Beauty must-have: Aesop Eleos Aromatique Hand Balm

If you haven’t delved into the incredible Aesop’s modus operandi of late, shame on you. And here’s a little refresher. Aesop is unabashedly different to your usual high-end skincare, haircare, home fragrance and more company. There are no big promises, no celebrity endorsements, no glossy packaging and no advertising. As a brand, they are committed to celebrating science by integrating both plant-based and laboratory-made ingredients, and the efficacy of their product formulations is world-renowned. As an interview I once read with Aesop General Manager of Retail and Customer Relations Suzanne Santos told us: “you need a blend of well-chosen man-made ingredients with exceptional botanical ingredients to make remarkable products”, and I personally have never met an Aesop product I didn’t like.
I first encountered the brand many years ago on a trip to the brand’s home city of Melbourne, and after washing my hands with their premier luxury soap, I was irrevocably hooked. Their less-is-more approach appeals to the type of consumer who doesn’t need fruity surroundings and overbearing retail staff to tell them what is wrong with their skin or what their home should smell like, but those who are happy to pay slightly higher prices for authentic top-quality products that just make you feel good – and work.
Aesop’s founder Dennis Paphitis has famously been quoted as saying: “Luxury is an attitude, a spirit, a celebration of the everyday; it is certainly not an overpriced, monogrammed handbag that’s distributed as widely as fast food,” and their chic stores around the world reflect this value. As does its iconic handcare offering, which is what brings me here today.
Legend has it that the original Aesop handcare solution was first formulated to alleviate not just dry skin, but also impatience. The story goes that on a wintry day in Melbourne, Aesop’s founder Dennis Paphitis asked an old acquaintance if she could provide manicures for customers left waiting for appointments at his fabled hair salon, Emeis. Soon this manicurist complained that while the salon assistants were using custom-made products for the hair, she was limited to working with off-the-shelf creams and balms that were uninspiring and conventional. Dennis then darted into the back room, and in minutes had combined a handful of vegetable and essential oils into a blend that provided sensorial intrigue and rich replenishment for the skin.

 

Whether first experienced via a pump bottle outside an Aesop store, or discovered at the basin of a carefully selected hotel or restaurant, the product that eventually became Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm is often the formulation by which people first encounter Aesop, and one that has become symbolic of the brand. And thirty-four years after what would ultimately become one of the world’s most love hand balms was first whisked together in the store room of that salon, a new formulation known as Eleos joins the line-up, carrying not just aromas of Cedar Atlas, Patchouli and Clove Bud essential oils, but also a rich heritage in hand care.
Taking its name from the Ancient Greek personification of mercy and compassion, Eleos Aromatique Hand Balm – like its predecessors - contains a nurturing combination of hydrating humectants, alongside emollient butters and oils. The new balm provides exceptional replenishment for weather-weary or dry skin yet is rapidly absorbed with a soft, matte finish, making it so perfect for year round use and an instant addition to every (quietly luxurious) handbag.
Available in a 500mL recycled PET bottle with pump, and a 75mL wisteria-purple recycled aluminium tube, Eleos Aromatique Hand Balm provides high saturation—in both hydration and hue. I was recently sent a tube of Eleos I have to admit I fell in love with the scent and the soothing properties from the get go. Dare I say it, but the aroma that accompanies each application may make it my favourite Aesop handcare offering yet, which as a long-time lover of Resurrection is no mean feat!
It goes without saying that like all Aesop products, Eleos Aromatique Hand Balm is vegan, Leaping Bunny approved, and added to PETA's cruelty-free and vegan lists, which is just another reason why this tube of wonder is an instant must-have.

Eleos Aromatique Hand Balm is available at aesop.com, in Aesop signature stores and department store counters, and from select like-minded retailers across the globe.