Beauty Bosses: David J. Krause & Nina Zilka, Founders of Alder New York
Nina Zilka and David J. Krause.
This week’s Beauty Bosses are David J. Krause and Nina Zilka, founders of Alder New York—a genderless skincare and haircare line based in Brooklyn. The longtime best friends worked in the beauty and design industry together for the past 11 years, and both wanted smarter personal care products that were as sleek and cool as they were effective.
The duo began their collaborative partnership more a decade ago and launched their first label while they were students at Pratt University. Their shared passion for wellness led them to create Alder New York in 2016, where they bring their design sensibility and attention to detail to the line of uncomplicated, high-performing personal care essentials. All of Alder’s haircare and skincare formulas use the best herbalist-beloved extracts and clean, dermatologist-approved ingredients, and include a collection of travel-friendly sizes and gorgeous black obsidian tools.
We spoke with Krause and Zilka, who shared beauty and wellness tips, best advice, secrets to success, and more.
When was Alder New York founded and what’s the meaning behind the name?
We launched Alder New York in 2016. We wanted a name that felt classic and timeless, hence the Alder tree, which is also a tree that is particularly symbiotic with its environment. As a clean skincare and haircare line, this resonated with us. And New York because we are a New York City brand through and through.
What inspired the creation of the brand?
We come from a fashion design background and personally became interested in personal care when we began to learn about the lack of FDA regulation and oversight in the cosmetic industry. It became our mission to launch a truly clean, highly effective skincare and haircare line that also spoke to our sleek, minimalist aesthetic.
Does Alder New York have a hero product?
Our Everyday Face Cleanser. It’s a low-dose glycolic acid cleanser that’s pH-optimized, so it leaves skin feeling and looking silky smooth. We formulated it to have a serum-like texture and it’s safe for daily use. People are usually obsessed once they try it and they always say they didn’t know they could be so partial to a cleanser.
What are your favorite products from your brand?
Our cleanser obviously, for reasons above. We’re also quite partial to our Everyday Face Serum. Most serums tend to do just one thing, but this is a 3-in-1 serum that plumps skin to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, balances and controls oil, and evens skin pigmentation. We love that we can use just this one serum to check all our skincare boxes in our daily routine.
Where are your products sold?
We’re sold at many stores throughout the United States. You can see our complete, regularly updated stockist list here. Some of our retailers include Goop, Birchbox, Free People, and Verishop.
Alder New York is a clean and highly effective skincare and haircare line with a sleek, minimalist aesthetic.
Who inspires you?
Our customers inspire us. We look to them to learn why they’re drawn to products and ingredients they want to learn more about.
Secret to success?
There really are no secrets. It comes down to having the conviction in our line to weather hard times, and keeping our heads to the ground during good times so our focus is always about creating highly effective, beautiful formulas.
Beauty secrets?
Don’t overwash your face! Most of us need one good clean in the evening to wash away makeup, sunscreen, and daily pollution. In the morning it’s best to let your skin’s natural oil do its thing. You’ll be shocked at how radiant and hydrated your skin looks after a week of this!
Wellness tips?
Get enough sleep and drink less than most people do, even socially. So much easier said than done, but any time we do these two things, we can’t get over how good we feel.
Best advice?
Stay in your own lane. Whether in your personal life or professional life, it’s almost never helpful to obsess over your competition (or someone else’s perfect Instagram feed). Focus on doing and being the best you can be without playing the comparison game.
Favorite way to relax?
Nina’s become a regular meditator this year, which has been huge for stress release. David likes to go deep into self-care with our Gua Sha tool and combines that with a bit of meditation. And we both agree that a trip to the Hamptons never hurts when you need to unwind!
For more information and to purchase, visit Alder New York’s website and follow them on Instagram: @alder_ new_york
[Images courtesy of Alder New York]
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk