#MOTHERMATE ELLE HALLIWELL

What is your approach to beauty?

I like my beauty cupboard to be as kind to the planet and my body as possible.

Do you choose natural beauty? If so, why?

Yes, having been through a cancer diagnosis I realised how exposed we are to countless chemicals every day. Using natural toiletries, skincare and makeup is one way to drastically reduce this. I won’t sacrifice my health for vanity!

What are your favourite natural beauty/skincare products?

I really love oils. Almond, coconut, jojoba, rosehip. My skin really drinks them up especially in winter. I usually apply one of the above oils just before I finish showering in lieu of moisturiser.

What skincare ingredients do you say NO to?

Too many to count my biggest no-nos are phthalates, SLS, parabens, mineral oils and undisclosed ‘fragrance’.

 What does your morning routine look like?

As mum to a three year old it changes daily! Sometimes I’m up at 5am, at the latest 6.30. I get Tor ready for kindy on the days he goes, chuck on some active wear and head out for a long walk. I generally head to Bondi’s Ben Buckler headland for a 20 minute meditation, then do the Bondi to Bronte (or Tamarama, depending on time). I generally skip breakfast, and will have a celery juice and oat milk coffee instead.

When do you reach for your SPF?

Every morning. I’m becoming much more fastidious at applying these days – it’s a way for me to repent for the sun-exposure sins of my youth!

What do you look for in an SPF product? For you and for your little boy?

The more natural, the better. I love physical zinc protection as I know we’re not absorbing any nasties.

Describe a typical day on a plate for you?

My food philosophy is as long as it comes from a pasture or a plant and wasn’t created or filled with ingredients made by humans in a plant, I’ll eat it! As Michael Pollan says, “eat food, not too much, mostly plants”.

What do you do when your body needs to recover?

when you’re tired or rundown: what is your beauty hack? Rest and water are my non-negotiables, but I will also look to adaptogenic herbs such as Withania somnifera and Siberian ginseng, which I find really effective in nurturing my body and bringing it back to balance.

 What is your favourite retox?

Wine and chocolate!

  What is your go-to meal when you only have 10 minutes?

Spelt rye toast with organic tomatoes, biodynamic butter and pepitas.

What’s your dream wellness vacay?

A week at the Post Ranch Inn, California. 

Do you have an evening wind-down ritual?

In winter I’ll light a candle, brew an echinacea and elderberry tea and soak in a magnesium bath before falling asleep to a guided meditation on Insight Timer.

Best health advice you’ve ever received?

No amount of kale is going to undo the effects of chronic stress. 

 What does ageing gracefully mean to you?

Ageing disgracefully sounds way more fun, don’t you think? Although I plan to do so in linen palazzo pants, silk blouses and pearls.

What beauty advice would you give you your younger self?

Climbing the mountain is way more exciting than the moment you reach the top, so stop to enjoy the view more often.

Who are your beauty icons?

I’ve never been asked this question, and to be completely honest I don’t have one in a literal sense. So I’d say Hay House Founder the late Louise Hay, because of all the beauty she brought to the world.