Posts Tagged ‘Sarah Chapman’

I have had a fair few facials in my time, but in truth, after the initial glowy relaxed feeling, the effects never last very long. But the facial I had yesterday was quite different. I tried the Skinesis High Definition Facial at Cult Beauty expert Sarah Chapman’s South Kensington clinic and it was a revelation. Sarah’s legendary facials are rated by high society, royalty, beauty editors and celebs alike – she counts Naomi Watts, Queen Rania of Jordan and Jemma Kidd among her many satisfied customers.

My therapist, Tarryn, was a font of wisdom on all things skin (and advised me on my shoulder pain too) so I left feeling equipped with the knowledge to look after my skin more diligently as well as feeling that the treatment had made a significant improvement.

My skin has rosacea and some broken veins and the overall redness really bothers me. Tarryn explained that I should be using a broad spectrum sunscreen every day (she didn’t let me leave until I’d been smothered in Factor 50) and taking off my make-up with a gentle creamy or oil-based cleanser. I should avoid AHAs, heat, exfoliating scrubs and drying masks, and I should dose myself up with vitamins, particularly Omegas 3, 6 and 9 which are found in oily fish. They have anti inflammatory properties and will help plump up skin, balance hormones and regulate sugar levels.

And so onto the treatment:

The High Definition facial is ideal if you have a big event coming up (and with London Fashion Week looming, this is me). It’s designed to immediately brighten tired skin and give you the sort of glow that will look amazing even under a harsh photographer’s flash. The treatment combines good old fashioned botanical active ingredients with the high performance whizzery of the Omnilux Revive LED Therapy machine and a mild lactic peel.

After cleansing my grubby face thoroughly, Tarryn embarked upon the first step of the facial – a peel using lactic acid. It’s not really a full-on peel (I had panicky visions of Samantha in Sex and the City and her red blistered face) – it’s a gentle, mini version. It tingled, but was over in minutes. This is designed to brighten, exfoliate and hydrate, as well as encouraging the skin to ‘heal’ itself faster so you get more new skin.

The mini-peel is followed by the application of serums and masks which are packed with hyaluronic acid (which sounds scary, but is incredibly good for feeding the skin), peptides, antioxidants, vitamins and proteoglycans to boost results.

Then comes the science bit: my eyes were covered with pads and the Omnilux Revive machine was placed over my face and switched on. What followed felt a little like staring directly into the sun, but after a few seconds I got used to it and it’s not remotely harmful. The benefits of LED light therapy are widely acknowledged by modern medicine – the light is absorbed through cell receptors to increase cell energy and collagen production.

A final slathering of colostrum and the distinctive fast tapping, pinching and knuckling that is the trademark of a Sarah Chapman facial massage and I was done. Glowy and relaxed, but much more than that – with healthy-looking skin and the know-how to keep it going.

The Skinesis High Definition Facial costs £130 for 1 hour. Skinesis Clinic, 106 Draycott Avenue, London SW3 3AE, United Kingdom 020 7589 9585 www.sarahchapman.netsarah chapman, facial,

phoebe frangoul

I’m 27-years-old and normally have quite dry skin. All through my teens my skin was fine; the odd spot but nothing major. However, about four years ago I started to get spots on my cheeks, at my hairline, between my eyebrows, and above my nose. They always take about 10 days to come to the surface, then about two to three weeks to heal. They then scar for six months to a year and are often sore. I don’t wear foundation, only a little concealer on the spots themselves. I use basic moisturiser during the day and some bio oil at night to try to minimise the scarring. On the whole my skin is dry and a little sensitive. Are there any products you can recommend?

Cult Beauty expert Sarah Chapman says:

“My first question would be to ask if you have recently changed your hair care as this can irritate the skin around the hairline. It is also possible that the skin is changing due to hormones, lifestyle or stress. I would suggest addressing many elements:

First of all – diet. Make sure you get a good balanced diet. Supplement it with flaxseed to help the dryness and inflammation, as well daily time release Vitamin C and zinc to help healing. I would recommend trying out the Lamberts range.

Next, always remember not to pick as this will scar and mark the skin. As healing is slow, I would recommend massaging the face at home to stimulate the blood flow and aid drainage. Your skin seems to be sluggish, tired, and in need of pepping up, so, if you can, I would also suggest a few facials to bring it to life.

I would change your cleansing routine to incorporate an oil cleanser (e.g. Skinesis Ultimate Cleanse, Neal’s Yard Organic Wild Rose Beauty Balm, Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm). Massage this thoroughly into the skin to help dissolve pore blockages, as well as stimulate circulation and lymph drainage. This will cleanse effectively without drying your skin, which can also lead to break outs.

It is also extremely important to exfoliate. This lifts off the dry cells which can sit on the surface and block the pathway for sebum to pass out of the pores. This can lead to spots, so we must therefore address the dryness with nourishment and gentle exfoliation. For gentle exfoliation options I like Dermalogica Microfoliant or Darphin Aroma Peel. I would also suggest using a high strength Vitamin A product to help balance the skin, while aiding healing at the same time. We have had some great results on skin that marks and is unbalanced with Skinesis Dynamic Defence Concentrate.”

Although Bio Oil is great stuff, we would question whether this is helping your issues. A healing serum would probably have a better effect because when your skin is dry it usually needs more help than a moisturiser alone can provide. SoPhyto gets the most amazing feedback from our customers for it’s blemish clearing abilities, especially the Polyphenol Drops serum. pH Advantage also do a High Potency Vitamin C Serum and Glycolic Exfoliating Moisturiser, which are packed with everything you need to clear your skin. Finally,  Oxygen Plasma Potion from Ling Skin Care was designed to heal scarring from severe burns suffered in combat (Cameron Diaz and Agyness Deyn use it to keep their spots in check).

Once you have sorted out the big issues,  Australian Bodycare Facial Wash and On the Spot Stick are extremely effective and great value as an ongoing maintenance routine.

If you have a beauty problem you need help with please email experts@cultbeauty.co.uk.

We were excited to learn that Cult Beauty expert and skin care guru Sarah Chapman will be appearing on QVC on Monday to offer tips and advice on all aspects of skin care.

Sarah will be demonstrating how to achieve the signature Skinesis ‘glow’ and launching a limited edition Christmas offer on her Overnight Facial Collection. Tune in and discover why Sarah is the darling of the beauty world, adored by Cult Beauty experts including Jemma Kidd.

QVC Sky channel 640 and Freeview channel 16 – QVC item number 229628.

Once the reserve of botanists and eco-warriors, natural skin care products were dismissed as pots of ineffective gunk. The modern woman scoured stores for high-performance ‘miracle’ creams without questioning the sense in dolloping harsh chemicals onto sensitive skin. But the evolution of beauty means we needn’t settle for a compromise. Cult brand REN offers the missing link in skin care, having developed effective, hi-tech products that avoid the nasty chemicals. Healthy skin is now bottled.

LUCY HALPERIN, make up artist

“I am the biggest fan of REN! The Glycolactic mask is amazing. I live in LA and swear by it as I wear sun block everyday. Using it every week leaves my skin so soft and incredibly clean as it takes away the surface dead skin cells.”

Expert tip: “Leave it on for longer than suggested (unless your face starts to tingle) and it will give you an amazing soft fresh complexion afterwards. I use it once a week for 20 minutes rather than 10.”

SARAH CHAPMAN, facialist

“REN Rose Otto Bath Oil is a little drop of heaven. With its precious rose scent and therapeutic powers it is sheer indulgence, leaving your skin silky smooth and your mind transported to an exotic place. Rose otto is one of the most precious and expensive essential oils used for years in calming and regenerative skin care.”

Expert tip: “Add Rose Otto Bath Oil to your bath and let it emulsify to a milk. Keep your doors and windows shut to trap the delicious scent.”

ANTONY BUCK, REN co-founder

“Often people think they have a skin problem when really they have a sensitivity problem. A lot of people switch to our products and suddenly feel their skin is completely different, because putting chemical products on the skin that it was never designed to have on it can cause irritation. Use quick fix, miracle skin care products which include chemicals like retinol on your skin and you will eventually pay a price.”

Expert tip: “The Frankincense and Boswellia Serrata Revitalising Repair Cream and Omega 3 Overnight Lipid Renewal Serum are both night products that can be experimented with. A good tip is to apply one drop of Omega 3 serum to your face and neck and then apply the Frankincense cream on top and leave on for a night treatment. Alternatively mix a drop of Omega 3 and a pump of Frankincense in the palm of your hand and apply to the face overnight to wake up with healthier looking skin. These treatments are even suitable for oily skin types.”