Product Review: Aesop Oil-Free Facial Hydrating Serum

Some of my readers have commented that I haven’t written a new post for a while now. So I went to look back on my last post and… IT’S NOT THAT LONG AGO LAAAA!!!  

I have a job you know, sniff…. :’(     

(But thanks for reading my blog religiously!)

Anyway, in one of my previous posts I mentioned a serum that I liked and today I will be reviewing that product to end your agonizing wait! Yayyy!!! (Just pretend you’ve been anxiously awaiting this post okay, humour me please.)

I came across the brand Aesop many years back when I was still in Australia, but it sort of flew under my radar until recently when I wandered by their shop at Ngee Ann City in Singapore. What tempted me to enter were the shop’s delicious citrus scent and also its clean, bright and almost clinical look in terms of decoration and product display. Their other outlets are at Millennia Walk and in the newly renovated CK Tangs.

Aesop's shop front at Ngee Ann City (picture from Aesop website)

Aesop is an Australian brand that focuses on plant-based skin care. To be honest, I was under the impression that their products were all natural and chemical-free but upon further inspection of the ingredients and website, this is actually not the case.

Their products are mostly packaged in dark glass bottles, with a small minority in collapsible metal squeeze tubes. Aesop claims that the packaging helps maintain the freshness of its products. Personally, I like the look of the packaging but glass bottles are not the best to travel with or if you have clumsy hands. 

Now for Aesop's oil-free facial hydrating serum…

This 100ml bottle can really last a long time.  Not even done with my first bottle yet!

According to the website:

‘This rapidly absorbed, lightweight serum – boosted with Vitamins B and C and antioxidant-rich ingredients – is an excellent alternative to cream-based moisturizers. Superb greaseless hydration extends from an Aloe Vera base to leave skin smooth and shine-free. Suitable for combination, oily or troubled skin.’

This is a clear serum that is rather thick and viscous. Upon initial application it feels quite sticky, probably due to the high content of aloe vera. However, I must say after a while the serum sinks very well into the skin and it will no longer feel sticky or tacky once completely absorbed.

Ingredients:
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Sorbitol, PEG-150 Distearate, Water (Aqua), Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Disodium EDTA, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Benzalkonium Chloride, Methylisothiazolinone, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Farnesol, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol.

My Thoughts:

I have been using this product for a couple of months now and I can safely say it does not clog my pores at all nor cause breakouts. In terms of hydration, it does provide my skin with moisture but I find it insufficient to prevent my skin from drying out in the air conditioned office over the course of the day (the air con blows directly in my face, sigh). On weekends when I’m not in the office and out in the humid weather, this serum is good enough on its own though. I must say using this serum is definitely a step up from not hydrating my face at all so my skin has improved somewhat and is calmer now.

Other than hydration, I don’t really see any other additional benefits from this product. Given the high content of aloe vera in this product, it should be good for healing scars and such. I’m not sure if it actually helps with this, but if it does, it is doing it very slowly…

I would recommend Aesop's Oil Free Facial Hydrating Serum to…

Those who break out with every moisturizer they’ve tried, those who have really oily skin or people living in really humid climates where light hydration is sufficient. This would be perfect and can be used alone.

Otherwise, dry or more dehydrated skin types will probably need to layer this with another moisturizer to really seal in the moisture.  

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Looks like I still have to continue the search for a moisturizer… … Bloody air con!!!

Till next time,

PockMarkFats