Alpenglow
Alpenglow began with a lifelong fascination with plants, a love of making things by hand, and a deep connection to Alaska.
Founded in 1999 by Susan and Patrick, Alpenglow grew from Susan’s childhood habit of creating little “potions” from things she found in the woods into a family business rooted in natural ingredients, wildcrafting, gardening, and traditional plant knowledge.
After moving to Alaska in 1995 to work as Interpretive Park Rangers in Denali, Susan developed a deeper interest in ethnobotany and the many ways plants have traditionally been used for food, medicine, body care, and everyday life. The family eventually settled in Anchor Point on the southern Kenai Peninsula, where the milder climate and proximity to the ocean provided the setting for a more sustainable, hands-on way of living.
Alpenglow’s earliest products were made in a tiny 16-by-16-foot cabin without running water. Soap, balms, and face creams were made around family life, sometimes between meals, with an old kitchen drawer serving as a soap mold and repurposed materials finding new life wherever they could.
What began with sales to neighbors and family soon grew into a longtime presence at the Homer Farmers Market and craft shows throughout Alaska. For nearly two decades, Alpenglow could be found at the market almost every Saturday during the summer, introducing generations of customers to its handmade products. The business eventually expanded into online sales and wholesale accounts while remaining a family-run operation.
Wild Alaska remains central to Alpenglow’s work. The family sustainably wildcrafts botanicals including cottonwood buds, yarrow, wild roses, fireweed, horsetail, and nettles, while also growing herbs and flowers organically on their property. These ingredients become part of products made in small batches in their Anchor Point workshop.
The family story is woven throughout the business. Susan and Patrick’s children grew up around the gardens, wildcrafting, soap making, farmers markets, and workshop, learning not only how things are made, but the value of working with their hands, figuring things out, and contributing to something they could be proud of.
More than 25 years later, Alpenglow Skin Care remains a small, family-run Alaska business making natural skin and hair care products by hand. What started around one table in a tiny cabin has grown considerably, but the heart of the business remains remarkably close to where it began: Alaska, family, plants, craftsmanship, and a genuine respect for the natural world.
Willow Ptarmigan is proud to offer Alpenglow Skin Care as part of its collection of Alaska-made goods from independent artists, makers, and small businesses. For those looking to bring a little piece of Alaska home, Alpenglow’s products carry not only the landscape of the Kenai Peninsula, but the story of a family that has spent decades turning the gifts of that landscape into something useful, beautiful, and made with care.
