Our lab sits at 1,050 m in the Vinschgau, one of the driest valleys in the Alps. By late August, the meadows above 2,000 m can already see their first frost, and the valley is known for a wind that rarely takes a day off.

Living here, you learn quickly that skin doesn’t want the same routine all year. Here is how we change ours.

What mountain weather does to skin

Four things work on skin up here, often on the same day.

Cold. Cold air holds very little moisture, so skin that spends the day in it can feel tight by evening.

Wind. Wind carries off the thin layer of warmth and humidity that normally sits on the skin’s surface. That’s why cheeks feel raw and lips feel rough after a long walk.

Indoor heat. Heating dries the air further. In winter, a heated room can drop below 30% relative humidity, and skin feels it overnight.

Sun. UV rises with altitude, by roughly 10% for every 1,000 m as a common rule of thumb, and fresh snow can reflect up to 80% of it back toward you. That’s why a sunny day on the snow calls for as much care as a summer afternoon.

Winter: richer textures, gentler cleansing

When the heating goes on, we move to denser textures. We swap a light moisturizer for the Rich Barrier Cream, with shea butter at 8% and calendula at 2%. At night, two or three drops of the Sea Buckthorn Face Oil go over the cream, on the driest areas.

Cleansing gets gentler too. In winter, we use the Oat Cleansing Milk in the evening and lukewarm water in the morning. Hot water feels good after a day outside, but skin often feels drier afterward.

Lips and knuckles need their own care. The Calendula Multi-Balm is made for both, but it contains no sunscreen. On a sunny day outdoors, use a lip product with SPF and keep the balm for the evening. A humidifier in the bedroom can also help the air feel less dry overnight.

Spring: step back down

Spring in the mountains is uneven: frost in the morning, warm sun by noon. As the heating goes off, return to a lighter cream like the Everyday Oat Moisturizer, and keep the richer one for cold days and long outings. Spring is also when the sun gets strong again while the air still feels cool, which makes sunscreen easy to forget. Don’t.

Summer: light layers

In summer, the valley is hot and dry by day and cool at night. Light layers work best: a mist of the Chamomile Water Toner, the Edelweiss Hydrating Serum pressed into damp skin, and a light moisturizer that sits well under sunscreen.

If your skin feels oily by noon, use less moisturizer in the morning. Keep the face oil for evenings, or put it away until autumn.

Autumn: bring richness back slowly

Days shorten, the larches turn, and skin that spent the summer outdoors often feels drier. Bring the face oil back at night first, then the richer cream once the heating starts.

Autumn is also when many people start a night serum; our Bakuchiol Night Serum is gentle enough for nightly use. Make one change at a time, a week or two apart, so you can tell what’s making the difference.

Sunscreen at altitude

On a clear winter day at 2,000 m, the sun is working harder than the cold lets you feel.

Mountain sun care is mostly about habits, and the habits are the same whatever product you use:

• Apply sunscreen generously to all exposed skin, including your ears, the back of your neck and under your chin, where snow reflects light upward.

• Reapply at least every two hours outdoors, and after sweating, swimming or wiping your face.

• Seek shade around midday, and wear a hat and sunglasses or goggles.

• Don’t trust the cold or the clouds. UV passes through thin cloud, and cold air says nothing about how strong the sun is.

Our Mineral Day Fluid is the sunscreen we use for everyday life in the valley. For a full day on snow or ice, choose a formula made for long outdoor use and follow its label.

One season at a time

None of this needs a new shelf of products. Most of the change is texture: a richer cream here, a few drops of oil there, a lighter layer when the snow melts. Watch how your skin feels in the morning, and let the weather tell you when to switch.