Pestle & Mortar founder Sonia Deasy reveals her simple skincare routine.

As a mum-of-five, I’m all about speed and convenience in the mornings. I don’t like wearing much makeup  – I’ve nothing against makeup, but I’m lazy about it, so I’m always striving to get my natural skin looking and feeling it’s best so I can go without!

I start my morning routine with Renew Gel Cleanser  to wipe away sleep and gently cleanse and awaken my face. I love using a face cloth dampened with warm water as part of my cleansing ritual because it gives you that really clean feeling and feels comforting. Next up is toner. Being dark-skinned, my skin is naturally quite oily. When I was younger, I used to be harsh with it – stripping it dry with harsh scrubs and medicated toners – but it didn’t work. All that happened was that I would go from oil with breakouts to dry with breakouts!

I’ve learnt a lot since then needless to say. I use NMF Lactic Acid Toner every morning after cleansing – just sweeping it over my face to buff away dead skin cells, restore radiance, and deliver deep hydration. I love NMF because it’s an exfoliating toner with immense hydrating properties. It doesn’t strip my skin or upset the moisture balance.

I’d go so far as to say that I’m addicted to Balance Facial Spritz, and so are my daughters! So a quick spritz to feel calm and calm my skin and then I reach for Recover Eye Cream. Because of my complexion, I’m prone to dark circles and can look like a Panda some mornings! So I’m litigious about eye cream to target the contours around my eyes and I love Recover because it’s so light and doesn’t pill. I’m obsessed with the texture of skincare and how it feels on my skin. If anything is heavy or greasy, I just can’t use it. 

Serums are next. I apply Pure Hyaluronic Serum while my skin is still damp with Balance. I love layering on lightweight hydration products because it means that my skin looks good all day. Pure Hyaluronic Serum sinks into the skin, doesn’t feel sticky or tacky, and instantly gives me a plump and smooth complexion.

I layer on our Vitamin C 2 Phase Serum next. This product makes my skin shine without looking greasy. It reduces dark spots and really brightens my complexion so that my skin glows. Finally, Hydrate Moisturiser, which gives daytime protection against pollutants as well as acting as a barrier between my skin and the environment. It’s important to invest in a high-quality daily moisturiser if you want to improve skin health and get the most out of your routine.

After a quick lick of SPF, I’m ready to face the day. Reading over this, it sounds like I spend hours on my face in the mornings but I can assure you – I simply don’t have hours to spend! I would say that my entire morning routine takes between 7 and 10 minutes from start to finish, and that suits me fine.

At night, I double cleanse starting with Erase Balm Cleanser which melts into my skin and wipes the day away. I can’t live without double cleansing – it’s a skincare tool  that’s sometimes undervalued but it’s crucial if you want to maximise the benefits of other products in your routine. I use Superstar Retinoid Night Oil a couple of times a week instead of Hydrate depending on how my skin feels. My night time routine is like a wind-down – I absolutely love the feeling of getting into bed with clean skin that’s prepped for beneficial beauty sleep.