my journey was that it wasn’t survival. It was my option to be on the market. I realized my restrict.
What was it like, transitioning again to common life?
Some issues have been surprisingly tough — like going to the grocery retailer. After dwelling in a tent with what I wanted and nothing extra, I used to be overwhelmed by all the alternatives. I’d be standing within the bread aisle watching one million completely different sorts of loaves and actually couldn’t decide! The vitality of all these tiny selections sapped my power. Social interactions have been unusual, too. Though I used to be going via the motions of standard social habits, it felt like the true me was really sitting behind my mind someplace, completely disconnected. It took a yr earlier than these two components of me got here again collectively as one, earlier than I felt actually current once more.
So, you felt like completely different variations of your self?
Earlier than that expedition, I had all the time assumed that I used to be intrinsically me. I assumed Felicity was a selected, particular factor: that is who I’m, these are my values, that is how I react. However on the market, I spotted that me, my character, is the area between all of the those who have enormous affect in my life. When these folks and outdoors influences have been taken away, abruptly my character didn’t have a kind anymore. I felt fluid. It made me notice simply how a lot the folks in our lives assist form who we’re — and the way completely important it’s to encompass your self with others that replicate the values and the character that you just wish to have. People who find themselves good for you.
Thanks a lot, Felicity! Her e book, Alone in Antartica, got here out in 2014.
P.S. Extra girls share their magnificence uniforms, together with an HBO author and a transgender advocate.
(Fifth picture by Katrina Jane Perry. All different photographs courtesy of Felicity Aston.)
