Join Us As We Talk Luxury Skincare With Sarah Chapman, The Sought-After Celebrity Facialist
Catching up with Sarah Chapman in a Face the Future exclusive interview, we discovered the inspiration behind the celebrity endorsed luxury skincare range, learning more about the pioneering treatments and innovative formulas that set Sarah Chapman skincare apart from others in the beauty industry. Chatting about everything from Sarahās own skincare routine, to how technology is shaping the world of skincare, we loved Sarahās specialist approach to keeping your skin healthy, safe, youthful and glowing.
A renowned British facialist and skincare entrepreneur, Sarah Chapman is revered for her luxurious, results-driven skincare, rapidly gaining popularity amongst celebrities and skincare enthusiasts alike for the innovative and transformative range.
Talking with Sarah we found out more about the Sarah Chapman Skinesis collection, learning about the process behind creating much-loved products like Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial and Sarah Chapman Skinesis The Facialift. Excited to learn more? Letās meet Sarah!
How did your interest in skincare begin and what inspired you to pursue a career as a facialist?
"From a young age I was experimenting with skincare and make-up, and as a teen could often be found melting waxes and oils to create balms and skin treatments in my parentās kitchen.Ā
My first move into the industry was training as a makeup artist in fashion and special effects. My fascination with skincare evolved from this, recognising that great skin made the best canvas for makeup and, with healthy, well moisturised, clear skin, less makeup was needed to achieve a flawless look.
Subsequently, beauty therapy, aromatherapy, hairdressing and massage training gave me the ability to take a 360Ā° view of skincare and wellness and further developed my interests. I learnt the intricacies of product formulation while studying cosmetic science, which has been invaluable in my product development and communication with chemists.
My obsession with skincare grew while working for different skincare companies and my facialist work happened by accident. Ā I agreed to help out a friend of mine and look after a handful of her clients when she moved to Australia, they spread the word and my client base grew very quickly by word of mouth. From this beauty and magazine editors started to come and my first features were written.Ā
I took my first rooms in Chelsea and my first client was international royalty, so the builder's deadlines were very strict!Ā Over the years I have had continuous support from these original clients, celebrities, and the press, so moved to our 4000 square foot clinic in 2015 with 250 people on our waiting list.Ā I continue to treat clients alongside my amazing team of facialists, dermatologists, and Doctors, offering the best solutions to skin health longevity."
What sets your skincare philosophy apart from others in the industry?
"Having my own Clinic, where we perform around 15,000 treatments each year gives me and my team invaluable insights for developing products ā this is the basis of my āFace To Formulaā approach. Instead of looking at ātrendsā, we look at faces, using that in-clinic experience and data to create the best technical devices and products for real skin."
You're known for pioneering treatments and skincare formulas. Can you tell us about the research and development process behind your innovative techniques and products?
"I have an unwavering drive for perfection and attention to detail and this approach is taken in every product we create. When undertaking the development of any new product, the most important thing I strive to achieve is irrefutableĀ efficacy. The final formula has to work ā not only for the integrity of the brand but because it will be used at a clinical level. My entire range is designed as an extension of my Clinicās facials and treatments, helping clinic clients maintain results in between appointments while elevating the at-home skincare of all our other customers. It is essential the products provide real skin-transforming results and long-term skin health.
A new idea generally comes from something we see in the clinic and discussions we have with our clients and community. When creating a new formula, I consider the skin and all the layers and physiology and issues I want to target.Ā We then globally source and research active ingredients to fulfil all of the skinās needs, not just a single focus, which is why sometimes there are as many as 18 actives in a single product. These must be carefully calibrated to ensure we have synergistic actives that complement each other, not interfere with performance for the best results. Our in-house scientific team works with me to do all the preliminary research and formula planning, then we select our laboratory of expertise for the specific development, combining their skills and knowledge with ours.
The overall experience in product usage is also extremely important to me and something I refuse to compromise on, the products must feel good, smell good, work in harmony with other products, and perform exceptionally. We work relentlessly to effectively combine cutting-edge technology and science with luxury ā think exquisite textures, fragrances and experience. Technical skincare can also be pleasurable.
When you are juggling multiple active ingredients at a time and combining them with advanced technology, there is a delicate balance to maintaining the perfect equilibrium. We are formula-first and non-compromising, yet also leading in innovation, this means it can take years to achieve the right formulation. My latest range, for instance, was more than three years in the making, but it was 100% worth it just for the amazing clinical result data weāve received, the customer feedback we are getting, and the three awards it won in the first four months.
It isnāt just about the product itself though, a great deal of care and attention is also put into the overall look of a product. For my latest clinic range, I wanted to make the move to recyclable packaging while maintaining our signature airless pumps, the best to protect products from light damage and keep air-sensitive ingredients such as vitamin C fresh for maximum potency with every use.
My belief is you should feel proud and special when you use your skincare, the element of experience and well-being should not be underrated and the journey to great skin and confidence should be pleasurable at every touchpoint."
Your client list is impressive! How has working with celebrities influenced your approach to skincare and treatment development?
"Treating celebrities was purely by the power of word of mouth. Maintaining discretion at all times has been key to treating some of the biggest names in the world, there are still many people that I never mention and I respect and protect their privacy. Weāve been really fortunate with our amazing clients, and not just the celebrities ā weāve had so many incredible, inspirational people through our doors. Clients come in to look and feel good, and my team and I strive to exceed their expectations and deliver results. We focus on all clients in the same way but often will need to do a facial pre-red carpet, photo shoot, event, or wedding, so in these cases, we will target our treatments specifically for optimum results for the event."
What is your own essential daily skincare routine?
"I always follow the same steps: cleanse, treat (serums), and moisturise, plus SPF in the daytime, but I am lucky to have the whole range in my bathroom cabinet so I can tailor my routine depending on my skin concerns.
This summer, Iāve been using my new Sarah Chapman Vitamin C Power 1 vitamin C serum in the morning. Supercharged with 2 forms of vitamin C, as well as tranexamic acid and niacinamide, itās excellent for brightening and giving skin a lit-from-within glow. I like to pair it with my Digital Shield day cream and Skin Insurance SPF 50 tinted, but will always also use Dynamic Defence Concentrate and Age repair Concentrate which I have been using for 15 years ( I donāt mind layering!) and not to forget Eye Recovery, am and pm.
At night, I focus on regeneration and recovery, as our skin shifts from defence mode to repair mode while we sleep. After cleansing my skin with Ultimate Cleanse (another OG), I apply my A1 vitamin A serum, which is formulated with both Retinol and Retinal to speed up the skinās cellular renewal and encourage it to produce more collagen and elastin. I follow it with my Platinum Pepāø Stem Cell Serum or Stem Cell Collagen Activator for further plumping and hydration and complete the routine with my cult elixir Overnight Facial ā the first product I ever created and a forever favourite and skin transformer, there is reason it has been our number one for 15 years!"
There is a wealth of skincare ingredients available ā which do you consider essential for healthy skin, and why?
Ā
"Vitamin A (retinoid) is my top ingredient for keeping skin healthy, smooth and clear. It stimulates cell renewal, which pushes fresh, younger-looking cells to the surface faster.Ā This improves lines, texture and various skin issues. If youāre new to vitamin A, you could start with a more gentle form like retinyl palmitate (which youāll find in my Overnight Facial elixir and Dynamic Defence) or for dramatic results, try retinaldehyde ā this is the most potent, fastest-acting cosmetic-grade form of vitamin A. You can find this in my A1 serum, as well as my Icon Day and Icon Night moisturisers.
Antioxidants are excellent for protecting against environmental damage such as pollution. My top one would be vitamin C ā the key active in my new C1 serum. When applied topically, vitamin C is one of the most potent antioxidants available. Vitamin C helps counteract the effects of oxidative stress and free radicals released by pollution, toxins, damage, and stress, which can break down collagen and encourage wrinkles and sagging. It also neutralises damaging molecules, aiding your skinās natural regeneration process and reducing the appearance of fine lines. Moreover, vitamin C is a powerful brightening agent that works to fade brown spots and pigmentation ā it stops the biochemical reactions that cause uneven pigmentation in the first place, in turn, brightening and clarifying your skin.
Peptides, which are amino acids that act like messengers, triggering certain processes in the skin. I formulate with peptides in many of my products, including my Platinum Pep8 Stem Cell Serum, which contains a cocktail of eight powerful peptides blended with rejuvenating plant stem cells and plumping hyaluronic acid to supercharge skinās firmness, radiance and overall health, but you will find these throughout the range.
Hyaluronic Acid is another great ingredient. Holding 1,000 times its weight in water, it locks onto moisture to instantly plump the skin, minimising the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and restoring a dewy and youthful glow.Ā We focus on different molecular weight versions for optimum efficacy."
How do you see technology impacting the future of our skincare, and are there any specific technologies you're excited about?
"Already popular with my clients, I expect high-tech facials will become more and more advanced as pioneering procedures enable us to achieve greater results. My clinical facials utilise the latest technology, from lasers, radio frequency, micro needling, and LED which combined with our signature massage, gives the best results. In our medical suite, we offer some of the most efficacious treatments, such as Morpheus8, Ultherapy and more which require a little bit of discomfort and downtime. Increasingly the client is becoming more aware and less afraid of technologies and injectables however this needs to be carefully managed to ensure we preserve the skin integrity.
When it comes to product development, Iām most excited to see advancements in biotechnology and biomimetics ā there is an increasing amount of innovation in this area and itās a great opportunity for brands to deliver more personalised and responsibly designed formulations that are very effective. For my new Clinic range, for instance, weāve used biomimetic encapsulation (our deep delivery system) to deliver more functional actives to the skin without having to increase their concentration in the formula. On top of that, weāve applied a biomimetic lamellar emulsion to every product; it essentially mimics your skinās natural structure, allowing greater absorption and compatibility ā as a result, the skin barrier is reinforced with application, not disrupted."
Sustainability is increasingly important in the beauty industry. How does your brand approach eco-friendly practices and packaging?
"As you know, sustainability is a journey, not an overnight transformation. In the last few years, weāve taken important steps to become a more eco-friendly business, which weāre extremely proud of. For instance, our latest range features 100% recyclable packaging that doesnāt compromise the safety and potency of the formulas housed within, which is most important to us. It may sound like a simple change, but it was anything but. Finding the right solution took a long time and we tested many, many samples. Weāre continuing to introduce more eco-conscious practices, but we want to get them right, and this takes time. After all, a lot of popular āsustainableā practices turn out to do more harm than good upon closer inspection, with production impact outweighing their environmental benefits. This is another reason why Iām looking forward to seeing new biotech solutions that help create a more sustainable supply chain. On a simple level, we offer a terracycle recycling drop off in our clinic for customers."
What advice would you give to our customers looking to improve their skin health?
"A consistent routine brings the best results, and it is usually recommended to allow a month to detect change and results. Changing too much, and too frequently, can lead to damage; your skin needs to be allowed sufficient time to react and respond to the active ingredients. With the overuse of products, your skinās acid mantle, its first line of defence, is compromised. I regularly see clients who have always believed that they have sensitive skin, when the reality is they have just overused exfoliating products and damaged their skin barrier. Overstimulation and use of incorrect products for your skin will lead to impaired acid mantles and poor skin defences. Think about your skin not a trend you have seen."
How do you personally practice self-care and prioritise your well-being?
"When I wake, I roll out my yoga mat and do some sun salutations and stretches to loosen up the body and mind for the day. A few simple stretches or yoga moves are also ideal if you are feeling any tension, encouraging blood flow and relaxation. Depending on how I feel I will do this with silence, meditation music, or Peleton vibes!Ā I try to balance a very busy working week with relaxation, walks, listening to podcasts and a good night's sleep. I have recently got an Oura ring and am monitoring my sleep patterns, heart rate, and stress levels and am always very aware of how I feel and when I am reaching a low exhaustion point, allowing myself to take a break and put things aside, whether for a few hours or days. I think this is important for long-term ability and wellbeing. I take daily supplements and focus on good gut health with diet where I can."
Shop Sarah Chapman
Loved learning all about Sarah Chapman and want to know more? Head to our latest blog post, Sarah Chapman Luxury Skincare: Backed By Science, Blended With Botanicals, where we delve deeper into the science beind Sarah Chapmanās transformative skincare range.
