Growing up in an era before the use of sunscreen, the sun has taken a toll on my skin.  Summer holidays were spent on the beach near my grandparents’ house, day-after-day battered by the harsh Australian sun – we were oblivious to any long term damage to come.  Older and wiser, I now take extra care in an effort to remedy the past. 

After years in the wellness industry and a lot of my own research, I’m a firm believer that beauty starts from within. My skin looks and feels its best when I'm prioritising sleep, eating a balanced diet and exercising often.  I keep my skincare routine as simple as possible - sticking to a few gentle and effective products that I love and trust. And of course, I choose natural products where possible.  

Here is what I use daily at the moment: 

Morning Routine 

1. Inner beauty

I love The Beauty Chef range to keep my gut healthy and skin glowing.  I've been taking the Collagen Inner Beauty Boost every day for the last few years and swear by it to boost the immune system (I used to catch every cold going around and now I don't get them at all). I also take their gut-friendly Omega Elixir,  full of essential fatty acids to hydrate from with and make my my skin glow.

2. Cleanse 

In the morning I wash my face with Bondi Wash Baby Wash –  it's so gentle, ideal for anyone with sensitive skin.  We formulated it especially with Blue Cypress & Petitgrain which heals and soothes the skin. 

3. Moisturise

Sodashi is one of the few truly natural skincare brands and their products are beautiful.  I find their Rejuvenating Face and Neck Moisturiser made with cold-pressed botanical oils including macadamia and avocado  helps minimise fine lines and even my complexion. 

4. Mineral sunscreen

I use the ASAP Moisturising Daily Defence SPF 50+ or the Natio Clear Zinc Mineral SPF 50 daily. I find both are moisturising and sink into the skin beautifully. For my body, I try to avoid using a lot of sunscreen unless essential - I prefer to cover up and stay out of the sun.

Night Routine 

1. Cleanse

I wash away the day before bed again using the Bondi Wash Baby Wash.  At the moment I'm also often testing samples... watch this space! (Hint: We've been quietly exploring the idea of introducing a natural face range at Bondi Wash for a while).

2. Exfoliant

I use a Japanese face cloth to exfoliate my face twice a week.  The Binchotan Face Scrub Towel is woven with ultra-fine charcoal powder which absorbs oil.  Its softer side can be used for a relaxing skin massage whereas the coarser side acts as a gentle exfoliant, removing dead skin cells. 

3. Moisturiser

After cleansing, I apply the Bondi Wash Purifying Night Balm five nights a week which is intensely nourishing and hydrating.  I developed this product to protect and soothe the skin during travel but found it to be such a great overnight moisturiser.  (Along with our Bench Spray it's one of our products that people comment to me about how much they love it - from teenagers to grandparents). 

I alternate by using the Sodashi Nourishing Repair Treatment on other nights – a blend of pure oils and extracts that I find is also deeply nourishing and leaves my skin glowy in the morning. 

4. Eye cream 

One of the few products I can’t do without is the Darphin Wrinkle Corrective Eye Contour Cream. It smooths fine lines and restores suppleness.  Darphin is one of the more natural French cosmetics brands and I notice a distinct difference if I don’t use this product.

5. Serum 

I alternate between the The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalane and Emma Lewisham's Skin Reset Serum  before moisturising. The retinol helps to minimise fine lines and improve skin elasticity, while the serum locks in moisture and keeps my skin looking radiant.  Both are more natural than most of the market and gentle - I like both a lot. 

None of the products mentioned above are sponsored, I genuinely use and recommend them.