After months of turning to at-home salon treatments to revive and rejuvenate our tired lockdown skin, we’re finally allowed back into our favourite local clinics. But while those visits were long overdue, that’s not to say we haven’t stopped looking for salon-approved treatments to add to our beauty arsenal that can be done from the comfort of home.
On top of the Her Black Book team’s list of places to visit was Sydney’s The Clinic, founded by Kaye Scott and Lisa Sullivan, who have a reputation for unique treatments that offer up exceptional results. Basically, The Clinic is known for creating a complexion so glowing and radiant you’re guaranteed to leave feeling like a million dollars.
But in between scheduled visits, Scott and Sullivan know that our busy lives often lend themselves to dull and lifeless skin, which is why they took their exceptional clinical backgrounds to create their eponymous skincare brand, Scott + Sullivan.
The pair felt strongly about bringing their ‘less is more’ skincare approach to clean, luxurious products that get back to basics. The philosophy behind everything they create is simple, taking the guesswork out of treatments to provide curated, signature products that use simple yet effective formulas that are paraben-free, preservative-free and contain only the highest cosmeceutical ingredients, which are suitable for all skin types and address all types of skin concerns.
One of their most beloved products is Scott + Sullivan’s The Peel, a gentle yet effective at-home chemical facial exfoliant that mimics The Clinic’s number one in-clinic treatment, the Blueberry Peel.
Here, I put Scott + Sullivan’s The Peel to the test, so you can know everything ahead of trying it for yourself.
Scott + Sullivan’s The Peel is a chemical exfoliant that can be done in the comfort of home, emulating the famed results from The Clinic’s most popular treatment, the Blueberry Peel.
The Peel works to slough away dead skin cells to reveal the soft and smooth texture that lies underneath. Just like the Blueberry Peel, this particular treatment will leave you glowing immediately after, and for the days to follow.
It’s perfect for those looking to bring a little life back into their skin and is suitable for all skin types—including those with oily, congested, combination, dry or sensitive skin.
There are a few key areas The Peel addresses. With its powerful combination of AHAs, including Lactic, Glycolic, Malic, Tartaric and Citric acid, The Peel works to gently and effectively soften and smooth the skin’s texture, while organic aloe works to reduce inflammation and assist with healing to avoid skin irritation, burning and reddening. Its blackish colour also comes from activated charcoal to decongest the skin.
Scott + Sullivan suggest using the peel once a week to exfoliate dead skin cells and remove impurities, to leave behind a silky, healthy complexion. It can also be used in conjunction with your salon treatments to prolong the life of your in-salon results.
The Peel comes in a set of three, easy-to-use syringes, and they might look small, but trust me, a little bit goes a long way. It’s suggested one syringe contains up to two treatments, and you can space it out as much as you want.
While I personally planned to apply my peel after my nightly shower and just before bed, one reviewer on the Scott + Sullivan site suggested adding the peel to a weekly bath, which honestly sounds like heaven, so there are really no rules when it comes to how and when you want to apply it. Just use it as a time to take a moment for yourself.
This mask isn’t at all what I thought it would be, while it’s a chemical exfoliant it still does contain granules that work like a physical one, using jojoba beads to buff away dead skin cells as you massage it into the skin—which Scott + Sullivan suggest doing for a minute before leaving it to rest for 10 - 15 minutes.
It’s incredibly lightweight and refreshing, and while it did leave a slight tingle within the first few minutes of application, that slowly subsided as I left it to work its magic. I also found The Peel much easier than most masks that I’ve previously tried out, with the syringe not only meaning it could be applied easily and efficiently (without the use of a mask applicator), but it meant I could quickly stash it back away in the cabinet without taking up all that unnecessary space and dealing with a hefty clean up.
A note, when cleaning off The Peel, really make sure to give your face a good rinse with cold water, getting all of it off before applying your serum and Scott + Sullivan’s The Moisturiser, that way you’ll really be getting a super refreshed and clean finish. It also doesn’t require much effort for it to be taken off, which I have found with some masks that end up leaving you scratching at your skin to wash it off.
For those that love pampering themselves with treatments at home, Scott + Sullivan’s The Peel really can’t be overlooked. It honestly left my skin feeling brand new, fresh and smooth to the touch.
This article was brought to you by Her Black Book for The Clinic.
