Two kitchens. Two climates. One philosophy: skincare should be shaped by the land it’s made in.
My life is split between Star Valley, Wyoming and Las Vegas, Nevada — two places defined by extreme dryness, but in completely different ways. These kitchens became my classrooms shaped by the environment. They taught me how skin behaves in low humidity, how ingredients respond to climate, and why most commercial skincare simply isn’t built for environments like ours.
This is the story of how Alta Fauna was born — and why I still formulate in both places today.
🌲 Kitchen One: Star Valley, Wyoming — High Altitude Dryness
Star Valley sits above 6,000 feet, where the air is thin, crisp, and dry. Winters stretch long. Summers flash by. Humidity is rare.
What High Altitude Does to Skin
- Accelerates trans-epidermal water loss — moisture escapes quickly.
- Weakens the lipid barrier — skin becomes fragile and reactive.
- Amplifies UV exposure — elevation intensifies sun damage.
In this kitchen, I learned that lightweight lotions evaporate before they can help. Skin needs dense, protective ingredients — grass‑fed tallow, beeswax — materials that mimic the skin’s natural barrier and stay put in thin air.
This is where I learned to formulate for protection.
🌵 Kitchen Two: Las Vegas, Nevada — Desert Dryness
Las Vegas is a different kind of dry: hot, bright, and relentlessly dehydrating. Air conditioning runs almost year‑round. UV exposure is extreme. Sweat evaporates before it cools you, if you sweat at all.
What Desert Heat Does to Skin
- Inflammation rises under constant heat.
- UV accelerates visible aging.
- Air Conditioning strips moisture continuously.
- Sweat + dryness = imbalance and irritation.
Here, I learned the importance of lightweight emollients and soothing oils — coconut oil, olive oil, vitamin E, and arnica — ingredients that hydrate without heaviness and help calm skin stressed by heat and dryness.
This kitchen taught me to formulate for recovery.
🧪 Why Two Kitchens Make Better Skincare
Most brands formulate in one climate and assume it works everywhere. I don’t. My products must perform in two extremes — cold mountain dryness and hot desert dryness — before they earn a place in the Alta Fauna line.
Dual‑Climate Testing Ensures:
- Barrier support in low humidity
- Comfortable wear in high heat
- Non‑greasy absorption even with occlusives
- Seasonal adaptability
- Real‑world performance
Two kitchens force me to create formulas that are balanced, adaptive, and climate‑smart.
🌿 The Science Behind Dry‑Climate Skincare
When humidity drops below 30% — Wyoming often sits around 10–20%, Vegas around 5–15% — water‑based skincare behaves differently.
The Humidity Problem
Humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid need moisture in the air to work properly. In dry climates, they can pull water upward from deeper skin layers toward the surface and if not protected, out into the air.
Alta Fauna’s Climate‑Smart Approach
- Occlusives (tallow, beeswax) seal moisture
- Emollients (coconut, olive oil) soften and protect
- Botanicals calm inflammation from heat, wind, and UV
- Antioxidants (vitamin E) provide defense against environmental stressors
This isn’t trend‑based skincare. It’s environmental skincare — built for real climates, real people, and real skin challenges.
💛 Two Kitchens, Two Worlds
I make skincare in two kitchens because my life is lived in two worlds. Wyoming is where I slow down, breathe, and reconnect with nature. Las Vegas is where our family is.
Both places shaped me. Both places shaped my formulas.
Two kitchens remind me that skincare doesn’t have to be complicated — it just has to be thoughtful. It must be made by someone who understands the environment, the climate, and the people using it.
It must be made with care, purpose and sometimes, it has to be made in two kitchens.
If your skin lives in a dry climate — or feels like it does — explore the small‑batch formulas crafted in the kitchens that taught me everything.
Discover skincare shaped by environment.
- Gina