Skincare with soul

A candid interview with the founder of Aesop, Dennis Paphitis, tells us how his aversion to mainstream cosmetics led to the birth of a holistic range that is almost as famous as its star-studded clientele. 

CAN I put some on your hand?” enquires Dennis Paphitis, the founder of Aesop, the Australian cosmetics company that has made its way into the skincare regimes of Madonna, Isabella Rossellini, Cate Blanchett, Minnie Driver and Catherine Deneuve, seemingly without much effort. 

Roughly 30 seconds of rummaging through his bag yields a scrunched up tube of hand balm - one of Paphitis’s favourites, in Aesop’s signature cream and black-label packaging.  

Aesop is doingextremely well isselling its holisticbrand of skincaretreatments withoutthe help ofadvertising and thepromotion ofmiraculous claims.

“I carry quite a lot of products, and they’re not light,” admits a candid Paphitis, who is in Kuala Lumpur to meet journalists en route to a holiday in Langkawi. Another must-have item: toner. “I always carry toner when I’m travelling.” 

From the outside, it may seem that Paphitis goes to extraordinary lengths to cushion himself from mainstream cosmetics (“passionless products constructed by marketing departments and focus groups, and designed to exploit the vulnerabilities of people to appeal to those who would like to be lighter, slimmer, thinner, whatever”), Starbucks (“it’s the synopsis of all that is wrong”), and almost anything American (“America has a lot to answer for as there are many appalling and destructive elements that are projected out of that culture”).  

But a chat with him quickly proves that Paphitis is doing what he does best: being true to himself. 

Aesop’s classicpackaging makes itrecognisableeverywhere.

The Aesop way 

”It doesn’t bother me that much because I ignore it. I feel that it’s so facile and benign,” says Paphitis of mainstream cosmetics. It’s a little bit like reality television, he adds.  

“I’d rather not know that it was there. It’s there and it has its effects on people, but there’s not a great deal I can do to change it. I feel that the best I can do is to focus on what we’re doing and try to do it very well.” 

What Aesop is doing extremely well is selling its holistic brand of skincare treatments, without the help of advertising campaigns .  

Paphitis likens the Aesop philosophy to one’s diet, and to a greater extent, a person’s lifestyle. “I use food as a metaphor because the way you eat, and what you choose to eat reflects something deeper of the person.” 

“Aesop has always been an extension of thethings we’ve liked,” says Dennis Paphitis —All pictures courtesy of Aesop

Paphitis himself has two extreme palates: “I either like very light, clean, healthful foods such as steamed fish with lemongrass and ginger, green salads with very light dressing, or quite hearty, rich, decadent food. Not fatty or deep fried, but evocative, almost erotic food. 

“So in a way, that’s how I see skin as well.”  

In Malaysia’s heat and humidity, Paphitis wants to see “clean skin, I want to see good quality exfoliators, hydrating serums, nice crisp toners on the skin.  

“But in a Norwegian winter, I’d like products that are much richer, creamier and decadent in a different way.” 

Skincare, he says, is like an extension of what we do for our insides, applied to our exterior.  

So it would make sense that the Aesop customer is an intellectual and independent thinker.  

“The people who are drawn to our products are interested in the world around them, and not necessarily as influenced by marketing and advertising. They’re people who tend to discover what’s new and interesting for themselves,” says Paphitis. 

From fables to skincare 

In Paphitis’s eyes, Suzanne Santos, his business partner for 21 years, personifies all things Aesop. “She’s the kind of person who sees possibilities in everything, without limitations and obstacles, so she’s always inspiring those around her to move further, push harder and aim higher,” says Paphitis. 

Having worked together since the brand’s infancy in 1987, Santos, who was initially hired as Paphitis’s assistant, now oversees the brand’s global marketing and plays a crucial role in the development of Aesop.  

“She was my first right hand, and I think we shared some common views in life.”  

Together, the duo established the unique characteristics and nuances that would remain with the brand until today.  

“Nothing is simple with Suzanne, but everything is richer. She questions everything rigorously, and never accepts what comes first or what comes necessarily the easiest. She genuinely wants things to be better, and to improve on what we’re already doing.” 

Neither had a background in chemical sciences, but formulating products wasn’t a concern – they simply hired a chemist (they now have five who focus on research and development) .  

The first Aesop product to make it to the shelves: the Gentle Scalp Cleaning Shampoo, which to this day, he says, remains one of the brand’s best sellers.  

“We progressed from hair to skin. I think when you’re outside a profession and you begin to move towards a given profession, you often come with enormous enthusiasm and insight that is more about life itself rather than specific technical information,” says Paphitis, citing renowned Japanese chef Tetsuya Wakuda and architect Tadao Ando as self-taught greats in their respective professions. 

“I think there’s something to be said for formal, structured professional training, but there is also something to be said for an innate sensibility and tactile feeling for a certain area.” 

The company’s reference points, says Paphitis, have always been life itself, “how we should be living, eating, exercising and caring for ourselves.  

“It is this perspective that appeals to us, rather than going, ‘anti-ageing creams have been selling well in this market, so let’s do those and put our name on it’. It has never been about that.  

“Aesop has always been an extension of the things we like .”  

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