Editor’s update (May 2026): The Peruvian Maca Anti-Aging Hydra Crème has been retired. Molton Brown’s current cult bestseller is the Orange & Bergamot range — a closer match to the brand’s iconic positioning. Molton Brown Orange & Bergamot Body Wash on Amazon.
Some of the best beauty products are the ones you find in an unexpected aisle. Molton Brown is a brand almost everyone associates with beautifully scented hand wash and bath gels — so a genuinely good face cream from them was a small, pleasant surprise. This is the review of the Peruvian Maca Anti-Aging Hydra Crème: what made it worth writing about, and an honest account of where it stands now.
When a body brand makes a face cream
There is a reasonable scepticism that greets any face product from a brand built on bath and body. Skincare for the face is a more demanding category — the skin is more delicate, the expectations are higher, and a fragrance-led house does not automatically have the formulation depth of a dedicated skincare brand. So the fair question with the Peruvian Maca Hydra Crème was never “is it nicely scented” — Molton Brown can do scent in its sleep — but “does it actually work as a moisturiser.” That tension, a beautifully-presented product from a brand outside its home turf, is the whole context for this review. The honest verdict at the time was that it punched above expectations: a face cream that earned its shelf space rather than coasting on the Molton Brown name. But it is also the reason the product was always a little vulnerable to being discontinued.
What the Peruvian Maca Hydra Crème was
The cream was built around maca root extract — Peruvian maca, a plant best known as an adaptogen and a genuinely uncommon ingredient to see anchoring a moisturiser. The pitch was antioxidant-rich, plant-led hydration: a formula aimed at the look of fine lines and uneven texture, but without the sting, peeling or sensitivity that the hardest-hitting anti-ageing actives often demand. In other words, it sat in the gentle, comfortable corner of “anti-ageing” — more about keeping skin hydrated, smooth and healthy-looking than about aggressive resurfacing. That is a legitimate and popular niche, and the maca angle gave the cream a distinctive identity rather than making it just another botanical moisturiser. It was a considered product with a clear point of view, which is exactly why it was a shame to see it go.
How it wore
The texture was the standout. Rather than the rich, heavy feel “anti-ageing cream” usually implies, the Hydra Crème was light — closer to a gel-cream than a traditional balm. It absorbed quickly, left no greasy film, and crucially wore comfortably under both sunscreen and makeup, which is where a lot of heavier creams fail. Skin was left smooth and visibly hydrated, with the comfortable, cushioned feel of skin that has been properly looked after. And, this being Molton Brown, the sensory experience was a cut above — the maca range carried the brand’s signature warm, slightly herbaceous, amber scent, more grown-up than its bright citruses. It made a daily moisturising step feel a little more like a ritual, which is a real, if soft, benefit. Used morning and night, it did the everyday hydration job genuinely well.
What has changed since this review
This is the honest, slightly disappointing part. The Peruvian Maca Anti-Aging Hydra Crème has been discontinued — and it is part of a bigger pattern. Molton Brown rotates and prunes its ranges regularly, and over time the brand has stepped back from facial skincare to concentrate firmly on what it is famous for: bath, body and home fragrance. So this is not a case of one product being swapped for a direct successor; the whole skincare corner it lived in has effectively closed. The brand’s energy now sits with its cult body and bath collections, anchored by signatures like the Orange & Bergamot range. The maca scent itself lives on across some bath and body products, but the face cream specifically is gone, and there is no like-for-like Molton Brown replacement.
Should you seek it out?
Occasional remaining stock of the Hydra Crème still surfaces from third-party sellers on Amazon and eBay, but chasing a discontinued moisturiser comes with real caveats: skincare has a shelf life, you cannot be sure how old or how stored a stray jar is, and an old hydrator is not worth the gamble. The more sensible reading of this review is to take what was good about the product — light, comfortable, plant-led, gentle hydration — and look for it in a current, dedicated skincare line, where for the same money you will generally get a more ingredient-driven result. And if what you actually loved was the Molton Brown experience itself, the brand still does that better than almost anyone — just now in the bath and body aisle. The Orange & Bergamot range is the natural place to start.
The verdict
The Peruvian Maca Anti-Aging Hydra Crème was a genuine pleasant surprise — a light, comfortable, nicely scented moisturiser that proved a body-and-bath brand could make a face cream worth buying. But it is discontinued, and Molton Brown has moved on from facial skincare entirely, so this review is now best read as a piece of context rather than a buying recommendation. For a face cream, point your money at a dedicated skincare brand. For the Molton Brown magic — the scent, the ritual, the beautiful everyday luxury — follow the brand to where it now lives, in its bath and body collections, with the Orange & Bergamot range as the iconic entry point. Sometimes the honest update is simply that a good thing ended, and the brand is best enjoyed for what it does now.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Peruvian Maca Hydra Crème smell like?
The Peruvian Maca range carries the brand’s signature warm-amber, slightly herbaceous adaptogen scent — softer than the Black Pepper range but more grown-up than the citruses.
Has the Peruvian Maca Anti-Aging Hydra Crème been discontinued?
Yes. Molton Brown rotates its skincare ranges frequently, and the Peruvian Maca skincare line is no longer in regular stock. The fragrance lives on across the brand’s bath and body collection.
Where can you still buy Molton Brown Peruvian Maca?
Occasional remaining stock surfaces from third-party Amazon and eBay sellers. For current Molton Brown bestsellers, Amazon stocks favourites like Orange & Bergamot Body Wash.
Is Molton Brown skincare worth the price?
The brand is best-known for body and bath rather than skincare. For a hydrator at this price point, dedicated skincare brands generally deliver more ingredient-driven results.
Shop the post
👉 Molton Brown body wash on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read full disclosure.