Alpyn Beauty founder Kendra Kolb Butler is hitting refresh on the brand as it gears up for growth.
The brand is growing literally, by sales, in product assortment, by launches, and in shelf space at key retailer Sephora, now boasting 36 inches on the retail giant’s Next Big Thing wall in the full fleet of stores, Butler told WWD.
“We’ll be five years old next year, and we’ve very fortunately experienced high double-digit growth year-over-year since its inception,” she said. “Our website is also contributing to a lot of the growth.”
Butler didn’t quantify sales further, though industry sources estimate the brand’s retail sales will reach between $12 million and $15 million this year.
Maintaining that trajectory will also rely on the brand’s new look and feel, Butler said, with rebranded packaging rolling out to shelves simultaneously.
Alpyn Beauty was founded after Butler moved to Jackson Hole, Wyo., and saw a need for skin care that catered to states where people lived in higher altitudes and faced harsher climates. “This brand is about the sights, sounds and ambience of Jackson — the energy of flowing water, a herd of buffalo. None of that was being represented in the brand’s identity or visual codes, and this new brand is reflective of what the brand is named after: the Alpyn glow.”
Kendra Kolb Butler
The hues on the packaging are also an effort to stand out in Sephora and other retailers’ open-sell, multibrand formats. “There’s so much stimulation, colors and energy, and we just had a white label,” Butler said. “People were walking right past it. Even with the strong performance, growth and expansions, I’m excited to see what this rebrand does.”
Each product couples a wild-crafted ingredient from Butler’s locale with a clinically backed counterpart. “These wild plants survive in this environment with nobody watering them or protecting them from the sun, and I wanted to know what would happen when they’re applied topically,” she said. “Our 2% BHA Toner is a top seller, and it has salicylic acid with wild borage to help with inflammation and redness.
“The brand started as a high-altitude, dry-skin brand, but what we learned is if it performs in one of the country’s most extreme climates, it’s Olympic-level performance in Los Angeles, New York or Miami,” she continued.
Urban areas remain among Alpyn Beauty’s top markets, per the brand’s direct-to-consumer data. “Our site customer is 35 to 55 years old. She lives in a city. My girl might drink a green juice, but then get Botox,” she said. “She wants the balance of what’s natural and earthy, but also turns to clinical advancements in science.”
Similarly, Alpyn Beauty debuted its Clarifying Oil, which packs retinol, vitamin C and licorice roots with pink algae, salicylic acid and red raspberry. “We’ve never been a brand that has chased virality or trends, or tried to keep up with anybody else. We’re just silently and quietly doing our thing as we grow stronger and stronger.”
