I tested this in the store and thought its probably too heavy for me. Its a pretty thick cream and i'm really concern it would melt during the day. The lovely girl there gave me a sample to try and i am converted.

The texture of the sample is much lightly than the tester in the store. Maybe the tester dried out alittle. But the sample is a lighter fluid, white and spreads easily. It does not feel thick when i apply it on my face, i do not need alot and did not use on my forehead which is very oily. (I have combination skin, with dry cheeks) It feels nice and moisturizing, did not melt during the day and i am impressed! Although the weather is not very hot now, i did perspired during the day and did not have a problem with it melting. I am definitely getting the full size when my stash runs out.

It smells quite strong of sage i guess, to me very similar to rosemary smell. Does not bother me and disappears as soon as i apply it. I like naturally scented or fragrance free products.

Again i do not like the jar container of the smaller size. Unhygenic and comes in a tinted glass jar. An opaque container would better protect the product.

This contain 17% (I believe i remember it correctly) zinc oxide which is what i am looking for! Its also quite pricey but i don't mind spending on a good sun protection.

This is my HG. I have very oily skin and it is very difficult for me to find day moisturizer which has SPF. I live in Singapore and cos of its hot and humid weather, most sunscreens will cause my face to become really oily after an hour. However, you can't live without sunscreen in Singapore cos there is so much sun all year round! Therefore, this amazing sage and zinc hydrating cream is like a dream come true!!!!! My face can actually stay matte for more than half a day, which is already a miracle in itself! Also, the cream is hydrating as well. I am already into my second bottle. Even though it is pricey, it is definitely worth every cent.

A lightweight daily SPF for the face that blends in seamlessly. Doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy or looking ghostly white. Once it's blended in, it's undetectable. You can neither see nor feel it sitting on the skin. I find it mattifying rather than 'hydrating' on my combination skin. In the drier months, I mix it with a regular moisturiser to give it more slip. Since it's so lightweight, you can reapply throughout the day without it building up to a greasy mess.


I've tried sunscreens from Japanese brands like Shiseido and Mentholatum Acnes. These were lightweight and blended easily but they left an oily film on top of the skin. They also contain UV absorbers (as most Asian sunscreens do). UV absorbers aka chemical sunscreens are sunscreen agents that are unstable and form free radicals upon UV exposure. They are less effective sunscreens that are frequently added to cosmetics because they don't leave an obvious white cast the way physical sunscreens like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide do. Currently, zinc oxide is the gold standard for broad spectrum UV protection.


I have also tried more natural sunscreens made in a base of essential oils like Wotnot (similar to California Baby and Badger Balm), as well as "industrial strength" waterproof sunscreens like Invisible Zinc. These are great for use on the body. However, none of these were suitable for daily application on the face. Natural sunscreens are too greasy and shiny because of their oil content, while Invisible Zinc leaves a white cast and proves extremely difficult to remove. If you are going to be outdoors or in the water for an extended period of time, then Invisible Zinc is the gold standard. But for daily use, it is simply too much.


In comparison to these sunscreens, Aesop is the perfect SPF for daily use on the face. It doesn't contain UV absorbers - its only active sunscreen ingredient is zinc oxide. It is non-greasy and incredibly lightweight.


As for the packaging, I love the apothecary design of the tube but noticed that the cap gets clogged with product which makes it difficult to screw back on. I will definitely repurchase this, but in the jar form because the jar turns out to be more economical, albeit less travel-friendly.

PROs: I like this day cream for its reasonable SPF, non-greasy look after the application, affordable price (not cheap but not expensive as most heavily advertized brands), and lovely smell. It sinks into your skin quite quickly and makes it convenient to apply makeup shortly afterward. Generally a good day cream for me.

CONs: Mine comes in a glass jar so it's very unpractical/not so hygienic to use (I haven't found the tube version in France yet). Also, my dry skin needs more moisturizing power from this cream - to solve this problem, I've been using it together with Aesop serum (but I would rather prefer an all-in-one day moisturizer). Buy it again? Probably.