Aesop is set to revolutionize your bedtime routine
Five years in the making, Aesop has finally come up with a solution to take on our concerns of having dry, fatigued skin ahead of the chilly weather once and for all.
The Sublime Replenishing Mask, the latest skin-saving miracle to join its Skin Care + range, is a deeply hydrating mask imbued with vitamins to restore your skin while you sleep.
Here, Aesop’s Chief Customer Officer, Suzanne Santos, touches on the product’s exceptional abilities.
What is the story/inspiration behind the product's dreamlike campaign images?
We were inspired by the alchemy of the night: the creatures, plants and ideas that bloom after dark. We worked with Camille Vivier, a Paris-based photographer, to help bring the campaign to life and visually communicate the potency and mystery of the midnight hour.
We took inspiration from all sorts of disciplines—biology, botany, visual art, literature, astronomy, poetry, theatre, photography—and translated these into a series of still images and film that captures a something of the surreal, and something of the wilderness, associated with the dark.
Could you break down the various vitamins and their respective skin benefits that can be found within the Sublime Replenishing Night Masque?
This formulation represents the first time we’ve included such a wide palette of both oil- and water-soluble vitamins in a skin care product. Each ingredient has been selected for the various benefits it offers.
Niacinamide (the amide form of skinstrengthening Vitamin B3) and Panthenol (the provitamin of Pantothenic Acid or Vitamin B5) are moisturising ingredients, and also recognised for their soothing properties. Vitamin C—a potent anti-oxidant—is delivered in the form of Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and works to balance and fortify skin. Richly nourishing Tocopherol (Vitamin E) is another notable anti-oxidant and offers exceptional skin-conditioning properties.
The formulation also contains two essential fatty acids derived from Safflower Oil—Linoleic Acid and Linolenic Acid—to deliver Vitamin F. Fatty acids are important in maintaining a strong, healthy stratum corneum (the protective outer layer of the skin) and increasing overall hydration by reducing trans-epidermal water loss. In Sublime Replenishing Night Masque, these vitamins work synergistically to help balance, support and nourish the skin.
How and when should one wear the masque for maximised hydration and nourishment?
Sublime Replenishing Night Masque may be used as needed to boost hydration and nourishment—we recommend twice weekly application. While its ingredients will take effect no matter how long the masque is left on the skin (ideally at least thirty minutes), longer exposure times optimise the benefits of this vitamin-rich formulation, and we therefore advocate overnight use.
After cleansing and toning, apply a generous amount of Sublime Replenishing Night Masque—approximately one teaspoon— and, for best results, leave on the skin overnight, rinsing in the morning upon routine cleansing. Unlike some of our other formulations, Sublime Replenishing Night Masque is not recommended for use blended or layered with other Aesop products: it is most effective as a standalone hydrating masque.
What other Aesop products do you recommend using before following up with the Sublime Replenishing Night Masque?
To restore moisture to parched skin and avoid exacerbating dryness, I would recommend formulations that maintain or impart hydration at each step: a gentle but effective cleanser, an alcohol-free toner, and a hydrator suited to your environment and textural preferences. Gentle Facial Cleansing Milk is a mild formulation with a comforting texture, containing skin nourishing ingredients including Grape Seed Oil to help reduce moisture loss during cleansing.
Suitable for most skin types, Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Facial Toner balances and refreshes skin to complete the cleansing process. It also imparts light hydration and fortifying properties.
For day-to-day use, we offer a number of emollient-rich facial hydrating creams to provide relief from dryness. Among these is Perfect Facial Hydrating Cream, which contains skin-fortifying vitamins C and E in a base of botanical butters and oils. It has a sumptuous texture, but is readily absorbed with a matte finish.
For extremely dry and distressed skin, Damascan Rose Facial Treatment—an oil blend rich in Tocopherol (Vitamin E) and fatty acid rich botanicals—may be applied as a standalone moisturiser or blended with a preferred facial hydrating cream, lotion or serum to boost nourishment.
Visit aesop.com to find out more.
