A Lifetime Outdoors: Why Looking After Your Skin Matters
Aug 14, 2026
Kath has spent her life outside — climbing, skiing, mountain biking and guiding in the mountains of Eryri.
But after decades of sun, wind and weather, she had a reminder that looking after your skin matters too.
Read her story below.
Written by Kath Goodey
I’ve spent most of my life outdoors.
I grew up on the North Wales coast, where my parents ran an outdoor education centre. Climbing, hiking, windsurfing and skiing were just part of everyday life. As I got older, those childhood adventures turned into a love of rock climbing, mountaineering, skiing and, eventually, mountain biking.
These days, I live and work in the mountains of Eryri National Park (Snowdonia), where I run RideHigh MTB, helping women and girls feel more confident riding off-road.
I’m lucky to spend my days doing something I love. But there’s one part of my outdoor life I probably haven’t always been quite so good at looking after.
My skin.
A lifetime outside
Growing up, sun cream and sunglasses weren’t exactly considered essential pieces of outdoor kit. I’ve had years of exposure to the sun, from sunny rock faces and snowy mountains to long days on the bike and several years living and working in Greece and on the Caribbean coast of Colombia.
These days, I’m much more conscious about protecting my skin. Now I always make sure I’ve got SPF and sunglasses with me, especially in summer.
But I hadn’t really thought much beyond sun protection until I discovered WiDEYE.
Keeping skincare simple
I came across WiDEYE on social media and it felt like a brand that understood how I live. I’m not someone who wants a bathroom cabinet full of complicated skincare products. After a day in the mountains, I want to wash my face, put something good on my skin and get on with my evening.
So I started using their skin fuel face cream and face wash.
It’s exactly what I was looking for: a cleanser and a moisturiser, and that’s it. I love having just two steps. The cleanser is gentle but effective, leaving my skin feeling clean without that tight feeling you can sometimes get after washing.
The first proper test came during a four-day Traws Eryri guiding job. My co-guide Chrissy has incredibly sensitive skin, so she gave the products a go too.
We both loved the moisturiser. And after four long days outside, I was glad to have something simple that worked.
A reminder to look after my skin
A few weeks later, I had a rather more serious reminder of why looking after sun-exposed skin matters.
A brown mark below my eyebrow was examined and later classed as suspicious, so I was sent for a priority biopsy.
Thankfully, the results were negative. It turned out to be sun damage.
It made me think about how much time I’ve spent outside over the years and how important it is to look after my skin properly. A good reminder that skincare doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming. It just needs to become part of your routine.
Back to the mountains
I’m now outside in the mountains pretty much every day. My skin gets exposed to sun, wind, sweat, dust, SPF and whatever else comes with spending long days in the mountains.
At the end of the day, I like getting it all off.
It’s a very simple ritual, but after years of treating skincare as an afterthought, I’ve come to really appreciate it.
Looking after your skin doesn’t mean stepping away from the outdoor life. I’m still going to ride, climb, guide and coach. I’m still going to get wet, muddy, sweaty and windswept.
I’ll just be a little more mindful about looking after my skin along the way.
And tomorrow?
I’ll be back on the trails.
Want to see more of Kath’s life in the mountains?
Follow Kath and RideHigh MTB on Instagram for more trails, rides and adventures, or find out more about what she does on the RideHigh MTB website.
And if Kath’s story has you thinking about your own skincare routine, discover our 2-Step Skincare Routine for Mature Skin.
Is there something you’d love us to write about? A question you’ve always wanted answered or something you’d like to know more about? Let us know in the comments👇
