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 elements of Antarctica, I instantly considered Felicity’s unimaginable 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 current 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 discovered about worry, 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. Then you definitely spend an hour getting dressed, melting snow for water to make breakfast, and getting your stuff sorted for the day. Then you definitely pack up your camp and provides onto a sledge, and transfer on. Then about 12 hours later, you unpack, construct your private home, make meals and do all the things as rapidly as attainable so you will get to sleep earlier than doing it over again the following day. You spend a while taking care of your self — your toes specifically. Your toes are a very powerful a part of your equipment.
That is smart. How do you maintain them?
It’s wonderful how many individuals arrive with their toes in a pair of socks and don’t see them once more till the tip of the expedition. However it’s so essential to have a superb take a look at your toes each day, to see if you happen to’re getting sore patches or blisters, what’s happening together with your nails, and so on. In the event that they’re in socks, they’re all the time going to be a bit damp, and gained’t have the ability to heal correctly. Some individuals spend numerous time placing lotions on their toes, however I simply make sure that 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 an entire new which means in that atmosphere.
Yeah, it’s actually essential! 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 youngsters’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 bear in mind, in locations like Antarctica, there isn’t any ozone safety. You’re beneath the opening within the ozone layer, so that you burn rapidly and severely. I’m continuously placing on lip balm since you wouldn’t consider how rapidly your lips endure. I like Labello with a excessive SPF.
Okay, your pores and skin is wonderful. Let’s speak moisturizer.
Within the night, I clear my face with my luxurious merchandise: a moist wipe. I give it a superb rub to get off all the surplus sunblock, snot, and god is aware of what else I’ve bought on my face by the tip 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 sort?!
the old school 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 among just some, and the blokes are inclined to snort once I get out my massive pot of moisturizer. However while you’re in a extremely dry atmosphere like Antarctica, in case your pores and skin is sore and your lips are cracking, you’re way more vulnerable to chilly accidents and severe issues. Generally I’ll persuade the blokes to strive some they usually’ll dip a tentative finger in and dab some on their brow — and I’m like, ‘No no no, you’ve gotta get a superb handful and rub it in till your face can take no extra.’ After which on the finish of the journey, they arrive again wanting 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, they usually have been immensely rewarding experiences. However there’s one thing concerning the polar atmosphere 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. Faculty was canceled, we went sledding, and this world that I knew was remodeled into a distinct place. Maybe that’s once I began equating snowy locations with journey. I feel 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 sturdy sense of curiosity: Who’s there? What wouldn’t it really feel prefer to be there? And then you definitely instantly understand the one method 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 each day lives. Whether or not it’s the temperature in New York right now 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 numerous TLC, too.
The primary challenge 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 once I come again from a visit and persons 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, you realize, it’s like that paper-cut agony. The perfect factor is zinc oxide. There are 1,000,000 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 possibly can’t wash your hair on expedition, proper?
No, you possibly can’t. It stays beneath a hat. However you realize, once I come again from an expedition, my hair is within the GREATEST form. That entire factor about washing your hair much less regularly? It’s true. My hair clearly will get tremendous greasy and horrible once I’m on the journey, however once I do come again and wash it, it’s shiny and thick and wonderful. So, even once I’m at dwelling, I attempt to lower down on washes.
I think about your magnificence routine — and all of your routines — are very completely different while you’re at dwelling.
Whereas I spend a part of my life within the open air, I’m typically dwelling in entrance of the laptop computer. It could possibly take years of planning earlier than you get to do the thrilling stuff. I additionally do numerous 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 mother and father, my days at dwelling are structured round him.
What does your bedtime routine appear to be?
I’m really making the change to natural merchandise. Once I was pregnant, I began wanting on the components in merchandise and it freaked me out. So, now I exploit Dr. Natural for all the things: shampoo, deodorant, hand cream. It simply makes me personally really feel safer. And I like all their varieties — argan oil, aloe vera, tea tree, and so on. 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 by myself half — was the toughest factor I’ve skilled in my complete 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 worry — however truthfully, I don’t assume I did. I discovered a method to preserve going despite it, however the worry was all the time there. I discovered so much about myself throughout that expedition.
Like what?
Nicely, I discovered that though I’m very grateful for the expertise, it’s not one thing I ever need to do once more. With no different individuals 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 unhappiness. 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 onerous and quick that it made me really feel as if I used to be going mad. It did educate me about myself — and about individuals generally. The human physique and mind are able to infinite resilience. You see that, when individuals survive big traumas, and but go on to steer fulfilling, rewarding lives. You see individuals 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 discovered my restrict.
What was it like, transitioning again to common life?
Some issues have been surprisingly tough — like going to the grocery retailer. After residing 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 gazing 1,000,000 completely different sorts of loaves and actually couldn’t decide! The power of all these tiny selections sapped my energy. Social interactions have been unusual, too. Though I used to be going via the motions of standard social habits, it felt like the actual me was really sitting at the back of my mind someplace, completely disconnected. It took a 12 months earlier than these two elements of me got here again collectively as one, earlier than I felt really 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 big affect in my life. When these individuals and out of doors influences have been taken away, instantly my character didn’t have a kind anymore. I felt fluid. It made me understand simply how a lot the individuals in our lives assist form who we’re — and the way completely important it’s to encompass your self with others that mirror the values and the character that you just need to have. People who find themselves good for you.
Thanks a lot, Felicity! Her ebook, 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 photograph by Katrina Jane Perry. All different pictures courtesy of Felicity Aston.)
