MATER Beauty FAQs
The questions that are asked most, answered in full. Skincare is serious work, and you deserve straight, honest answers rather than marketing. If yours is not here, email us at hello@mater.beauty.
On this page
- How can two steps possibly be enough?
- What order do I apply my products in?
- What is the difference between the / FACE Ritual and the Clean / FACE Ritual?
- Do I still need a moisturiser?
- Do I still need sunscreen?
- How long will a / FACE Ritual last me?
- Can I use MATER alongside my retinol, vitamin C or prescription actives?
- I do not wear makeup. Do I still need a cleansing balm?
- Is MATER suitable for men?
- Will MATER work for sensitive or reactive skin?
- Is MATER suitable for mature or perimenopausal skin?
- I have oily or breakout-prone skin. Will an oil make it worse?
- Can I use MATER while pregnant or breastfeeding?
- Do MATER products contain fragrance?
- Should I patch test?
- Are MATER products natural?
- Do MATER products contain preservatives?
- What is not in MATER products?
- Are MATER products vegan?
- Are MATER products palm free?
- Are MATER products cruelty free?
- Who formulates MATER products?
- Where are MATER products made?
- Is MATER a clean beauty brand?
- Do you still make haircare?
- How should I store my products, and how long do they last?
- How much is shipping, and how quickly will my order arrive?
- What if it is not right for me?
- Do you offer samples?
- Where can I buy MATER?
The Routine
How can two steps possibly be enough?
Because the work goes into the formulation rather than into trying to sell you more products. Most routines are long because each product does a single job: a toner to hydrate, a serum to treat, a moisturiser to seal, an eye cream to do a slightly different version of all three. MATER builds those jobs into two products instead. I WOKE UP LIKE THIS is the water step, carrying hydration and actives into the skin. YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE is the oil step, sealing everything in and supporting the barrier. Together they replace a toner, moisturiser and eye cream, morning and night.
What order do I apply my products in?
Water first, then oil, always. Cleanse, apply I WOKE UP LIKE THIS while the skin is still slightly damp, then press YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE on top. Oil seals, so anything layered over it has to work harder to get through. (If you take one thing from this page, take that one. It holds true for every brand's products, not only ours.)
What is the difference between the / FACE Ritual and the Clean / FACE Ritual?
The / FACE Ritual is the two-step serum system: I WOKE UP LIKE THIS and YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE. The Clean / FACE Ritual adds ONE & DONE Dual-Action Cleansing Balm, so you have the complete routine from cleanse to finish. If you already have a cleanser you love, the / FACE Ritual is the place to start.
Do I still need a moisturiser?
No, and that is rather the point. The two steps together do the work a separate moisturiser and eye cream were doing. If your skin is very dry, sensitised, or the season has turned harsh, add RISE TO RADIANCE at night rather than reaching for a heavier moisturiser.
Do I still need sunscreen?
Yes, every day, without exception. MATER does not make one yet, so wear whichever SPF you like enough to use consistently. ONE & DONE will remove it thoroughly at the end of the day.
How long will a / FACE Ritual last me?
Around three months, used morning and night. The average gap between reorders sits at about 95 days, which lines up neatly.
Can I use MATER alongside my retinol, vitamin C or prescription actives?
Yes. Apply your active where it normally sits in the routine and use the two MATER steps around it, water phase first, oil phase last. If you use a prescription retinoid, follow your doctor's guidance and introduce anything new one product at a time. I WOKE UP LIKE THIS makes an excellent companion to Tretinoin as it helps ease the side-effects like dryness and peeling. Worth knowing: YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE contains bakuchiol, a plant-derived retinol alternative, so many people find a separate retinol is no longer necessary.
I do not wear makeup. Do I still need a cleansing balm?
Yes. Sunscreen, sebum, pollution and the general residue of a day do not come off with water alone. ONE & DONE melts all of it away and rinses clean, without stripping.
Is MATER suitable for men?
Skin is skin, and plenty of men use it happily.
Your Skin
Will MATER work for sensitive or reactive skin?
MATER is formulated with sensitive and maturing skin in mind, with no sulphates, silicones, artificial fragrance or artificial colours anywhere in the range. If your skin is highly reactive, begin with the fragrance-free collection, introduce one product at a time, and patch test first. Every ingredient in every product is listed on its product page, so you can check before you buy.
Is MATER suitable for mature or perimenopausal skin?
Very much so. It is the skin MATER is built for first, because it is the most rewarding to formulate for and the most underserved (also Petra's skin!). RISE TO RADIANCE won Best Night Cream for both Age 50+ and Age 60+ at the 2026 Beauty Shortlist Awards, and ONE & DONE won Best Cleanser for Mature Skin.
I have oily or breakout-prone skin. Will an oil make it worse?
A fair worry, and the answer is no. YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE is built from non-comedogenic oils chosen because they do not clog pores, alongside actives that help regulate sebum. Oily skin is very often dehydrated skin overcompensating, and giving it what it lacks tends to calm it rather than tip it over.
Can I use MATER while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Most of the range was formulated while breastfeeding, so yes. The one ingredient worth a conversation is bakuchiol, in YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE. It is a plant-derived alternative to retinol, with a very low risk of irritation and no demonstrated adverse effects in pregnancy or breastfeeding, unlike retinol itself, which carries real risks. It is widely considered safe, but if you would rather be cautious, simply leave that one product out until you are ready. Speak to your midwife or doctor if you have any concerns.
Do MATER products contain fragrance?
No artificial fragrance, ever. Some products carry a natural scent from the botanical ingredients and essential oils in the formula, which is declared in full on the product page. If you want none of it, start with the fragrance-free collection. RISE TO RADIANCE is fragrance-free.
Should I patch test?
If your skin is sensitive or reactive, yes. A small amount on the inner arm or behind the ear, left for 24 hours, tells you what you need to know. Introduce one new product at a time, so that if something does not suit you, the cause is clear.
Ingredients and Formulation
Are MATER products natural?
Over 95% of the ingredients across the range are natural or naturally derived, and the leave-on face products contain only ingredients on the natural spectrum. We are deliberately specific about this rather than leaning on the word "natural", which has no legal definition and gets used to mean almost anything. Some ingredients are natural, some are nature-derived (taken from nature, processed with chemistry), and a small number are nature-identical (made in a lab, chemically identical to the natural version). Every one is listed in the Ingredient Dictionary with its shade of natural explained, so you can decide which version of natural you are comfortable with.
Do MATER products contain preservatives?
Yes, wherever there is water. Any formula containing water or water-based ingredients needs a preservative to stay safe to use, and ours use one that is ECOCERT and COSMOS compliant. YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE is entirely oil-based and needs no preservative at all.
One caution, unrelated to selling you anything: if you come across a product containing water-based ingredients (aloe vera gel, glycerine, a hydrosol) with no preservative listed, do not use it, however lovely it looks or smells, and no matter how it has been stored. There will be bacteria growing in it.
What is not in MATER products?
Parabens, sulphates, silicones, artificial fragrance and artificial colours. And, more importantly than that list, no actives or unicorn ingredients added at meaningless concentrations simply so they can be used in marketing.
Are MATER products vegan?
Every product in the range is vegan except I WOKE UP LIKE THIS, which contains 3% of an ingredient derived from crustacean shells, a waste byproduct of the shellfish industry.
Are MATER products palm free?
Where an ingredient is commonly palm-derived (glycerine, stearic acid, coco caprylate), we source the palm-free version, which costs considerably more and is worth it. A very small number of specialised palm derivatives are used only where no palm-free alternative performs the job to the standard required, and only at very low percentages.
Are MATER products cruelty free?
Never tested on animals at any stage, including the individual ingredients. Only ever on willing human volunteers, family and friends first.
How MATER is Made
Who formulates MATER products?
I (Petra) do. Every MATER formula is created by me, from the first idea to the final approved batch. Nothing is briefed out to a contract lab, and nothing is bought off a shelf with a brand story added over the top.
Behind that sits thirty years of obsession with the science of skincare, and years of self-directed study in cosmetic chemistry and formulation, pursued in real depth. It is not a formal certification, but this knowledge is openly available to anyone driven enough to pursue it, and my nature meant pursuing it thoroughly, over years, because it is a subject I love. That depth is what allows a routine to shrink from five steps to two without compromise, and it is why every formula is properly preserved, pH balanced for skin, and built to perform reliably over its full life.
Where are MATER products made?
In a custom-built lab on our property in Coatesville, New Zealand, run to good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards. Everything is made in small batches, for freshness and with care, rather than mass-produced in bulk or overseas.
Is MATER a clean beauty brand?
By most common definitions, yes. But "clean beauty" is a marketing term with no regulatory standard behind it, and it gets applied to plenty of products I would not call clean at all, so I would rather not lean on it. Every ingredient is judged on three things: is it safe, is it effective, and what does it cost the planet. What passes goes in.
Do you still make haircare?
MATER is a skincare brand now. The haircare bars were part of the early story, and they were well loved, but the production process is extremely physically demanding and time consuming. Stepping away from it means all of that energy goes where Petra's real passion and expertise lie, which is caring for your skin.
How should I store my products, and how long do they last?
Store everything out of direct sunlight and away from heat (a bathroom windowsill is the one place they should not live). Each product is best used within six months of opening, and will keep for up to a year.
Orders, Shipping and Returns
How much is shipping, and how quickly will my order arrive?
Orders are packed and sent the next business day, or within two at the most. Shipping is free on New Zealand orders over $99 NZD and on Australian orders over AU$125. Full details, including international, are on the Shipping and Returns page.
What if it is not right for me?
You have 30 days from delivery to return anything unused and unopened for a refund. The full policy, including damaged items, is on the Shipping and Returns page. If something has gone wrong, email us before you do anything else and we will put it right.
Do you offer samples?
Where we can, yes. We like to include a sample of something you have not tried yet with your order, chosen from whatever is available at the time. It is not a fixed offer, more a small way of introducing you to the rest of the range.
Where can I buy MATER?
Directly from mater.beauty. For wholesale or stockist enquiries, email hello@mater.beauty.
Still have a question? Email us at hello@mater.beauty and we will help.