Ice Fishing Is Brutal on Your Skin: Cold, Wind and the Damage You Don’t Notice
There aren't many types of fishing harder on your skin than ice fishing.
You're sitting for hours in freezing temperatures, exposed to wind, snow, reflected sunlight, and air that has almost no moisture in it. Your hands are constantly going in and out of gloves. You're drilling holes, handling wet line, grabbing fish, clearing ice, and eventually sticking your hands into water that's just barely above freezing.
Meanwhile, your face gets the full experience.
Most of us prepare for an ice fishing trip by worrying about staying warm. Good boots, gloves, bibs, layers, a heater, and enough coffee to keep a small diner in business.
What we don't think about nearly enough is what those conditions are doing to our skin.
Cold Air Is Dry Air
Cold winter air holds far less moisture than warm air. Add wind and you've got a pretty effective way of pulling moisture from exposed skin all day.
That's why your face can feel tight after several hours outside and why your hands can go from perfectly normal to rough and cracked during a long stretch of winter fishing.
Your skin has a natural barrier that helps retain moisture and protect you from the environment. Cold, dry conditions can make it harder for that barrier to do its job.
Then we anglers make things worse.
We get our hands wet.
Ice-Cold Water and Wet Hands
Anyone who ice fishes knows the routine.
Take your gloves off. Handle the line. Reach for a fish. Get your hands wet. Dry them on your pants. Put your gloves back on.
Repeat that about fifty times.
Water on the skin evaporates, and that wet-to-dry cycle can contribute to already dry winter skin. If your gloves become damp, your hands may stay wet longer than you realize.
That's when fingertips, knuckles, and the skin around your nails can really start taking a beating.
Cracked fingertips aren't much fun anywhere. They're even less fun when you're trying to tie a knot with cold fingers while the wind is blowing across a frozen lake.
Keeping a dry backup pair of gloves is a good idea. So is properly drying your hands instead of wiping them across your bibs and calling it good.
Wind Makes Everything Worse
Wind is one of the biggest problems for your face during ice fishing.
Your cheeks, nose, lips, and the area around your eyes are often exposed for hours. Even when the temperature isn't extreme, wind can make exposed skin feel considerably colder and contribute to dryness and irritation.
If you've ever come off the ice with a face that feels tight, rough, red, or uncomfortable, you already know what we're talking about.
Covering exposed skin whenever possible is the first line of defense. A neck gaiter, face covering, hood, and good hat aren't just there to keep you comfortable.
But physical protection is only part of the equation.
You're Probably More Dehydrated Than You Think
This one catches a lot of anglers.
When it's hot outside, drinking water makes sense. You're sweating, you're thirsty, and your body is constantly reminding you to drink.
When it's 15 degrees outside, it's a different story.
You may not feel as thirsty, but your body is still losing water. You're breathing cold, dry air, you're moving around, you're wearing heavy insulated clothing, and you may be sweating more underneath those layers than you realize.
Coffee is great. I drink it too.
But bring water.
Staying properly hydrated is important for your entire body, including your skin. A moisturizer can help reduce moisture loss from the outside, but it doesn't replace drinking enough fluids.
Think of it as working from both directions.
Don't Wait Until Your Hands Crack
This is probably the biggest mistake we make.
We wait until our hands hurt before we do anything about them.
By that point, we're trying to fix a problem instead of maintaining healthy skin.
Before heading onto the ice, start with clean, dry hands and apply a good moisturizer. Pay particular attention to your knuckles, fingertips, cuticles, and any areas that tend to dry out first.
Keep something in your fishing bag or truck so you can reapply when needed.
And when you get home, don't just throw your gear in the garage and forget about your hands.
Wash them. Dry them thoroughly. Moisturize again.
It takes about a minute.
Your Face Needs Moisture Too
Your face is taking a beating all day without you doing much about it.
That's where an oil-based product can make a lot of sense in an ice-fishing skincare routine.
Thaw Out was made with cold-weather anglers in mind. A few drops can be worked into your face before heading into cold, dry conditions or used after a day on the ice as part of your regular moisturizing routine.
The idea isn't complicated.
You're trying to help keep your skin moisturized when the environment is doing everything it can to dry it out.
Apply Thaw Out to clean skin, concentrating on areas that tend to feel dry and tight during winter. Depending on your skin and conditions, it can also be paired with your regular moisturizer as part of your cold-weather routine.
And don't forget your hands. A quality hand moisturizer or balm should have a permanent home in your ice-fishing gear during the winter.
Sun Still Matters on the Ice
Cold doesn't mean there's no sun.
In fact, snow and ice can reflect UV radiation back toward exposed skin. That means you're potentially getting exposure from above and reflected light from below.
It's easy to forget sunscreen when you're bundled up and standing on a frozen lake.
Don't.
Use an appropriate broad-spectrum sunscreen on exposed skin and reapply according to the product directions. Sunglasses or quality eye protection are also a smart addition.
Skin protection doesn't stop just because the temperature dropped below freezing.
A Simple Ice-Fishing Skin Routine
You don't need to turn the inside of your ice shack into a bathroom counter.
Keep it simple.
Before fishing: Start hydrated. Apply moisturizer to your hands and face, apply sunscreen to exposed skin, and protect as much of your face as practical from the wind.
While fishing: Drink water throughout the day. Keep your hands as dry as possible, change wet gloves, and reapply hand moisturizer when your skin starts feeling dry.
After fishing: Wash off fish slime, dirt, sunscreen, and whatever else you've accumulated during the day. Dry your hands and face thoroughly. Apply moisturizer to your hands and face.
That's it.
No twelve-step routine. No standing in front of the mirror for half an hour.
Just maintenance.
Take Care of Yourself Like You Take Care of Your Gear
Ice anglers will spend twenty minutes drying equipment, charging electronics, organizing tackle, sharpening auger blades, and making sure everything is ready for tomorrow.
Then we'll look at two cracked hands and a windburned face and think, those will probably be fine.
After enough winters, your skin starts remembering all those days you didn't pay attention to it.
Cold, wind, ice water, dry air, sun, and repeated wet-and-dry cycles are simply part of ice fishing. We're not suggesting you avoid them.
We're anglers. We're going fishing.
The point is to take a couple of minutes before and after the trip to take care of yourself too.
Your auger isn't the only thing that needs maintenance.
Wrapped in Water — Skincare Built for Anglers.