This Months Beauty Expert Louise Perry, The Sanctuary Spa

Ever wondered who's behind the latest must-have skin care and body products? We steal some time with Louise Perry, the woman tasked with creating The Sanctuary Spa's gorgeous skin care and spa products.

Louise Perry, Senior Product Manager at The Sanctuary lives and breathes pampering products. Having been responsible for The Sanctuary's first line of skin care products and its results-driven Professional Body range, which launched last year, she's got her finger truly on the pulse of all things beauty – which makes her perfectly qualified to be this month's beauty expert.

How did you end up working in the beauty industry?

Luck had a lot to do with it. I did a placement year at university with a small company in London that managed brands and developed their own products for the Cosmetic and Toiletries market, and ever since then I have been hooked. As with any job I think you have to have a real passion for what you do, and what girl wouldn't love to be surrounded by all things pampering? I have some very jealous friends!

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Knowing that so many people love and use the products I develop. I eat, sleep and breathe these products for months as I'm developing them, but there is nothing better than when you go into someone's bathroom and they have a Sanctuary Salt Scrub or Body Wash on the shelf – it's a real 'I did that' moment.

How do you go about developing new products for The Sanctuary?

I can honestly say it is different every time. I think that is what enables us to be so flexible and still give women what they want after all these years. We use the guests at our spa as a big inspiration; with 64,000 women coming through our doors every year you can pick up a lot of feedback. Our therapists are also a great sounding board for new ideas; they have the knowledge of which textures work best on the skin and also what are the most common issues women want help with. After that it's about pulling together all the parts that make a product; ingredients, fragrance, packaging, design (all the fun bits) and then testing it with people to make sure it works.

What beauty products won't you leave the house without and why?

The Sanctuary Spa Professional Hand Cream SPF 15. I'm obsessed with ensuring that my hands stay soft and smooth. They say you can tell the true age of a woman by her hands not her face and I'm working hard to make sure mine don't give me away!

What's your all-time best ever insider beauty tip?

I've heard so many over the years it is difficult to pick one; of course drinking lots of water helps a multitude of beauty issues, but when talking about products I have one phrase: 'the best products can't work on the shelf'. So many women buy things with an intention to improve themselves in some way but in reality they don't use them consistently and give up and move onto to the next thing before they have really given anything a chance to work. Remember the cells in our skin turnover every 28 days, so unless you use something regularly for at least that period of time you won't see the benefit underneath. There must be so many bathroom cabinets filled with half opened pots and potions; be ruthless and clear out. Keep your beauty routine simple and you are much more likely to stick to it and therefore see the results.

The Sanctuary's famous for its spa. Have you any tips on creating a home spa experience?

The whole reason for our product range is to enable women everywhere to take a little bit of the spa home with them and indulge in a bit of 'me time'. Pampering shouldn't be a hassle; with just a little thought you can enjoy a touch of 'spa experience' quickly and easily. Run a bubble bath and create a relaxing atmosphere with fragranced candles and soft music, scatter a few flower petals on the water and make sure you have warm, fluffy towels to wrap yourself up in afterwards. If you only have a few minutes, spoil yourself with a luxury moisturising shower cream and apply over the body with a buffing mitt; this exfoliates and cleanses the body whilst really boosting circulation and leaves you feeling refreshed and glowing.

What role does aromatherapy play in boosting mood and ambience?

The sense of smell is extremely powerful and can instantly create connections in the mind with people, places or emotions. For The Sanctuary Spa, our 'classic' fragrance is one of the main things people tell us is what attracted them to the products. It's also reminiscent of our spa and a big part of the experience if you are able to enjoy a day with us. Our classic fragrance is a calming blend of essential oils and extracts and automatically creates an atmosphere for relaxation, but I have also developed citrus based fragrances for products that invigorate and warmer, spicy blends to stimulate and cocoon the skin. Due to the popularity of our fragrances, we have just launched a beautiful range of The Sanctuary Spa Eau de Toilettes.

What skin care items should every woman own and why?

In the spa industry the benefits of facial oils are well known and understood, but few women I speak to on a daily basis really understand the benefits of them or how they work. People assume oil means greasy skin, so have a negative impression of them, but actually oils developed for the face are suitable for all ages and all skin types. In fact, if you have oily skin they are even better for you as they help to regulate the natural oil production in your skin; your skin feels hydrated so it doesn't feel the need to keep producing oil. For dry skin it gives an instant moisture boost, helping to keep skin supple and smooth – it really is an all round skin-saver! If I could spread the word about one product it would be The Sanctuary Spa Radiance Boosting Facial Oil.

What's your most-asked beauty question?

Women have increasingly little time so they are looking for 'quick-fixes' and are forever asking "If I have five minutes, what should I do that will make the biggest difference?" The answer, as any good therapist will tell you, is to regularly exfoliate your body. A few minutes exfoliating not only smoothes out uneven texture and bumps, it boosts circulation, helps to firm and tone skin, it opens pores and gets rid of all your dead skin cells, so any moisturiser you put on afterwards is absorbed much more effectively and doesn't just sit on the surface of the skin. So if you have five minutes reach for the scrub...

What's your greatest anti-ageing tip?

Easy - wear an SPF. The sun is the single most damaging thing for the skin. There are some amazing ingredients and technology now available in skincare that really can help turn back the clock, but no matter what age you are, whether you are looking for prevention or cure, you should always, always, always wear a good moisturiser with sun protection.

Read More Like This:
Expert of the Month: Zoe Irwin
Expert of the Month: Val Garland
Back to Basics: Exfoliating Your Body
Beauty Rules: Oils
Face Masks: The New Problem Solvers
Bathroom Beauty: Get a Luxury Shower Experience

Related Categories:
The Sanctuary
Indulgent Bath & Body
Skincare
Hand & Nail
Hands, Nails & Feet
Bath & Shower
Body Moisturisers
Body Scrubs & Exfoliators
Massage
Anti-ageing
Moisturisers
Facial Exfoliators
Treatments & Masks