What is your skincare philosophy?
I believe using oils is the key to glowing, healthy and calm skin.
My approach is that skincare should support our skin’s protective barrier to help aid our natural processes to heal, rather than stripping, irritating or disrupting. I also believe movement and increasing circulation is super beneficial for reducing inflammation, lifting and toning, and invigorating our skin. And it’s something generous that we can do for ourselves (and it's free!).
How do you start the day?
The way my day starts has changed a lot since the birth of my daughter. Before I might start with meditation or exercise, but consistency is very hard with a 4-month-old baby, especially whilst balancing a new business.
The first thing I do is feed Roe while my husband makes us coffee. It’s a nice moment where we all end up back in bed, including our dog Ralph, and we stare out the window at the trees while planning out our day.
I then try to have as much water as possible. Daphne Javitch of @doingwell inspires a lot of things, but recently her suggestion of a big mason jar of water seems to be the only thing that’s helped me drink more.
Then supplements for my immune system, breastfeeding/pumping, Moon Juice for post-partum hair loss and Roe and I both have a Vitamin D spray.
How did Mount Sapo come to be?
My love of oils started a while ago, at a time when I was generally not being good to myself. I was burnt out/overworked/in bad relationships and had many unhealthy habits. Using oils made me realize I hadn’t engaged with my body properly in what felt like a year. It felt tired, forgotten and taken for granted. The ritual of using oils brought back a sense of awareness and curiosity about how my body felt.
I created Mount Sapo to provide an opportunity to connect with your body so that your mind doesn’t exist independently of it.
Modern life can keep us living in our heads, Mount Sapo is about small, daily, achievable acts that you might only have thirty seconds for, but allows you to recognize how your body feels and provide a sense of alignment.
The future of Mount Sapo is a range of supportive tools intended to get you out of your head and into your body.
What is your skincare routine?
My routine is simple and centered around oils as that’s the way my skin stays happy and balanced.
AM
In the morning, I cleanse with the Mount Sapo All-Over-Oil, then remove with a warm muslin, I leave my skin a bit damp or use a mist like Josh Rosebrook’s Hydrating Accelerator, then I apply the All-Over-Oil again. I’ll then use a Marie Veronique tinted SPF or any non-toxic sunscreen that I have on rotation.
Dry brushing before a shower and following up with oils is the quickest way to wake up my body and get things moving.
PM
I do the same routine in the evening, although I might apply a Vitamin C serum after cleansing and apply more oil to my face than in the day. I try to do at least one minute of facial massage each evening, sometimes focusing on a different area of my face each night.
What other practices do you have that support you feeling your best?
Reading. Knitting. Yin yoga. Facetiming my Dad. Making my baby laugh. Massage.
Do you have a favorite ritual?
Walking the dog in the woods, either as a family or on my own with a favorite podcast.
How do you end your day?
For me, a bath or any kind of water is transformative for my mood or busy mind. It’s what I turn to after a tough day, during labour, breakups, flat moods or simply when my mind is wired and overexcited.
Whenever I have an evening to myself my most treasured thing is a hot bath with all the trimmings. A ton of Epsom salts, Mount Sapo oil used as a bath oil, a face mask, maybe Dr. Singha’s mustard bath, or a bag of Hinoki. I light Bodha smokeless incense, candles and have a big cold glass of fizzy water. I like coming out, already moisturized from the oils and getting into bed with a book and maybe a yoga bolster under my knees.
