Lauren Padawer
Founder, Alaska Glacial Essentials Skincare

The idea for Alaska Glacial Essential Skincare started on a life changing rafting trip down the Copper River in the year 2000. We stopped for lunch in a canyon near the mouth of the Copper River to spy on brown bears fishing for salmon on the opposite side of the river. After lunch, we took a dip in the glistening pools leftover by summer’s high water. Immediately our feet sank into luxurious buttery mud that had settled out of the turbid water and they proceed to cover their faces and bodies with the silky mud, pretending to be a guests at the most wild spa in the world, surrounded by bear tracks, carpets of fireweed and the calls of eagles soaring overhead. The divine sensation of the glacial mud and ensuing soft skin started my journey to discover the power of the plants and minerals to heal and detoxify skin.

After much research, the “glacial facial” was born and Alaska Glacial launched with a line of natural and purifying mud masks and mineral soaps and a company ethos born to support the very place that inspired its birth, the Copper River.  We donate 2% of revenues (or 10% net profits, whichever is greater) to organizations that protect this majestic corner of the world.

However as I grew older, so did my skin care needs – aging skin demands more daily hydration and nourishment. I’d always envisioned expanding the line and knew the skin care market was crowded with choices. If the future of Alaska Glacial included more products, I felt they had to be really innovative – made with glacier water, wild and potent Alaska botanicals, and functional ingredients that would deliver in exceptional results-driven formulas.