'We carry within us the wonders we seek without us.' Thomas Browne

On-hand care to calm the senses and ground the whirling day:

What's the big deal about freshening up? Dr. Forbes explains.

Right, a portable kit you can have on your desk, in your bag, and use throughout the day. The functional benefit of the rinse-free hand wash, which is a water-free sanitizer, is clear. Sometimes you don't have water. But maybe you're on public transport and really wish you could wash your hands. That type of scenario presents itself all the time. The lip cream is unusual here. It's cream-based, so if you're used to that highly emollient gloss, you'll notice it's quite a bit different feeling. But it's highly effective in bringing moisture into the lips, as an ongoing touch-up. The hand balm I find to be amazingly calming. We talk about rituals, and something like applying a hand cream is exactly what we mean by that. Taking that moment out of your day to apply your hand balm and reset yourself, actually, is almost like meditation. It's about taking yourself out of that autopilot mode.

I'm not an expert in that area, but there is a lot of research about the incredible benefits of, in the middle of hours of work, taking five minutes to reset. You can get so much more done if you take that time to refresh instead of baring down and depriving yourself of breaks. It makes a big difference. I think that's important to know about Aesop, too: we do take this holistic view. It's not just the products which can help improve your skin. It's your diet. Your exposure to stimulating activity. To reading. Feeding your mind. It's hard to argue that reading a book is good for your skin, but everything is connected. You can't put one thing in isolation.

-Andrew Matson