A permanent impermanence
Observing the skin in motion
A philosophy to skin care
Skin is the filter through which we sift and absorb all that surrounds us. Changes in climate, pollutants, medications and other skin stressors upset its delicate composure, and can bring about unwanted changes. Skin is permeable, and as mercurial as our moods.
Aesop’s philosophy is to care, protect and not obsess. It is founded on an understanding that the wellbeing of your skin is the product of nourishment, protection, and a thoughtfully-composed way of life.
Explore by concern:
Urban living
Among other stressors, daily life in a polluted, urban environment exposes our skin to free radicals and fine particulates. Anti-oxidant rich products can help to fortify against pollutants and other aggressors. Evening cleansing rituals also become increasingly important to clear the skin of city living.
Each product in the Parsley Seed range contains Parsley Seed Extract – an anti-oxidant ingredient that has significant protective benefits.
Aesop’s range of lightweight serums are designed for application after cleansing and toning. Serums may be used as an alternative to cream or oil-based hydrators, and are ideal for those living in warmer climates.
A lack of vitamins in the body can leave skin looking dull, lifeless and blotchy. The Skin Care+ range supplies daily hydration with the benefit of vitamins and anti-oxidants, formulated with mature skin and urban dwellers in mind.
Browse all Skin Care products
The air we breathe
Air-conditioning and heating are both dehydrating conditions that interfere with the skin’s protective moisture barrier, causing it to dry out. The application of products with an emollient barrier can seal in hydration, and prevent water loss. In humid environments, lightweight hydrators such as lotions and serums may be more suited for certain skin types. Having ‘dry’ skin is different to having ‘dehydrated’ skin – even though many of us use the terms interchangeably. Dry skin is characterised by a lack of oil (or sebum), whereas dehydrated skin results from a lack of water or moisture.
Lack of humidity
Aesop clay-based masques are designed to be used twice-weekly, providing a thorough cleansing treatment without drying or stripping the skin of moisture. Our aqueous gel hydrating masque is formulated to address dryness, and promote water retention within the skin, and is also recommended for use once or twice weekly.
Excess of humidity
Often boosted with skin-nourishing, vitamin and anti-oxidant-rich ingredients, Aesop hydrators also vary in their selection and level of emollient and humectant ingredients. These carefully curated formulations carry a noticeably different texture, each leaving a distinct skin feel.
Slideshow links - for visual effect only:
Slideshow links - for visual effect only:
Gentle protection
Mature skin can be prone to dryness. Accordingly, we recommend the use of richly hydrating creams, oils and treatments. Topical application of anti-oxidant and vitamin-rich formulations becomes increasingly relevant, and these can be found in our Skin Care+ range.
Aesop’s range of lightweight serums are designed for application after cleansing and toning. Serums may be used as an alternative to cream or oil-based hydrators, and are ideal for those living in warmer climates.
A lack of vitamins in the body can leave skin looking dull, lifeless and blotchy. The Skin Care+ range supplies daily hydration with the benefit of vitamins and anti-oxidants, formulated with mature skin and urban dwellers in mind.
Browse all Skin Care products
‘And your very flesh shall be a great poem.’
Skin through the seasons
As the seasons transition, it is necessary to look for ways to adapt skin care rituals, and to pay particular attention to the skin’s behaviour. Gentle products with hydrating properties can provide a guiding hand to the skin as the weather shifts between the cooler and warmer months.
Warm climates
In the warmer months, a ritual of thorough cleansing is recommended, supplemented with twice-weekly deep cleansing practices. Sunshine can be good for us, however, in most cases we vastly overdo our sun exposure. Skin should be protected year-round with a sunscreen product. Aesop offers SPF formulations for the face, lips and body.
Cooler climates
Our skin requires more hydration during the cooler months to counter the drying effects of biting winds and heated environments. We recommend cleansing with more gentle formulations, layering hydration with nourishing toners, and blending oils with creams to boost hydration.
‘A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.’
Stress and the surface
During times of stress the body produces more cortisol which can unduly affect the skin. Busy periods may also cause us to skip our usual skin care routine, and can exacerbate issues. We must pay attention to our skin; understand the signs that it is stressed, dehydrated or in need of additional nourishment and respond quickly to modify our routine.
A calming routine before bed, as well as a warm shower or bath (where the body is briefly heated up before laying down) may enhance both the quantity and quality of rest, and as such, enable skin to assume a calm equilibrium.
By keeping the skin carefully cleansed, routinely exfoliated, and adequately nourished it is possible to help skin appear and perform at its best. Exfoliation, while somewhat addictive, should be limited to one to two times per week.
Treatment oils can be massaged into cleansed and toned skin from forehead to neck three times a week or as required to aid distressed skin. Alternatively, blend with your preferred Aesop hydrating cream, serum or gel to intensify hydration.
Slideshow links - for visual effect only:
Slideshow links - for visual effect only:
Travel: flights and flux
There are two main impacts to our skin during travel, the first is the environment on board an airplane and the second is the immediate adjustment of our skin to the new environment at the other end. Air travel can be incredibly dehydrating as the recirculated air draws moisture from the skin. The best defence is the repeated application of an effective hydrator.
During travel we may often be faced with the rapid change between climates and as such, skin can become reactive to these conditions.
Spray-on hydration offers immediate moisture to dehydrated skin, and can be applied over makeup. Aesop’s hydrosol is designed for those often subjected to artificial cooling, heating or those requiring frequent hydration.
The skin around the eyes is thinner, and more fragile than the rest of the face, and often lacks in natural oil production. Aesop eye care products – a vitamin-rich serum and nourishing cream – deliver targeted hydration to the delicate skin surrounding the eyes.
‘I do not like to speak of the place where my body exists as a milieu, preferring rather to say that things mingle among themselves and I am no exception to this, that I mingle with the world which mingles itself in me. The skin intervenes in the things of the world and brings about their mingling.’
© Michel Serres, 2009, The Five Sense, Bloomsbury Continuum, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
© Aesop
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