Finding the bright side
Marlene Wallach didn’t set out to develop a skin care line, but that’s where her journey has led her. The founder and CEO of Gleem Beauty spent nearly two decades at the helm of Wilhelmina Creative Models. While there, she worked closely with models in different age groups who encountered various skin challenges. It was also during those years that she battled breast cancer and found the only ingredient that was soothing to the ensuing skin issues was aloe vera – the base of all Gleem Beauty skin care products.
While it is widely known that aloe vera has calming ingredients because of its effectiveness when used on minor burns, Wallach was surprised to learn the plant has 75 ingredients, including vitamins, enzymes, proteins, amino acids, and collagen stimulators. “Aloe vera is adaptive, so if you need it to motivate collagen, then that’s what it does; if you need it to fight acne, that’s what it does,” Wallach shared.
Wallach's passion for skin care and health lead her to become an esthetician — the beginning of her journey in the beauty industry. While working at a med spa, she had the opportunity to encounter a wide variety of products, sparking her curiosity in product development. The experience served as the catalyst for creating Gleem Beauty. Wallach stated, “It was a natural progression that stemmed from my early awareness of skin care and personal experience with sensitive skin.”
In addition to being a clean ingredient, Wallach says using aloe vera as the base ingredient for Gleem products, as opposed to water, is their differentiator. “Aloe vera travels seven layers down—that’s all the layers in your skin—bringing the ingredients all the way down.”
[Read more: Trusting the process]
The One & Done Day Moisturizer is multifunctional, acting as a moisturizer in addition to a primer. It also is designed to protect the skin with SPF 30 and contains vitamin C beads to lighten, brighten, and even out pigmentation. The Soft Immersion Night Moisturizer aids in hydrating, firming, and plumping, in addition to calming skin irritation, according to the Gleem Beauty website.
Wallach shared that Gleem Beauty recently launched the DermaBiome Collection, a skin care line that uses aloe vera and advanced fermentation technology including prebiotics, and postbiotics to nourish, balance, and protect the skin's microbiome. Wallach explained, “This skin care approach is more than just a trend — it's where skin care begins, on the outermost layer of the skin. The Super Nourishing Cleanser and Super Nourishing Toner are perfect for starting your daily skin care routine in the morning and preparing your skin for a healing night's sleep filled with hydration and nourishment.” The Dermabiome Nighttime Nourishment will be released later this year.
In addition to the Dermabiome Collection, Gleem also introduced the DIVA Skincare Brush Set. Wallach describes it as a luxurious, and at the same time practical, “must have” for selfcare, as she says, “it is choice for absorption, and hygiene.” The four-brush set includes the oversized Kabuki Fan Brush, which Wallach indicates is ideal for massaging lymph nodes, and the Universal brush which she says is travel-friendly with tight, multi-level bristles.
Gleem Beauty products can be purchased on their website and in select spas and salons in Manhattan and the Hamptons. Wallach launched Gleem at an event hosted by Armani Beauty, Bloomingdale’s, New York City, and has also achieved success through collaborations on QVC and the CBS Mornings Show. She plans to release face yoga videos featuring Gleem brushes in 2024.
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While Wallach could not yet share details, she is excited about an upcoming collaboration to benefit a cause very meaningful to her, breast cancer research. An announcement is expected in Spring.
Megan Moyer is HRG’s corporate marketing manager. HRG is in the details of retail, working with product manufacturers, distributors, retailers, technology partners, and other industry organizations to provide data & analysis, shopper experience, brand development, fixture coordination, and retail communications solutions. HRG reviews new health, beauty, and wellness (HBW) items every month and assesses their potential for longevity in the monthly Products to Watch feature in Drug Store News as well as the annual Future 50 list.
