FROM SOIL TO SKIN

‘I find my garden really inspiring; I’m always using it to spark new product ideas,’ says Arabella Preston, co-founder of botanical-led skincare brand Votary. Arabella’s apple trees, for instance, inspired a recent toner, while her daffodils led to her sourcing a narcissus extract that Votary now uses in its Brightening

Hyaluronic Serum, £75. ‘The clinical trials have been amazing at showing its skin-brightening, pigmentation-reducing effects.’ (In fact, so obsessed is she with her garden that Arabella has also launched a body-care brand, Verden, to further experiment with its ingredients.) Coming next from Votary is Super Sensitive Cleansing

Cream, £55, a rinse-off cleanser that contains 21 plant-derived oils, which combine to gently yet thoroughly cleanse even the most sensitive skins. Elsewhere in cleansing, chamomile is flexing its reputation for healing wounds and reducing inflammation. ‘There are lab studies that suggest chamomile could have anti-inflammatory effects,’ says Dr Howes. We love it in The Body Shop’s bestselling Camomile

Sumptuous Cleansing Butter, £12. Having perfected a rich, nourishing, deep-cleansing formula that features Norfolk-grown chamomile, the balm has been rereleased for late spring in pretty limited-edition packaging.

And egg sandwiches, it seems, are not the only place we should be sprinkling cress. Recent research has shown this humble little herb to punch well above its weight in terms of delivering on anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties, which is why Swedish skincare brand

Mantle has formulated it into its new deep cleansing The Green Mask, £80. Combined here with CBD, matcha, fermented honey and 2% BHA, it delivers smoother, clearer and more glowing skin fast.