The original Alpine Silk skincare was discovered in 1890 on an isolated sheep station called Erewhon in Canterbury, New Zealand.

Here amongst the snow-capped mountains and wild braided rivers merino sheep grazed in this place of wild beauty. Every year these sheep were mustered on horseback and driven down from the mountaintops to the homestead below, where they were carefully hand shorn. The Alpine Silk secret began when it was discovered that the softest hands on the farm were those of the roughnecked shearers. Why was this? All day the shearer’s hands were immersed in sheep wool. 

As a result Margaret Johnstone, the wife of farm owner Thomas Johnstone, realised the natural skincare qualities of Lanolin and began to make her own moisturising Lanolin-based soaps and skincare. Her secret was passed down through the generations and today Rick Hallifax, the Great Grandson, continues this tradition and the secret recipe with Alpine Silk skincare.