Aesop has always stayed true to a minimalist lifestyle versus chasing after trends. The brand takes pride in creating beauty products differently, whether through the unique ingredients they use, the process of how their products are made, or their consumers' experiential journey. On top of that, they make sure that the products they offer are actually effective.
One such product that stands out from their lineup is their hero B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel—a holy grail lightweight moisturizer that gives their customers a holistic beauty experience. It's formulated in such a way that also elevates their beauty routine as a whole. With its potent ingredients and indulgent honey-like texture, the B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel elevates one's beauty experience and gives a whole new meaning to self-care.
Preview got the chance to interview Aesop’s Director of Research and Development Samy Hamada to give us a deeper understanding of what makes this moisturizer stand out, how to incorporate it into your routine, and why it’s a must-have in your skincare arsenal. As the B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel marks its 20th anniversary, know more about this product and how it’s managed to cement itself as a skincare staple after all these years.
Here’s Why You Need Aesop’s B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel in Your Skincare Arsenal
Can you tell us more about the formulation of the B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel and what makes it stand out?
"B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel is a hydrating formulation rich in Vitamins B and C, with a distinctive honey-like texture that makes it a memorable sensory treat for the skin."
"It was originally developed as an Aesop counterpoint to the silicone-based skin care serums that dominated the market at the time. These certainly had a light, dry, high-slip skin feel but offered little to no tangible benefits for the skin. B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel was therefore formulated to deliver meaningful doses of skin-supportive Vitamins B and C in a unique Aloe Vera-based gel format."
"Originally envisaged as a post-cleansing balancer for oily and combination skin types, B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel has found a much wider audience in those who appreciate its distinctive texture and embracing skin feel."
What are the hero ingredients in the gel, and how do they benefit one's skin?
"The key ingredients in B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel are, as the name might suggest and more on that in a moment, Panthenol (Vitamin B5) and Sodium Lactate—included for their hydrating properties—as well as Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C) to even the appearance of the skin."
"The name ‘B Triple C’ refers to the ratio of vitamin ingredients within this formulation, which comprises roughly one-part Panthenol to three parts Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate. These ingredients are key to the product’s primary function as a skin-balancing gel, both in terms of delivering hydration and evening the appearance of skin.
Panthenol is a humectant and moisturizer, working to hydrate and soften the skin." "Revered for its soothing properties as much as its superb hydrating efficacy, Panthenol is complemented by Aloe Vera and Blue Chamomile—also renowned for the hydrating and skin-calming benefits they respectively bring."
"Vitamin C has numerous skin-supportive benefits—replenishing the skin, lending suppleness and resilience. It can also help in the evening the appearance of the skin. Meaningful doses of Vitamin C therefore assist in balancing, replenishing, and supporting the skin."
How would you recommend users incorporate this into their daily skincare routine? Do you have a favorite or a specific method you prefer when incorporating it into your own skincare routine?
"B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel lends itself to use day or night, as preferred—we recommend applying at the time of day that works for you and your needs. It is perfectly acceptable to apply a vitamin-rich hydrator in the morning."
"That said, our skin can make the most of such replenishment when we are at rest, so an application before bed never goes astray. The hours we spend sleeping are a valuable opportunity to deliver product to the skin, to let a formulation sit upon our skin while we rest. We are less likely to touch our faces or to sweat heavily; two things that during the day can inadvertently work to remove product from the face. This uninterrupted exposure and prolonged skin contact time offer optimal chance of delivering the best possible results for the skin."
"If applying Vitamin C-rich formulations in the morning, and prior to sun exposure, we recommend following with a Sun Care product protecting against UVA and UVB—reapplying throughout the day—to avoid undue depletion of Vitamin C as well as to potentially undoing the superb benefits of this skin-supportive vitamin."
"Because of its unique gel viscosity, the product is best warmed between the hands to help aid the spread across the face, and there is a certain art to warming the product to achieve the best mobility. We advise against rubbing too vigorously between the hands (which will see it ‘ball’ spectacularly), but instead recommend a gentle but determined pressing of the palms to mobilize the gel before firmly but carefully pressing onto the face and then spreading it across the entire face and neck."
Why do you think that, after two decades, the B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel is still considered a staple skincare product for your customers?
"B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel is a product amenable to incorporation in any skin care regimen—whether for cooler or warmer climates, and across a range of skin types this sumptuous formulation will add its worthy balancing, replenishing and hydrating benefits."
"The unique texture of B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel is something of a sensory benefit by design that goes back to the product’s inception—the formulation was developed alongside the original iteration of Lightweight Facial Hydrating Serum as a vitamin-enriched skin-balancing replenishment for twice-weekly use. Key to the honey-like product texture of B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel is the considered combination of gelling agent and stabilizing ingredients utilized in its construction. Importantly, this product is formulated to deliver generous measures of hydrating and skin-supportive ingredients via a unique gel texture more substantive than a serum, yet less ‘burdening’ in warmer climates—and to oily skin—than a cream. B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel provides humectant, skin-supportive, balancing hydration and an embracing skin feel, yet is light enough for oily skin in hot, humid environs and has a greaseless, matte finish."
In the 20 years since the gel was introduced, were there any changes to its formulation?
"B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel is without doubt one of the most challenging and innovative formulations we have in our range. We have learned along the way that the order in which the ingredients are added is absolutely crucial to forming the unique gel structure, and the high levels of ingredients such as Vitamin C and Sodium Lactate bring their own challenge in terms of stabilizing and preserving the gel. As a result, the manufacturing process is very tightly monitored during each production to ensure each component is added at the correct time and with perfected mixing speeds to ensure a clear and stable product."
"Great effort goes into ensuring all our products stand the test of time, resulting in reviews of individual formulations at regular intervals over the course of their lives. B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel is no exception in this regard, having benefited from subtle improvements from its inception to today—and its twenty-year history alone is a testament to its ongoing relevance."
SHOP: Aesop's B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel
B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel 60ml, P6000, AESOP, aesopskincare.ph
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