‘Wasted on the young.’ read the campaign tagline for Perfect Facial Hydrating Cream, a concentrated blend of Vitamins C and E released in 2010. It was a bold, and potentially alienating, claim to make. Yet, it echoed one of the most basic and universally accepted truths in skin care: that ageing is an inevitable part of life, to which our skin is not immune.
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Extrinsic and intrinsic ageing
Like a close confidant privy to all our good habits and vices, the skin bears witness to everything we do. What we eat; where we live; how many nights we spend tossing and turning over a minor email typo: all can have an effect on the skin’s innate balance.
While we can control our lifestyles, as well as our degree of exposure to external stressors like UV rays and pollution, the health and appearance of the skin is also determined by inevitable biological factors. Intrinsic to each individual are genetics, hormonal changes and the gradual slowing down of key chemical and cellular processes—from the skin’s rate of renewal to its production of collagen and elastin.
A reverence for the time-honoured
From our retail design to the development of our formulations, a key ingredient in every Aesop creation is time itself: time to research, to refine, or to imbue a space with character and history. While we are not averse to the new, it is the patina of the aged and well-worn that most catches our eye.
In constructing and furbishing our stores, we salvage, repair and repurpose wherever possible—a philosophy of preservation that extends to our approach to skin care. We also do not prey on insecurities. Rather than ‘turning back the clock’ or ‘erasing lines’—a feat that cannot come from a jar—our purpose is to help the skin maintain its natural equilibrium at every stage of life. This is achieved through formulations that balance performance with sensorial pleasure, working to support, soften and replenish where needed.
