Post-Flight Rituals, Body Scanning and Beetroot Scents: The Real Beauty Routine of Emma Lewisham
July 14 | 3 minute read
Words by Kaylah Joelle Baker
Emma Lewisham is a firm believer that healthy-looking skin comes from two things: consistency and understanding what your skin needs – not from chasing quick fixes.
It was this philosophy – alongside her highly qualified team of scientists and physiologists – that brought Lewisham’s luxurious Aotearoa (New Zealand)-based skincare brand into existence. And the brand’s commitment to continuous scientific rigour and sustainable practices that recently earned it profound recognition from the globally acclaimed Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Dr Peter Agre, pictured left with Lewisham.
Lewisham’s personal approach to beauty and wellness is similarly considered, rather than over-complicated.
From post-flight grounding rituals to the full-body scanning clinic she loves and the importance of dog-walking and night-time airflow, she gave us all the details.
Rethink Beauty from Within
Lewisham approaches exercise and eating mindfully, using the advice of exercise physiologist Dr Stacy Sims to maintain muscle strength long-term, and physician Dr Mark Hyman’s ‘plant-rich’ ethos when it comes to what’s on her plate.
(Even her home gets its share of veg, courtesy of Lewisham’s favourite beetroot-scented candle: “It has an earthy, almost vegetal freshness that feels unexpectedly grounding – like stepping into a garden just after the soil has been turned.”)
Every morning, like clockwork, she indulges in “one of the great joys of [her] day”: walks with her dog Molly. She also opts for strength training three times a week. As for food, she approaches it as “a beautiful parallel with skincare – looking to nature as a source of inspiration,” meaning her meals consist of lots of vegetables, low-glycaemic index fruits, healthy fats and quality protein (as a side, not the centrepiece).
Supplement-wise, Lewisham doesn’t chance it with guesswork, instead opting for regular blood tests – reviewed closely with her naturopath – to understand what’s going on within. “I feel strongly that we should be proactive about understanding our health at a deeper level, and that we each deserve a plan that is truly our own,” she says.
One Step (Scan) Further
Like her skincare, Lewisham’s approach to wellness marries nature with science and innovation. Between her annual mole mapping and mammogram, she highly recommends London’s Neko Health: “Its whole purpose is preventative care,” she says. “In under an hour, the scan maps millions of data points across your skin: heart, blood and metabolic health – checking for everything from cardiovascular and metabolic risk to skin cancer. A doctor walks you through all of it in the same visit, and so I left with a clear picture of my health and a real sense of how to care for it, which is exactly the kind of informed, proactive approach I believe in.”
Back to Balance
Mind and body go hand in hand for Lewisham, who turns to several treatments when she feels disconnected or stressed.
“I have a deep tissue massage with my beautiful French friend Amelie, who comes to my home – it’s as much about unwinding tension as it is about feeling reconnected in my body again, especially during busy or travel-heavy periods,” she tells the Memo.
Speaking of travel, Lewisham's post-flight routine also includes “lymphatic drainage with cupping to depuff, reset and bring things back into flow – it makes such a noticeable difference to how light and clear the body feels afterwards. I also have acupuncture to restore energetic balance... which I find genuinely grounding.”
Finally, Lewisham espouses the benefits of gua sha to achieve a “lifted and awake” look in minutes.
The Simple Wind-Down Routine
The most important part of Lewisham’s beauty routine? Sleep. “It is something I am deeply passionate about and protect fiercely,” she reveals of her pre-bedtime ritual, which starts as early as 10am when she cuts off caffeine intake! “I aim for eight to nine hours every night, and I keep the wind-down simple and consistent.
Ready to rest better? Take notes: “I avoid screens before bed and take a warm shower, which helps the body cool and signals that it is time to rest. I try not to eat anything after 6:30pm, giving my body time to finish digesting so that sleep is deeper and blood sugar stays settled overnight,” says Lewisham, adding, “I read for about 30 minutes before bed and sleep in a cool room with the window slightly open for fresh air – I find a lower temperature and good airflow make a noticeable difference to both falling asleep and staying asleep through the night.”
Never Skip SPF (and Double Cleanse!)
To achieve a radiant complexion, Lewisham believes in formulating around the skin’s biology as a living system; it’s why you’ll spot a lot of her eponymous brand’s signature purple bottles at her sink.
“In the morning, I use our Illuminating Oil Cleanser, followed by the Skin Reset Serum, Supernatural Day Crème and our Sunceutical SPF 50 Mineral Face Crème,” Lewisham says. “SPF is the one step I never skip – it is one of the most important things we can do to support long-term skin health and protect the progress we make with our skincare.
“In the evening, I double cleanse with the Illuminating Oil Cleanser and Supernatural Crème Cleanser, followed by the Supernatural Vitale Face Elixir, Supernatural Face Crème Riche and the Supernatural Sleeping Mask when my skin needs an extra boost,” she says.
As for her makeup, she keeps it “deliberately light”, starting with the Emma Lewisham Sunceutical SPF 50 Mineral Glow Serum and ILIA’s Super Serum Skin Tint applied with fingers “for a natural, dewy finish”, before going in with a multipurpose blush and lip tint, Kevyn Aucoin’s The Volume Mascara , a Glossier eyebrow gel, and her favourite shade of Charlotte Tilbury’s Matte Revolution lipstick: ‘M.I.Kiss’. The final touch? A spritz of Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules.
