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Let's start this roundup of the best Aesop products with a confession. You know how seemingly every hot restaurant has the Aromatique Hand Wash from in the bathroom? Well, I’m guilty of the double pump whenever I see that tall brown bottle.
Born in 1987 in Australia, Aesop hit its fellow millennials where it hurts: Clean, sophisticated aesthetics, an attainable but slightly elevated price point, and a high-performing assortment that builds loyalty among those skeptical of the pretty packaging. I was that skeptical person before I got in the grooming business; flash forward to me visiting Aesop HQ in Melbourne, like some sports fan meeting his favorite team’s quarterback. I got to meet Aesop’s then-head scientist, who gave me an inside peek at the extensive research and development that goes into each formula.
Look, I could write a book about the brand and all that there is to love—somebody already beat me to that, by the way—but instead I’ll spotlight my 10 favorite Aesop products below. Most fall under the skin care umbrella, but it should be noted that the brand has a fantastic assortment of hair care products and has low-key one of the best fragrance collections in the industry, including home scents (from incense and diffuser oils to candles and those beloved post-poo drops).
Here are the 10 best Aesop products, according to this longtime loyalist.
Lucent vitamin C serum
I'll kick things off with the brand's newest skincare offering, this featherlight Vitamin B- and C-powered serum for combination and oily skin types. It's a shortcut to brighter, more supple skin—perfect if you over-wash and need skin to stay balanced. It counters inflammation (especially for acne-prone individuals) with niacinamide and rose petal extract.
Reverence hand soap
Along with the Reverence Aromatique Hand Balm, I think this hand wash is the most recognizable Aesop product; any mid-priced, photo-ready restaurant probably has this stuff stocked in their restroom. With one pump, you should know if it's Aesop or if they're just recycling the vessel, because that crisp bergamot-vetiver scent is unmistakable, as is the formula containing pumice granules to gently exfoliate your mitts while you wash up.
Aesop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel
This is the second product on this list that summons both Vitamin B and Vitamin C for brightening and hydrating the skin. It skews more towards normal and combination skin, in this gel-based formula. I love the tightening effect it has, especially when I wear it by day. I also apply it before bed, underneath a night cream or mask, in order to keep my mug feeling hydrated and looking alert come morning. (especially when I sleep in an air conditioned room or during the colder, dryer months).
Aesop Eidesis fragrance
It is difficult to choose a favorite scent of the brand's grossly underrated selection. I've always been a Rozu lover, but the Othertopias collection is getting more mileage from me lately. What started as a trio is now a family of four, with Eidesis joining in 2022. This peppery-resinous-woody blend smells every bit as sophisticated as its brethren, but also punches up the "edge". Very "bad boy with a good job" if you know what I mean.
Aesop Rejuvenate body lotion
The tangerine-vanilla-sandalwood scent in the Rejuvenate formula is like olfactive melatonin—it soothes the senses and lightens the day's stress. On top of that, you also wake with soft, supple skin...
Aesop Body Cleansing Slab
I'll never not laugh at a product being called a "slab", but that's exactly what this nearly 11-oz. soap brick is. You can try to grip it with each shower, but that's like running something the size of a giant iPhone all around your body. Instead, take a knife and slice away a third of it; each slice is going to last three or four times longer than your standard-fare bar, and the vegetable-based essential-oil-tinged formula will have your skin soft and purified with each use.
Aesop Sublime Replenishing Night Masque
For the uninitiated, an overnight mask (like Sublime here) should be deployed once or twice a week, and will leave a light film on the skin since it's more of a deeply nourishing treatment. But my skin always looks so bright, plump, and firm in the morning after each use, that I go a little more liberal with each application (and frequently so). If you want to use it as designed, then keep it as a secret weapon, for the days you have to show up to work in person, or before a big meeting.
Aesop Seeking Silence moisturizer
If you've got sensitive skin, then this aptly named moisturizer will bring peace and calm: Seeking Silence is enriched with soothing bisabolol as well as ultra hydrating squalane and jojoba oil. It wears light on skin, and I've even used it as a post-shave soother on more than a few occasions. I'd suggest it for any and all skin types, too; after all, if it's formulated for sensitive folks, then the rest of us will get the same moisture-boosting and -preserving bennies.
Aesop B & Tea toner
Toner is essential for anyone with excessively oily skin, easily irritated skin, or who wears numerous skincare products or makeup. In short, it balances your oil production and keeps pH levels from falling out of whack (and this, prevents over dryness and irritation). Aesop's B & Tea Balancing Toner checks those boxes with this alcohol-free formula, but outshines other toners with its additional perks: It floods your skin with antioxidants and also proactively soothes inflammation with the addition of green tea extract. Apply it with a cotton pad after cleansing and before any serums and moisturizers.
Aesop Parsley Seed serum
Arguably, the best for last: This is my most-used Aesop product of the past few years. Perhaps because the pandemic took its toll on my complexion, or because my aging skin isn't as resilient as it used to be, or because I've spent the past decade in heavily polluted cities. All of these factors make me a candidate for a daily antioxidant-rich serum, to proactively slow visible signs of aging. That radiant glow it provides is but icing on the cake. It's good for all skin types, even the most sensitive among us.
