When you think of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, you probably think of her trademark healthy, glowing complexion. And that signature radiant skin might be one step closer to us mere mortals, too, as her facialist, Sarah Chapman, has recently revealed the top treatments that the Duchess is said to love.
On an episode of the Breaking Beauty Podcast that aired on May 3, 2023, podcast hosts Carlene and Jill chatted to London’s most sought-after facialist about the upcoming Coronation and the types of treatments Meghan loved on the run-up to her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 and the Queen’s Jubilee last year.
Chapman is also the preferred facialist for celebs like Anne Hathaway, Jessica Alba and Victoria Beckham, and has her own skincare line, Skinesis.
Her A-list clientele has led to her working with Meghan, and the two have become close over the years. “I’ve been fortunate to know Meghan for several years now,” she says, “and have always found her warm, funny, compassionate and appreciative – I always look forward to seeing her.”
Here are the treatments and techniques she loves to use on Meghan to achieve radiance and glow that you can try at home…
Give skin a good massage
Chapman prides herself on her unique massage technique that she’s developed over the years, coined ‘facial gymnastics’. “What we do in a treatment is a complex massage; it’s really different to any other massage. There’s Japanese massage techniques in there, there’s really old-fashioned French techniques, there’s some drainage, deep muscle work…
“There’s lots of layering of techniques, movement and manipulation. It goes from very light lymphatic drainage to deep muscle work.”
What does all this massaging do for the skin? “It’s really face lifting,” she says. “You see the results for a few days after with a really dewy, plump finish.”
Hydrating infusions
And what about what to put on the skin? “My first tip would be to create a solid regime that infuses skin with health-boosting vitamins, anti-oxidants, peptides and omegas,” explains Chapman.
Nail your cleanse
Cleansing the skin properly and using hydrating products is key, says Chapman: “I like to cleanse with balmy formulas because they have enough slip that I can comfortably do an intense massage.”
Use your fingers
Sarah has four or five different face tools in her range, but she says you can’t beat getting stuck in with your fingers and knuckles: “I’m a big one for using your knuckles [on your skin].
“Take your hand in a loose fist and drum the skin softly and work from the centre out to the lymph nodes. You can really knead into the muscles.”
Get some colour into your cheeks
Chapman’s intense massage technique is all about energising the skin and getting the blood flowing: “Another thing you can do is pinch your skin as you get a little bit of muscle release and you’re boosting blood flow.
“You normally don’t want redness because that’s linked with inflammation, but with massage you want the redness because that means the blood’s pumping into the area and feeding it with oxygen.”