At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy or click on something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
It’s not Aesop’s fault that most people associate the brand with status hand soap and home fragrance. The truth is it also makes really good skin care. In fact, Aesop is behind one of my all-time favorite serums: the Lucent Facial Concentrate. I’ve gone through several bottles at this point (which, as any beauty editor will tell you, is very high praise), and I bet you’ve never even heard of it!
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Allow me to explain why this serum is special. As the name suggests, Aesop’s Lucent Facial Concentrate is a hydrating, brightening vitamin C serum with a botanical ingredient story that you would expect from an Aesop product. Key extracts in the formula include rose petals (which are also responsible for the light floral scent), red algae, and frankincense. However, there are also tried-and-true ingredients, such as glycerin, niacinamide, and sodium ascorbyl phosphate (a form of vitamin C). The texture hits somewhere between a serum and a face oil, which I personally love since it feels really nourishing on the skin. At $125 for a hefty 2-ounce bottle (for reference, a 1-ounce bottle of SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic goes for $182), it's obviously not cheap — but a surprisingly solid value when you consider comparable luxury serums.
Another highly underrated Aesop skin-care gem is the Exalted Eye Serum. I have mixed feelings when it comes to eye creams since many are too heavy and greasy for daytime wear; this is where an eye serum excels, and Aesop’s is no exception. A few drops to the under-eye skin area added lightweight hydration that absorbed within seconds. I don't have fine lines or wrinkles around my eyes, so if you're looking for a product that is specifically meant to target those, this is not that. However, if you want something to hydrate and soothe your eye area, this is a perfect choice. Plus, it has that fancy apothecary vibe that Aesop nails every time, and I genuinely look forward to using it every morning. While $110 for a teeny 0.5-fluid-ounce bottle is very pricey, this lasted me several months with daily use since one drop per eye is all you need.
Both products are part of Aesop's Skin Care+ (which, no, is not the brand's streaming service). The collection features more potent, results-driven formulas compared to Aesop staples like the Fabulous Face Cleanser and B & Tea Balancing Toner, which tend to be gentler products that are friendly to all types of skin. Point is, friends (me) don't let other friends (you) miss out on really good products just because they're not from the hottest social media brand out there. Aesop is a beloved, timeless brand for a reason — quite frankly, never change! — and we'd be remiss to not sing its praises when it comes to luxurious, plant-forward products. Plus, it's like they say: Nothing haunts us like the good skin care we didn't buy.
