Fab Find of the Week: ACO (The Apothecary’s Composition)
We’re kicking off 2023 with a great ‘find’.
Because if you’re experiencing thirsty arms, legs, hands – well, neck-to-toe, really – we’ve honestly got the answer, right here. Frankly, this winter has been a nightmare for body skin. Cold winds. Sitting too close to the wood-burning stove. Tight thermal garments which are great for keeping you toasty when temperatures have plummeted, but actually draw moisture and lipids out of the skin, leaving it really papery, dry and sometimes flaky.
Well, obviously they know all about cold weather skin protection in Sweden, where ACO – short for The Apothecary’s Companion – hail from. It’s a pretty massive range, founded in Sweden in 1939 but just landed here. So far we’ve only tried the bodycare – but we’re impressed.
The hand, foot and body products we tried are seriously rich, nourishing and instantly soothing to the point of almost being able to hear our limbs go ‘aaaah’, with relief. (Fragrances are subtle, so nothing not to love there – and entirely unscented versions available, in some cases.) They’re not what we’d call ‘natural’, but perusing the ingredients lists, ACO’s bodycare creations are quite high in nurturing ingredients such as shea butter, glycerine, cocoa butter (and you can read their ingredient philosophy here).
The trio of skin-savers which have been cherishing our poor, parched bodies are as follows. (And, despite being awfully good at taking care of them, not an arm and a leg, either.)
Body Lotion Rich/£16.99 for 400ml. (Generous size, that – will last ages, even in this weather.) A pet peeve of ours is that rich lotions are sometimes sticky, but this is just smooth and softening. Not sure about the 48 hour moisturisation promise, because we haven’t stretched it that far – but the instant relief offered is intense.
Protecting Hand Cream/£8.99 for 75ml. Ticks our hand care boxes: very creamy, very smoothing, sinks in straight away. A great barrier cream for tough tasks, too – a great pre-washing-up slather.
Foot Cream Rich/£10.99 for 100ml. Very, very moisturising. Very, very creamy. Do this after you’ve exfoliated (ideally with Ruby Hammer’s Foot File, which we review here) and you’re on a very fast track to happy, nourished feet.
Keen to explore the face care next, we’ll report back on that, too. Meanwhile? Our much, much comfier skin says ‘thanks, ACO.’
£8.99-17.99 – buy here
