Skin Patrol

SKIN PATROL

Some hibernate during winter ski season, but if you're like Linda Thompson, the Canadian-born founder and CEO of Biography, you welcome the cold season with open arms. Biography is a sustainable skincare brand driven by active botanical oils favored by winter sports enthusiasts. The Montreal native loves winter infusing a unique perspective into her skincare line where she’s cracked the code on winter weather hydration.   

It's a problem Thompson knows intimately from her childhood playing outdoor sports in Quebec every winter weekend. "The cold dryness left my cheeks almost painfully raw," she recalled.   "I've talked to countless friends who still layer on product after product with little relief."

In Europe's ski destinations a little known fact emerges: The low humidity of thin alpine air dehydrates skin as severely as a desert. At higher altitudes, humidity plunges, making traditional water-based cream moisturizers almost useless as they evaporate off your skin before doing much good. This demands a shift in skincare, urging the need for richer, more effective moisture solutions to combat the dryness in such arid conditions.

Familiar with bitter low temperatures, Thompson boils down winter travel skincare to practical essentials, and doing things a little differently, a counterintuitive yet simple swap for skin care. After pressing in a lightweight targeted serum, face oils like Biography’s Long June Calm Oil, Petty Grudges Repair Oil and best-seller Golden Ray Glow Oil find their stride.  For extra dry skin, an additional layer of face oil apres moisturizer seals in hydration.  And don’t skip sunscreen.  Collectively, this creates a moisture-locking barrier to nourish, repair and shield – a must in low humidity, high-altitude environments.

Linda’s approach weaves through skincare to personal style, reflecting a philosophy that champions authenticity and craftsmanship. Her preference for No Name Sneakers, for example—valued for their understated quality and uniqueness—mirrors the ethos behind Biography. These sneakers, a niche find from France, steer clear of mainstream distribution but are discovered in unique locations. Similarly, Biography selects distinctive venues for its distribution, emphasizing spaces that are both unexpected and uncluttered ensuring customers have a more personal and intimate experience with the products. 

Biography is committed to quality over marketing and chooses uniquely qualified ingredients over ubiquitous market presence. It caters to those who do things differently. Thompson's Biography transcends skincare; it's a manifesto on doing things differently, positing that beauty lies in our choices and narratives. It's not about chasing unrealistic beauty standards or covering up our real selves. Rather, Biography aims to deeply nourish skin using pure, ethically-sourced ingredients that blend scientific research with botanical traditions.

“We focus exclusively on potent, essential fatty acids that absorb into your skin without leaving a greasy residue." This nutrient-first ethos makes Biography a new breed of skincare - perfect for restoring your radiant glow after a day on the slopes or in harsh winter elements.

–Martha McCully (Coeur Blanc Magazine)