From its foundation in Melbourne to becoming a globally recognized luxury skincare house, Aesop has built a brand that blends botanical ingredients, refined aesthetics, and deep ethical commitments. The brand offers sensory-rich formulations while anchoring itself in environmental responsibility—showing how beauty can be both beautiful and conscientious.
This piece explores Aesop’s roots, product philosophy, 2025 sustainability advances, retail expansion, and what they reveal about the future of premium, planet-friendly skincare.
The Brand Story & Product Experience
Founded in 1987 by hairdresser Dennis Paphitis, Aesop set out to upend skincare marketing with minimalist design, plant-based science, and sensory elegance. Over decades, it’s expanded from its flagship blends to an array of skincare, haircare, body products, and fragrances—all packaged in iconic amber glass and recyclable tubes.
In 2025, the brand unveiled Eleos Aromatique—a woody, herbaceous scent debuting in a multisensory installation, “The Second Skin,” at Milan’s Salone del Mobile. The immersive experience mirrored Aesop’s philosophy of product as ritual.
Aesop also opened its first flagship store in Northern England, at Victoria Leeds, showcasing its full range across design-driven, character-filled retail spaces.
Brand Progress Check
- Packaging Leadership: Aesop exceeded its 2025 target for plastic with at least 50% recycled content; their PET bottles now contain ≥97% recycled material, and packaging includes fully recycled aluminum tubes and reduced-plastic screw caps.
- Circular Initiatives: Their in-store “rinse and return” model is active across 150+ locations, reinforcing circularity and conscious reuse.
- Climate Commitments: Aesop reports a 5% reduction in per-product carbon intensity and a 20% improvement in transport footprint, backed by a roadmap to reach net-zero emissions by 2030.
- Corporate Stewardship: Recognized in the top tier of ESG performers in the 2025 Vogue Business Beauty Index, Aesop excels in packaging and social outreach while still facing opportunities to deepen transparency in labeling and supply chain communication.
- Retail Expansion: A new store debuted in Hoboken, New Jersey, in August 2025, extending Aesop’s sophisticated brand presence in the U.S.
- Executive Transition: Michael O’Keeffe, CEO since 2003, led the brand through its $1B revenue milestone and global expansion until stepping down in late 2024.
Summary: Aesop is affirming its commitment to elevated luxury rooted in responsibility—continuously advancing packaging, lowering carbon impact, and expanding its experiential footprint globally.
Availability & Sensory Experience
Aesop’s retail strategy blends design, scent, and archival storytelling into store environments worldwide. Patrons can shop in stores, on the official site, and through curated luxury retailers. Their newest fragrance, Above Us, Steorra, is slated for September 2025 launch, adding olfactory depth to their product evolution.
Final Thoughts
Aesop balances sensory luxury with accountable beauty. Its 2025 trajectory exemplifies how brands can decouple environmental impact from prestige. Through circular packaging, tangible carbon reductions, and globally resonant retail vision, Aesop models how botanical elegance and ethics can coexist—and flourish.
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