You probably remember the green bottle. For years, it was basically the holy grail of high-street skincare. If you walked into any shopping mall in the mid-2010s, you couldn't miss it. The Body Shop Drops of Youth Concentrate wasn't just another serum; it was a phenomenon that claimed to sell one bottle every few seconds globally. It promised that bouncy, "glass skin" look before glass skin was even a viral TikTok trend.
But then, things got weird.
The Body Shop decided to rebrand the entire line. If you've been looking for your favorite concentrate lately and felt like you were losing your mind because it's nowhere to be found, don't worry. You aren't imagining things. The brand transitioned the "Drops of Youth" name into the "Edelweiss" collection. They claimed it was about "anti-aging" being an outdated, slightly problematic term. Honestly? They weren't wrong.
What made Drops of Youth Concentrate actually work?
It wasn't magic. It was chemistry mixed with some pretty resilient plants. The core of the formula relied on plant stem cells. Specifically, they used Edelweiss from the Italian Alps, Sea Holly, and Criste Marine from the Brittany coast.
Think about an Edelweiss flower for a second. It grows in brutal conditions—high altitudes, intense UV radiation, and freezing temperatures. It has to be tough. By extracting the stem cells, The Body Shop aimed to bottle that resilience. The concentrate was famous for its unique texture. It wasn't oily. It wasn't watery. It was this slightly viscous, "bouncy" gel that absorbed almost instantly.
People loved it because it worked for almost everyone. Whether you were twenty-two and dealing with late-night study skin or forty-five and noticing a lack of elasticity, that green bottle seemed to fix the "grayness" that comes with living in a polluted city.
The formula also leaned heavily on Hyaluronic Acid.
🔗 Read more: Pink White Nail Studio Secrets and Why Your Manicure Isn't Lasting
We all know Hyaluronic Acid now—it's in everything from soap to hair primer—but back when this concentrate launched, having a high-performance, affordable HA serum was a big deal. It pulled moisture into the skin, making fine lines look less like canyons and more like tiny, barely-visible ripples.
The rebranding drama and the Edelweiss shift
In 2022, the brand pulled the plug on the "Youth" name. They rebranded the Body Shop Drops of Youth Concentrate to the Edelweiss Daily Serum Concentrate.
Why?
The Body Shop has always tried to maintain a "self-love" and activist image. Calling something "Drops of Youth" implies that being young is the goal and being old is the failure. By switching to Edelweiss, they focused on the ingredient rather than the insecurity. But did the formula change?
Mostly, no. But also, a little bit yes.
The new Edelweiss version actually contains a higher concentration of the plant extract. Specifically, it has double the concentration of Edelweiss compared to the old "Youth" version. It’s also enriched with Leontopodic acid, which is a powerful antioxidant. If you’re a skincare nerd, you’ll know that antioxidants are basically the bodyguards for your face. They stop smoke, smog, and "blue light" from wrecking your collagen.
💡 You might also like: Hairstyles for women over 50 with round faces: What your stylist isn't telling you
Addressing the "sticky" controversy
One thing users often complain about with this specific product is the tackiness.
If you apply too much, your face feels like a Post-it note. This is a classic mistake. Because the formula is so concentrated, you really only need two or three drops. If you slather it on like a moisturizer, the polymers in the serum won't settle correctly. You'll end up with "pilling"—those annoying little white balls of product that roll off your skin when you try to put foundation on.
Apply it to damp skin. That's the secret.
When your skin is slightly wet, the Hyaluronic Acid has a "water slide" to travel down into the epidermis. It locks that moisture in. If you apply it to bone-dry skin, it might actually pull moisture out of your skin if the air around you is dry. Science is finicky like that.
Is it actually worth the price tag in 2026?
The market is flooded now. You can get a basic HA serum for five bucks from some brands. So, why pay for the Body Shop version?
- Ethical Sourcing: They use community fair trade Moringa seed oil from Rwanda. That matters if you care about where your money goes.
- The Texture: It still has that specific "slip" that cheaper serums can't quite replicate.
- 99% Natural Ingredients: For people with reactive skin who want to avoid synthetic fillers, this is a heavy hitter.
It’s not perfect, though. Some people find the fragrance a bit much. It has that very "green," fresh scent that defines The Body Shop. If your skin is incredibly sensitive or you have rosacea, the fragrance might be a dealbreaker.
📖 Related: How to Sign Someone Up for Scientology: What Actually Happens and What You Need to Know
Real-world results: What to expect
Don't expect a facelift. No bottle can do that.
What the Body Shop Drops of Youth Concentrate (now Edelweiss) actually does is improve texture. After about two weeks of consistent use, most people notice that their skin looks "rested." You know that look you have after a solid eight hours of sleep and a gallon of water? That’s what this aims for.
It helps with "crepeiness" under the eyes—though it's not technically an eye serum, many people use it there anyway. It also acts as a fantastic primer. Because it's slightly tacky, makeup actually grips onto it better than it does on a slippery silicone primer.
How to spot a fake (because they exist)
Since the rebrand, "vintage" bottles of Drops of Youth have been popping up on eBay and discount sites. Be careful.
Skincare has an expiration date. If you find a bottle with the old "Drops of Youth" label, it's likely several years old. Active ingredients like plant stem cells and antioxidants degrade over time. If the liquid looks yellow or smells "sour," toss it. The genuine product should be almost clear with a very slight cloudiness and a fresh, botanical scent.
If you're buying it today, just look for the white and green Edelweiss bottle. It's the same soul, just a different outfit.
Actionable steps for your routine
If you've just bought a bottle or you're thinking about it, here is exactly how to get your money's worth without wasting product.
- Cleanse thoroughly. Don't put this over leftover makeup. The molecules are too small; they'll just get trapped in the gunk.
- Leave your skin damp. Don't towel dry your face completely.
- The "Press" Method. Don't rub the concentrate in like you're scrubbing a floor. Put three drops on your fingertips, rub them together, and press the product into your cheeks, forehead, and neck.
- Seal the deal. You MUST put a moisturizer over the top. The concentrate is a "humectant," meaning it grabs moisture. Without a cream on top to seal it in, that moisture will eventually evaporate.
- Wait 60 seconds. Give it a full minute to "set" before you go in with SPF or foundation. This prevents the pilling issue.
The Body Shop has been through some corporate turbulence lately, but this specific formula remains one of the most solid performers in mid-range skincare. It’s a workhorse. It’s not flashy, and it’s not a miracle in a jar, but for consistent, daily skin health, it’s hard to beat the resilience of an alpine flower.