While sun prevention remains largely associated with the summer period, the risks linked to UV rays in winter remain unknown. Faced with this observation, the National Union of Dermatologists-Venereologists (SNDV) is launching the 4th edition of its national awareness campaign, from February 2026, in French ski resorts.
Winter exposure to UV rays is still too commonplace
In winter, and more particularly in the mountains, the sun is no less aggressive for the skin. If UVB decreases slightly, UVA – responsible for skin aging and involved in skin cancer – remains present all year round. Added to this are aggravating factors well known to specialists: altitude, which increases UV intensity by approximately 10% every 1,000 meters, and the reverberation of snow, capable of reflecting up to 80% of solar radiation.
Result: at 3,000 meters above sea level, exposure can be up to 30% more intense than at sea level. A reality that is still largely underestimated by vacationers, often deceived by the cold and the lack of sensation of heat.
Skin cancers: a major public health issue
Each year, nearly 120,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in France, making this pathology the most common among adults aged 25 to 50. Melanoma, although less common, is the most serious form. Repeated sunburns, premature aging, photosensitization: the consequences of excessive and unprotected exposure are multiple, in summer as in winter.
It is to respond to this issue that the SNDV is renewing its campaign “A winter to save your skin”, with a clear objective: to change behavior and remind people that sun protection must become a reflex, including on the slopes.
Ski resorts mobilized for prevention
For this 4th edition, around thirty ski resorts will host awareness-raising devices from February 2026. Sun protection terminals, set up in partnership with 1001 SUN’BOX, will be accessible to the public. Ski instructors, in collaboration with the International Ski School, will play a central role in disseminating prevention messages.
Flyers, sunscreen samples, educational posters and direct exchanges with vacationers and schoolchildren will remind us of the golden rules: apply an SPF 50 screen to exposed areas, reapply every two hours, protect lips, eyes and scalp, and avoid exposure as much as possible between noon and 4 p.m.
By relying on the expertise of dermatologists and a reinforced presence in the field, the SNDV intends to sweep away preconceived ideas and remind people of the obvious that is still too often forgotten: in the mountains as at the beach, the sun remains a friend… provided you protect yourself from it.