Back at the Market: A New Season for Wild Alaska Skincare

Next Saturday, Wild Alaska Skincare will be back at the Kenai Harvest Moon Festival.

And honestly? It feels less like returning to a market and more like introducing the company all over again.

The last time many people saw me at an event was in December. Since then, the products have changed. The formulas have changed. Even the name has settled into what it was meant to be: Wild Alaska Skincare.

So if you have been following along for a while, come see what I have built. And if you are finding us for the first time, welcome. There is a serious little skincare company growing right here on the Kenai—and it is made for skin that wants to feel soft, hydrated, cushioned, and comfortable.

I Took the Summer Off—and It Was the Right Call

I have worked through nearly every summer since moving to Alaska. In the early years, our lives were shaped by recovery after my husband, Bruce, was shot in the line of duty six months after we got here. When life began to feel more normal again, I started doing markets. Then I kept doing them—because that is what small-business owners do. You show up, haul the tent, pack the truck, make the products, talk to customers, come home tired, and do it again the next weekend.

I love markets. I am not remotely done with markets. But this summer, Bruce had six weeks off, and I did not want to build our entire summer around whether I had an event that weekend.

So we went.

We loaded up the RV and made a proper Alaska trip: Kenai to Valdez, then North Pole, Fairbanks, Healy, and Denali. A couple of weeks ago, we also went to Juneau, a place I had wanted to spend more time seeing. Bruce had been there for work before, so this time he got to be my tour guide.

It was a real Alaska summer together. Not a summer squeezed in around a business calendar.

That time was exactly what I needed. It reminded me that building a company is important, but it should not be built in a way that leaves no room for the life you started it to support.

Markets Are Still One of My Favorite Parts of This Business

Let me be clear: I am excited to be back.

Markets are physically demanding in a way that sounds almost comical until you have done them. The tent weighs a ton. There is a constant loop of hauling boxes from the truck, setting everything up, standing for hours, breaking it down, and hoping you sold enough that there is less to carry back at the end of the day. In Alaska, events are not always right down the street, either. Forget one important thing, and you are crossing your fingers that someone nearby has it—because you may be an hour and a half, or three hours, from home.

Then there is weather. Winter markets are always a crap shoot. I did one In Homer one year and we had so much snow I had to leave early so I could make it home before getting snowed in an hour and a half away from home! But its Alaska so what are you gonna do lol.

The part I love is talking to people about their skin. I love hearing what is bothering them, helping them find the right product, and seeing them come back because it actually made a difference.

My favorite version of this happens with the Body Butter. Someone tells me they do not like body butter because it is always greasy. I ask them to try ours. They pause, look a little surprised, and say, “Oh, that’s nice.” Then they walk away. Later, they come back—often with friends—and sometimes leave with two or three jars.

That never gets old.

Wild Alaska Skincare Has Moved Forward

Taking a break from events gave me more than time on the road. It gave me room to think bigger and do the work that moves a business forward.

Since the last regular market season, a lot has changed

Deep Current Hydration Serum and the Breakwater Cleansing Melt  are both new. The face oils have been reformulated. The body oils and butters have a much better formulas which not include actives.

This is not change for the sake of change. Every update is part of the same goal: creating skincare that feels beautiful to use and genuinely helps dry, grown-up skin feel better in its own body.

I want the experience to be obvious the moment someone tries a product. A cleanser that leaves skin comfortable rather than tight. A face oil that feels like nourishment, not a slick layer sitting on top. A body butter that gives you rich softness without turning your clothes into a science experiment.

And yes, there is more coming. I finally found a supplier willing to ship potassium hydroxide to Alaska, which means I can get back to making liquid soap—a thing people have been asking me about for a long time. If you know anything about getting supplies to Alaska, you understand why that sentence deserves its own small celebration.

 This Is Bigger Than How Many Markets I Can Personally Work

The market booth matters. It is where I get to meet you, hear what you need, and put the products directly into your hands.

But I do not want the future of Wild Alaska Skincare limited by how many weekends I can personally spend loading a truck, setting up a tent, and standing behind a table.

I want this company online, in more stores, and in more hands. I want women beyond the Kenai Peninsula—and beyond Alaska—to have access to skincare that brings comfort to dry, depleted, demanding skin.

That does not mean the business gets less personal. It means I am building it with enough reach that more people can experience it.

The heart of Wild Alaska Skincare is still the same: thoughtful, small-batch products inspired by this place and made by someone who cares very much about how they perform. But the company is growing into a fuller version of itself. Better products. Better presentation. Bigger plans.

 A Reintroduction at Harvest Moon

When longtime customers walk up to the booth this weekend, I want them to think, *Holy shit. Look what she has built.*

I want them to see the progress. I want them to try the new formulas. I want them to leave excited about what is coming next.

For anyone seeing Wild Alaska Skincare for the first time, I want the first impression to be just as clear: this is a real skincare company on the Kenai, with thoughtful formulas, beautiful textures, and products made for people who are tired of skincare that promises everything and leaves their skin feeling like it needs more.

If you are local, come see us at the **Kenai Harvest Moon Festival**. Stop by, smell things, try the new products, and say hello. I would love to show you what Wild Alaska Skincare looks like now.

And if you are not local, stay close. Holiday gift boxes are on the way, along with more of the good things I have been working on.

Summer was good. I got to be with my husband. I got to see more of this wild, ridiculous, beautiful state we call home.

Now I am ready to get back to work.

— Sharon