The Business of Beauty Haul of Fame: Why Edelweiss Is Suddenly in Everything

This one goes out to the theatre kids … and if you’re obsessively tracking the battle for Violet Grey, accept it — you’re at least a little bit of a drama queen.

But even those of us who didn’t dress up as Molly Gordon on Halloween likely know about edelweiss. The tiny alpine flower inspired a Sound of Music song that’s also a rebuke against fascism … and now, it’s also the week’s hottest “new” beauty ingredient.

To be fair, edelweiss had a skin care moment with mall girls last year thanks to its Body Shop range, which claimed to rival retinol in its smoothing effects. (Personal verdict? It’s mid.) But lately, we’ve seen the “blossom of snow” bloom and grow in Kerastase’s reformulated Blond Absolu 2% Hyaluronic Acid Serum for hair, the Oct. 19 launch of Monika Blunder’s Undercover Face Creme, the Susanne Kaufmann Lash and Brow serum that popped up this week on Ssense, Odacite’s Edelweiss Extrême Intense Repair Eye Cream landed at Blue Mercury on October 28, and Irene Forte’s new Phytomelatonin Rejuvenating Serum, which dropped Nov. 1 and claims it’s “clinically proven to reduce wrinkle depth and volume.” At $290, it costs about the same as a single Botox treatment at Ject.

Why is edelweiss having a mini moment right now? Part of it is supply: Even though it’s a pretty hardy plant, its boom harvest time is August and September. For indie beauty brands making small batch formulas — and claiming to do so as sustainably as possible — having an “in season” ingredient is an advantage.

There’s also the association with snowy mountains and gingerbread houses that fits perfectly with pre-holiday vibes, without being as overt (or as anchored to one religious celebration) as, say, a three-piece eyeliner kit from Wet n Wild that’s literally called “What Christmas Is All About.” It’s about $17 at Walmart; conclude what you will.

Edelweiss also fits perfectly into the botanical vibe embraced by “hippie, but make it institutional wealth” brands like Oribe and Augustinus Bader, both of which include edelweiss in their formulas.

There’s one more reason edelweiss might be trending. Because of its Sound of Music fame, Edelweiss embodies the spirit of unity, resistance, and ultimately being a “good” member of the elite — the kind who would rather schlep your kids over a mountain range than surrender to fascists. In today’s climate, where even “liking” an Instagram post can lead to a screaming match, it’s easy to see how people with economic capital would want their skin care to feel like a “good” choice, as well as an actually good formula.

Then again: Never underestimate the economic and cultural power of secret theatre kids. Glee didn’t happen in a vacuum, and neither did the ponytail trend it started.

What Else Is New…

Avene launched in Target at the end of October, and nobody seems to be talking about it. The original “French girl beauty” brand is on every editor’s list of Parisian drugstore buys, and has been hyped by Hailey Bieber, Gwyneth Paltrow, and other celebrities who literally have their own beauty lines. It’s that trusted, and now, you can buy it along with a $12.99 garden hose. Wonders never cease.

Beloved “I can write in cursive!” brand Lingua Franca launched a Jones Road collaboration on Oct. 26. It’s an eye pencil, blush, gloss, shadow, and a mini-version of her coveted Miracle Balm, plus a limited-edition sweatshirt with the fashion label’s loopy slogans. For now, the set is only available at Lingua Franca’s retail location in downtown New York … but if you call or email the store and ask nicely, you might be able to get it shipped.

Malin + Goetz has expanded their TikTok-friendly strawberry scent to include a perfume oil … and on October 30, it went live on Revolve. Positioning the product as adjacent to Extremely Online brands like Ettika and EB Denim is wise, especially as the brand continues to expand past its IYKYK status into more mainstream positioning.

In other scent news, Dior has announced a relaunch of Bonne Etoile, a “scented water for babies and children” first introduced in 1970. The fragrance does not have any alcohol, but does have “tender and fruity” notes. The scent is in “waitlist” mode on Dior’s e-commerce site; despite multiple outreach efforts, no babies would comment for this story.

Keep your eyes on Open Range Tallow, the skin care company using organic beef fat in their soap, lotion, and lip balm. The tallow itself comes from Agridime, a farm-to-table meat supplier based in Arizona. On Oct. 30, they launched at the California smoothie mecca Erewhon—a slightly unexpected place for a decidedly anti-vegan beauty range, and a quiet hotbed for “it” brands like Osea.

And finally… It’s a good-natured joke in many Jewish communities that nobody can spell “Hanukkah.” Violet Grey and the all-grown-up Brooklyn hipsters at D.S. & Durga are taking it all the way with this product page, which spells the Festival of Lights in 3 different ways. Note to their teams: You have until Dec. 7 to figure it out. After that, no latkes for you!