Mornings In San Francisco With Monastery's Athena Hewett

Wild herbs. Fresh-pressed oils. Island skies. Athena Hewett discovered the magic of aromatherapy and natural skincare in the Greek Cyclades a lifetime ago. Learning from her grandmother, who pressed healing oil blends by hand, Athena’s connection to holistic beauty runs deep — and informs her daily routine in a truly beautiful way.

Athena is the founder of San Fransisco-based natural skincare co, Monastery, where she channels the learnings of her youth and over a decade of hands-on esthetic experience into handmade serums, balms, and facial oils. We took a peek into a typical day for Athena in San Francisco — as deliciously slow, conscious and beauty-infused as you might imagine. From her take on daily face washing to the skin-perfecting ingredient she’s loving of late, there’s plenty to discover below. Jump into a morning of ocean runs, artful outings, and the mindful ritual that helps her keep it all in balance…

I usually start my morning with:

I’m a coffee girl.

Morning skincare routine:

I don’t wash my skin in the morning. I apply the Gold Healing Serum or Attar Repair Concentrate depending on whether my skin feels dry or not, and then an SPF. That’s it!

Current wellness obsession:

Meditating — I definitely can’t call it an obsession yet, but I want to. I’ve been trying to do three minutes every morning. I also go to pilates a few times a week.

Favorite spot for catching up with a friend:

Tartine Manufactory and Heath

Favorite art experience in the city:

My favorite museum is probably SFMoma — I love looking at Ruth Asawa’s sculptures in person. I also always love the Conservatory of Flowers, and I’d definitely consider it an art experience.

Lunch is usually:

An avocado and some cheese. I’m usually at my studio giving facials during lunch so I don’t have too much time for eating.

Beauty truth I wish more people knew:

Oil is always your friend — don’t be afraid of it. And that includes your own sebum (oil).

Current favorite beauty ingredient:

It’s been red raspberry seed oil for a while now. The visible changes that it makes to my skin still amaze me.

Recent design inspiration:

Vintage Scandinavian colored glass. I’ve really been into the clean lines of the pieces and the muted colors.

Favorite fitness studio:

I take pilates from Penny Mitchell, my favorite person in the world at her home in Bernal Heights. But so many of my friends go to MNT pilates studio in Soma and rave about it so I want to try it. They also recently started carrying Monastery there, which is awesome!