Former River Runner Develops All-Natural Skincare Products for Arizona Outdoor Lifestyle

Wandering the West collection available in Prescott and across the country

By Stacey Wittig, QCBN

Winter conditions in Northern Arizona can be brutal on your skin. DeeAnn Tracy, who has been developing all-natural, plant-based skincare products for the high elevation outdoor lifestyle since 1993, knows that well. The outdoorswoman grew up in the northland’s four seasons.

“Northern Arizona’s sun and wind are particularly brutal on skin because of the high elevation. We’re up on the plateau, and the elements are more intense here,” said Tracy, owner of Peak Scents.

“With so many days of sunshine here, we nat- urally have more exposure to the sun,” she said. “It’s that sun and wind that makes it so dry here in Northern Arizona.”

Tracy grew up in Flagstaff and spent time under the extreme sun as a river runner in the Grand Canyon. “My background as a rafting guide helped me see the need for non-chemical sun protection. I could wear sunscreen, but it would get in my eyes – I couldn’t see! Also, guests would get rashes [from some types of sunscreen], so I developed something non-chemical.”

Before her river running days, Tracy trained at Winter Sun Trading Company, a Southwest botanical shop owned by her mother, ethnobotanist Phyllis Hogan.

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