Surviving the High Desert: Skincare for the Columbia River Gorge

How to Protect Your Skin in the Gorge

Quick Answer: To thrive in the Columbia River Gorge’s high desert climate, focus on barrier-locking occlusives like grass-fed tallow and beeswax that shield skin from relentless wind and low humidity. Avoid harsh foaming cleansers that strip natural oils, and always apply moisturizers to damp skin immediately after washing to trap hydration before the dry air can pull it away.

Why is the Columbia River Gorge so harsh on skin?

If you’ve never been to the Columbia River Gorge, the area that separates northern Oregon and southern Washington, let me paint the picture for you: it’s a beautiful summer’s day, the sun is shining. You head to the river to dip your toes and then it hits you: the wind. You look around the river and see that it is full of kites. Wind and kite-surfers are everyone, soaking up every ounce of the gusts.

The wind is simulatneously what attracts people to the Columbia River Gorge and what can make it a harsh place for your skin. The places in the gorge that are particularly harsh are when you get up into the high desert. This is where you run into very low humidity levels mixed with a near constant wind that strips moisture not only from the environment, but also from the surface of your skin.

If you’ve ever had a windburn, you know what I mean. It feels almost like a sunburn, but is caused by the extreme dehydration and micro-damage to the skin barrier from the ripping wind.

The Best Skincare Ingredients for High Desert Climates

Now, you may be wondering: why would anyone choose to live there?! Well, there’s so many reasons. And the wind is not necessarily a reason to stay away. We just need to know how to work with the elements so that we can sustainably retain our healthy skin barrier that protects us from evironmental damage.

So, when we think about what goes on our skin to protect against these harsh elements, we want ingredients that are:

1. Biocompatibility. Thats a fancy way of saying that we want to use ingredients that harmonize with the skin’s natural sebum, ones that integrate seamlessly, rather ones than ones that work against it.
2. Occlusive. Natural occlusives are thick oils or waxes that create a protective moisturized barrier on the skin.
3. Humectants. Humectants are natural ingredients that draw water into the skin from the environment.

Answer: Look for "biocompatible" lipids and occlusive agents that create a physical seal over the skin. Unlike lightweight lotions that evaporate, rich balms containing ceramides, tallow, or squalene are essential for reinforcing the skin's natural defense against Gorge elements.

The key ingredients we want to think about that fit into these categories are:

• Grass-Fed Tallow. Tallow is very close in its makeup to human skin sebum. Not only is it incredibly moisturizing, but it locks in that moisture so that your skin can retain it better and for longer.
• Beeswax. Due to its waxy nature, beeswax acts as this beautiful, natural protective layer, almost like a “second skin”.
• Squalene. Squalene is a naturally occurring oil in our skin’s sebum that keeps the skin hydrating, moisturized, and smooth. Squalene is found naturally in olive oil.
• Manuka Honey. A natural humectant that will help draw moisture into your skin, while the tallow and beeswax help to retain that moisture.

Your Gorge Survival Routine: Morning & Night

Answer: Your routine should shift from "cleaning" to "protecting". Use a gentle, non-foaming cleanser to preserve your natural oils and follow with a rich, cream-based moisturizer rather than a thin lotion.

Morning: Protect

1. Skip the morning wash: avoiding harsh cleansers or frequent washing is going to help keep your skin’s natural oils in balance, helping your skin stay hydrated all day.
2. Dampen skin: Using your favorite hydrosol or rose water, dampen your skin. This will not only help the tallow glide over your skin and integrate smoothly without the grease, but the tallow is going to actually lock in that moisture to keep your skin hydrated.
3. Seal in moisture with tallow: Use a dime-sized amount of a tallow balm like the Hera Face Balm to create a sun-safe, wind-resistant barrier.

Night: Repair

1. Manuka Honey mask: My favorite is to put Manuka Honey on my face while I take a bath. The Manuka helps to lock in all that steam from the bath, leaving me feeling nice and hydrated right before bed.
2. Repair + hydration: This is when we love to use the Artemis Night Serum. Loaded with antioxidants, it is perfect for deep hydration and repair overnight.
3. Body oiling: Throughout all of this, we’ve focused mainly on the face, but hydrating the skin of your entire body is just as important. Our Nyx Body Oil is olive oil-based, so it is packed with lots of that squalene that will help to lock in the moisture and keep you soft well into the next day.

How do I treat windburn from the Gorge?

The best thing to do for a windburn is to focus on those thick, waxy, oil-based ingredients that can help to soothe inflammation and seal up your skin barrier. Our Hera Face Balm is perfect for this, full of grass-fed tallow, beeswax, and naturally fragrance-free.

Is a lotion enough for dry high desert air?

Conventional lotions often have a high water content, which is what allows them to rub into your skin so easily. But in a windy, dry environment, water is not going to cut it as far as hydrating and moisturizing go. You want to focus more on a balm or oils that don’t rely on filler ingredients. These are much more effective at protecting the skin barrier and locking in moisture all day.

Why does my skin feel tighter in the winter?

Tighter skin can often be a result of dehydration. The dehydration may be coming from living in a dry environment, but we also need to consider the way we are living too, not just where. Blasting the heat indoors then going into the cold outdoors is another way to dehydrate the skin.