As the name suggests, Weather Defence Facial Cream from Australian brand Premax is an exercise-specific cream designed to protect your face against harsh and testing climate conditions. It is made from natural ingredients to keep skin protected and moisturised and it really works – though it isn't the cheapest option on the shelf.
As a cyclist who gets out on the bike whatever the weather, I was excited to test out the Premax cream to see if it could help me grin and bear the worst of the British weather. The 50ml posh blue tube with its silver writing looks premium, and the "Made in Australia" label made me think that if anyone can create a cream to protect against the elements, the Australians have probably got to be the experts.
Aloe Vera Leaf Extract, Rose Hip Fruit Oil and Lavender Oil are just a few of the natural ingredients within the cream. It's white, with a light fresh smell, and a little bit of an oily feel to it.
A little goes a long way – just a small fingertip blob of the cream is enough to cover the whole face, or just use the tiniest dab for sensitive areas such as under the nose, lips and eyelids. It rubs around the face easily enough and I felt no irritation.
I found it created a definite barrier to bad weather, with almost a numbing effect against wind and rain. And it keeps on working, even hours later you can feel that it is still on the skin, and I had no issues with chapped lips or a sore nose while using the product. Following a four-hour hard ride in the rain, I could finally feel it come off my face when showering and using soap to remove it. It does feel like it has to be washed off with soap, so it's not a placebo effect, there's a definite barrier there.
At just 56g, the small tube would be easily packable into your bikepacking kit for a multi-day tour. I would have thought you wouldn't need to reapply until the next day, unless it was properly belting it down. For me, I found rides of several hours in rain became more bearable, knowing I had an extra layer of protection on my skin.
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As it's "exercise specific", you can obviously use it for more than just cycling; I can see that it would have a great benefit out on miserable weather walks or runs, if you are into that kind of thing.
Compared with other creams that claim to be good against bad weather conditions, there is no doubting that the Premax cream is expensive. The obvious competition is Vaseline, at around £1.50 for 50ml from supermarkets. However I find Vaseline a much greasier, more unpleasant product to use, and it doesn't rub in as well as the Premax. I also find it doesn't last anywhere near as long in the rain.
Weleda Cold Face cream (around £6 online) also claims to form a protective barrier against harsh conditions and lists beeswax as one of the natural ingredients. This hasn't been tested on road.cc but has received good internet reviews, although it isn't listed as exercise specific.
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In summary, I really liked the Premax Facial Weather Defence cream. The tube looks nice, and I would be chuffed to receive or give it as a present. It's easy to apply and use, and a little goes a long way. It forms a genuine barrier against rain, wind and the British Weather that is definitely not a placebo effect, judging by the fact that it really needs a few washes with soap to remove it. The natural ingredients are a plus as well. The only drawback is the premium price, as it is expensive for a small tube.
Verdict
Premium exercise-specific facial cream that forms a definite barrier against the British weather
Make and model: Premax Performance Skincare Weather Defence Facial Cream
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Premax says: "The Premax Weather Defence Facial Cream comes with an exercise-specific, lightweight formula that protects your face against harsh and testing climate conditions. The cream is made from natural oils, extracts and emollients which are perfectly balanced to keep your skin protected and moisturised."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Ingredients include: Castor Seed Oil, Aloe Vera Leaf Extract, Vitamin E, Shea Butter, Rose Hip Fruit Oil, Macadamia Oil, Tocopherol, Sweet Orange Peel Oil and Lavender Oil
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
It's just a small 50ml blue tube with a flip top lid, but the shiny silver writing looks premium. Would make a nice present for a cyclist. The small tube would also be easily packable into your bikepacking kit, for a multi-day tour.
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
A little goes a long way, just a small fingertip blob of the facial cream is enough to cover the whole face, or just use the tiniest dab for sensitive areas such as under the nose, lips and eyelids. It has a pleasant, fresh smell to it, and rubs around the face easily.
I found it created a definite barrier to bad weather, and even hours later, you can feel that it is still on the skin. I had no issues with chapped lips or a sore nose while using the product. Following a four-hour hard ride, I could feel it come off my face when showering. It definitely has to be washed off with soap, so it's not a placebo effect. There is a real barrier there. I had no issues with skin irritation.
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
Only a small amount is needed, so a tube should last several months. In use, it stays on the face for hours on end, and has to be washed off with soap, so durability is very good.
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
Rides of several hours in rain became more bearable, knowing I had a barrier to the horrible weather on my skin.
Rate the product for value:
4/10
Compared to other creams which claim to be good against bad weather conditions it's expensive, but it really works.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
It really works, you can feel a barrier is there on the skin, and water and wind don't seem to beat against the face as hard as without it; it seems to have almost a numbing effect to rain. The small size means it is easily packable for a multi-day trip.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
It works well against wind and rain – basically, the British Weather.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The price; it's expensive.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
Expensive, but the obvious cheaper competition, the likes of Vaseline, are much greasier and don't last as long in the rain.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
I really liked the Premax Facial Weather Defence Cream. It's easy to apply and use, a little goes a long way, and it forms a genuine barrier against rain, wind and the British Weather that is definitely not a placebo effect. The natural ingredients are a plus as well. The only drawback is the premium price as it is expensive for a small tube, no matter how nice it looks. A very good 8 out of 10.
Age: 41 Height: 181 Weight: 92 Kilos
I usually ride: GT Grade My best bike is: Boardman ASR 8.9
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,
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I'm glad the barrier wasn't damaged. Whew, close one there! \s