What Colorado Taught Me About Healthy Summer Skin

How climate, altitude, and a simpler routine can transform your skin

A couple of weeks ago, my two kids and I returned from a restorative trip to Colorado, where we visited my dear friend Petra at her ranch, Shalako, just outside Mancos.

Most mornings began slowly with coffee overlooking the mesa before we made our way to the river for a cold plunge. We spent our days hiking, cooking nourishing meals together with ingredients from neighboring farms, sitting outside talking for hours, and simply enjoying a slower pace of life. One of the highlights for my daughter was trail riding through the mountains, while I found myself appreciating something much simpler—the quiet.

There wasn't much of an agenda. No rushing from one thing to the next. Just fresh air, movement, nourishing food, meaningful conversations, and the kind of restorative time that feels increasingly rare.

It reminded me that slowing down isn't unproductive.

Sometimes it's exactly what restores us.

As a holistic esthetician, I couldn't help but notice something else.

After just a few days, I could feel my skin asking for something different.

Living on the California coast, my skin is accustomed to cool ocean air and natural humidity. Colorado's high altitude, dry climate, stronger sunshine, and long days outdoors created an entirely different environment.

It was a beautiful reminder that our skincare shouldn't stay exactly the same simply because the calendar still says "summer."

Our skin responds to its environment.

Why Climate Has Such a Big Impact on Your Skin

When we travel, we naturally pack different clothes depending on where we're going.

We bring sweaters for the mountains, sandals for the beach, and jackets when temperatures drop.

Yet many of us expect our skin to thrive with the exact same routine no matter where we are.

The reality is that climate has a tremendous influence on the health of our skin.

High altitude, lower humidity, stronger UV exposure, wind, airplane travel, air conditioning, and long days outdoors can all affect the skin barrier. As moisture evaporates more easily from the skin, it can begin to feel tighter, drier, and more reactive.

That's why I encourage my clients to think beyond the season and pay attention to their surroundings.

Sometimes it's not that your skincare has stopped working.

It's simply that your skin is living in a different environment.

Why High Altitude Can Leave Skin Feeling Dry

One of the first things I noticed in Colorado was how quickly my skin lost moisture.

Mountain climates are naturally drier than coastal environments, and higher elevations typically receive more intense UV exposure. Add hiking, long hours outdoors, sunscreen, and plenty of sunshine, and it's easy for the skin barrier to become depleted.

You might notice:

• Skin feeling tight after cleansing

• Dry or flaky patches

• Increased sensitivity

• Dullness

• Fine lines appearing more noticeable because the skin is dehydrated

The good news?

The answer usually isn't stronger products.

It's giving your skin the support it's asking for.

A Pattern I Often See This Time of Year

Every summer, I begin to notice a similar pattern.

After spending more time outdoors, we naturally notice a little more pigmentation, a bit of roughness, or skin that simply feels different than it did a few weeks earlier. It's completely understandable to want to correct those changes as quickly as possible by reaching for stronger exfoliants, acids, or active ingredients.

But in my experience, summer is often the season when our skin benefits most from support rather than correction.

When the skin is already managing increased UV exposure, heat, wind, travel, and dehydration, adding more stimulation can sometimes leave it feeling even more reactive.

Instead of asking,

"What else should I add?"

I often encourage clients to ask,

"What is my skin asking for right now?"

That simple shift can make all the difference.

The Routine I Followed in Colorado

While I was away, my skincare became beautifully simple.

Each evening, I gently cleansed away sunscreen, sweat, and the day's adventures before layering hydration and nourishing my skin with botanical face oils.

Every morning, I protected my skin with SPF before heading outside for another day in the mountains.

I also resisted the temptation to over-exfoliate.

Sometimes consistency really is more powerful than intensity.

One Ritual I Brought Home

One thing I wasn't ready to leave behind was the morning cold plunge.

Although I don't have a mountain river outside my front door, I have continued ending my morning shower with 30 to 45 seconds of cold water.

I love how refreshed it makes me feel. It wakes up both my body and my mind, leaves my complexion looking naturally rosy, and has become a simple ritual that helps me begin the day feeling energized.

It's a small reminder that caring for ourselves doesn't always have to be complicated.

A Scandinavian Approach to Summer Skin

Growing up in Denmark, I learned to pay attention to the changing seasons.

Life naturally shifts throughout the year, and I believe our skin does too.

Instead of expecting our complexion to respond the same way in every climate and every season, we can become a little more curious. Is our skin feeling drier than usual? More sensitive? A little tight after cleansing? Those small changes are often our skin's way of asking for something different.

For me, Colorado was a beautiful reminder that healthy skin isn't about constantly adding more. Sometimes it's about simplifying, slowing down, and supporting the skin that's already working hard for us.

As summer begins to wind down, take a moment to check in with your own skin. You may find that what it needs isn't another active ingredient or another step in your routine. It may simply need a little more hydration, a little more nourishment, and a little more kindness.

Often, that's where the healthiest glow begins.

 

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My Simple Summer Skincare Ritual

If your skin has been feeling dry, tight, or more sensitive this summer, whether from travel, high altitude, long days outdoors, or simply a change in climate, try simplifying your routine for a week.

• Gently cleanse each evening to remove sunscreen, makeup, and the day's impurities.

• Replenish hydration with a facial mist or hydrating toner.

• Support your skin barrier with a nourishing botanical face oil.

• Wear SPF every morning and reapply if you're spending time outdoors.

• Ease back on exfoliation until your skin feels balanced again.

Healthy skin isn't about having the longest routine.

It's about giving your skin what it needs, when it needs it.

That's a philosophy that's served me well, whether I'm treating clients in California or watching the sunrise over the mountains of Colorado.