Q & A With Beauty Guru Alexandra Soveral
Alexandra Soveral is just amazing. I have been having facials at her beauty studio in London for the last few months and I can, hand on heart say they have changed my skin tone and face shape for the better. Less water retention and clogged pores, more vibrancy and defined cheekbones! And that’s only after a few sessions.
The treatments are relaxing, sublime, super beneficial and completely holistic favouring a massage technique which has been especially devised to help clear sinus congestion and relax facial muscles – it’s basically like a work out for the face. The products used are so clean that you can practically eat them and are of course all Alexandra’s own range. I haven’t left a session yet without leaving with one of the goodies on offer. My current favourites being the face skin brushes, which I now use religiously and the Angel Balm to take my make up off, it’s honestly like cleansing with velvet.
Alexandra is not only a skin expert with an incredible product range but an aromatherapist too. She really is the queen of essences and knows everything there is to know about essential oils, so much so that she has just formulated a range with celebrity hairdresser Daniel Galvin Jnr for the Royal Highgrove signature collection. Her knowledge is infinite and it really shows in her product range, there is a certain tenacity you don’t find with other brands. Its refreshingly expert with no frills. It is just so appealing to me, with a world full of wonder creams promising the world and delivering very little. All her products are anti inflammatory, with no parabens, hand blended in London and organic… THE DREAM
After reading this interview if you want to book in, her cosy space is in Maida Vale, West London and further a field she has just collaborated with the Four Seasons hotel in New York to bring her facials to Manhattan so if you’re in the big Apple be sure to try her treatments too.
Enjoy her Q & A on how to get the best skin out there xx
Breakout or bust – what do you advise to do if you have a breakout before a big event?
The very worst thing you can do is to attempt to squeeze the spots, this is only going to further inflame the skin. As soon as the breakout appears do the following:
– Cleanse the breakout area with a solution of 1 part cider vinegar and 1 part filtered water.
– Apply a blend of neat lavender and tea tree essential oils directly to the spots. Pour a drop of each oil onto a cotton bud and gently apply directly onto the spot. Without applying any pressure, hold the cotton bud on the top of each spot for 10 seconds. Then refrain from touching the area.
– Have as much rest as possible.
When the time comes to get ready for the event, before moisturising the skin or applying make-up, apply a cold compress onto the area: Add a few ice cubes to a bowl of filtered water. Damp a face flannel in it and rinse off excess water. Gently place the face cloth over the affected area for 10 minutes. This will reduce inflammation and therefore redness.
I often suffer from water retention and bloating around my face – how is best to combat that? What would you suggest to do?
Paying attention to diet and getting enough sleep is essential. Apart from that, doing a daily dry face brushing routine will help encourage the excess lymph to drain. My face brushes come with full instructions on how to do this.
Fine lines and wrinkles – the million dollar question. How do we banish them?
Face massage, plus face massage and then a bit more massage! The daily manipulation of the skin and its underlying tissues will make the skin more malleable, soften fines lines and wrinkles. Apart from that the obvious culprits that encourage wrinkles to form in the first place should be avoided: too much sun, cigarettes, not enough fats in the diet and allowing the skin to become dry.
Your products are amazing. I’m a convert. Which is your hero product and why?
Angel Balm is much loved by all my clients and is our bestselling product.
It’s a multi-task product that soothes the skin whilst bringing life back to it. Made with oils that are rich in vital vitamins and fatty acids it feeds the skin as well as protecting it. It words as a deep pore cleanser as well as a nourishing mask.
Holistic is key within your work. Why do you prefer this over cosmetic?
For good health. There cannot be beauty without health and the holistic way is the only way to truly ensure that. I’m not against cosmetic procedures but I believe they should be taken seriously, not overdone and in conjunction with an holistic health approach.
Who do you think in the public eye has the best skin and why?
The Queen has wonderfully well looked after skin that has aged beautifully.
Is water really the key to everything when in comes to skin care. Is hydration THE word?
Water is great but we need to ensure it stays on the skin and does not evaporate into the air around us. Therefore a good moisturiser in dry environments is a must. Dry skin creates the perfect environment for lines to settle into permanent wrinkles.
I know there is not a quick fix for great looking skin but please share a few tips on how you get the best skin in the least possible time?
Good skin is a long term investment, it’s impossible to get with a few tricks here and there. The accumulation of the benefits of a good daily massage, ensuring it is always well nourished and moisturised, a healthy diet and appropriate sleep is what results in good skin. If you want to fast-track and have a sound starting platform to then build on, try a Soveral Signature Face Treatment that will detoxify and tone the skin, giving you a head start into your new life!
Five words to help get my readers glow on?
Sleep, Nutrition, Relax, Massage, Moisturise
Desert island beauty product?
Angel Balm. I would cleanse and moisturise with it. Use it to soften the ends of my hair that surely with the sun would dry out, sometimes I would mix it with salt or mud to create a scrub for the face and body. It would also help me with rashes, insect bites and if ever I felt a little down I would just smell it and the geranium essential oil would comfort me.