MEET VICKY SPRATT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST, AUTHOR, AND ONE OF THE MOST TRUSTED VOICES CHRONICLING BRITAIN TODAY.
HER JOURNALISM HAS CHANGED LAWS AND SHAPED POLICY. SHE IS COLUMNIST AND HOUSING CORRESPONDENT AT THE I PAPER, WHERE HER WORK HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR A BRITISH JOURNALISM AWARD AND SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE THREE YEARS IN A ROW. SHE HAS PRESENTED DOCUMENTARIES FOR RADIO 4 AND A PODCAST SERIES FOR THE REST IS POLITICS.
HER FIRST BOOK, TENANTS, WAS PUBLISHED BY PROFILE IN 2022. HER SECOND, WE WERE PROMISED THE MOON, ARRIVES VIA 4TH ESTATE IN 2027, AND SHE HAS A COMEDY-DRAMA TV SERIES IN DEVELOPMENT.
FIND HER IN WESTMINSTER GRILLING MINISTERS, ON A TRAIN TO ONE OF THE UK'S MANY TOWNS AND CITIES FINDING OUT WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON FOR PEOPLE THERE, OR ASLEEP ON OUR TREATMENT BED MID-CONVERSATION ABOUT PEPTIDES.
SCS: THERE IS A TENSION A LOT OF THOUGHTFUL WOMEN SIT WITH, BETWEEN CARING DEEPLY ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL, OFTEN GRAVE ISSUES OF OUR TIME AND THE VERY REAL PLEASURE OF A SKINCARE RITUAL OR A TREATMENT. HOW DO YOU SIT WITH THAT TENSION?
VS: My job can be really confronting. I grew up knowing what financial instability felt like and how it can affect a family, and so often, when I am travelling and reporting on the problems we face today, I meet people in situations where precarity defines their lives. I also sit alongside our decision-makers, politicians in Westminster, while they design policy that will impact those who have the least profoundly. And yet, I am lucky enough to know security today. There was a period where I felt guilty about that, but today, I have found a balance. I have realised that I am only effective as a journalist, a role I effectively see as a witness to society, if I look after myself. The ritual of facials and massages has become an important part of that process for me. Not least because they are a space where I am not on my phone and, therefore, able to meditate and process my thoughts.
SCS: YOU HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY, THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE, WHAT YOU EAT, HOW YOUR SKIN RESPONDS. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU HAVE KEPT DOING BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY CHANGED SOMETHING?
VS: Yoga! Yoga has changed everything for me. I have very bad endometriosis, and for years I tried punishing diets and exercise to control my fluctuating skin, hormones and weight. I operate at 100 miles an hour professionally. As a friend said recently, "you do more in a day than most people do in a week", and I don't think she meant that as a compliment! Yoga was the opposite of those punitive exercise classes and diets. It is about slow and intentional movements and, often, even staying still. Not only has yoga made me incredibly strong, but it has also calmed my entire body down, and now I approach it as part of my pain management for endometriosis as well as my exercise. I'd love to tell you that I also follow an anti-inflammatory diet conscientiously, but, honestly, I'd be lying! It's good to have something to aspire to, though.
SCS: WHAT IS THE THING ABOUT WOMEN, AGEING, AND BEAUTY YOU MOST WANT TO DISMANTLE, AND THE THING YOU FIND YOU CANNOT QUITE LET GO OF YOURSELF?
VS: Growing up in the 90s and 00s, as I did, has meant having to unlearn much. At a horribly young age, I internalised the idea that showing signs of ageing was bad and that "anti-ageing" products were to be purchased and used as quickly as possible. Women's magazines, then, presented us with impossible ideals and concealed the means by which they were achieved: photoshopping, airbrushing and using teenagers in advertising campaigns. Much has changed since then. For the better. And yet, on some level I still struggle to embrace what I know to be true: that beauty is not the pursuit of perfection but, rather, the embrace of imperfection. Every day, I try to allow myself to be imperfect and, more than that, push myself to present my imperfections because in a society that still worships youth at the expense of knowledge and experience, we must find a way to truly understand and, more importantly, accept that ageing is an enormous privilege. Ageing is also a resource, a rich well of wisdom, from which we can all learn.
SCS: WHAT GIVES YOU GOOSEBUMPS?
VS: Swimming in the sea. It never gets old. The moment when the water hits your skin. The feeling of being embraced by an enormous body of water which will carry you if you stop moving. It feels like freedom to me. It also reminds me of the sheer scale and power of nature.
SCS: IF YOU MAPPED YOUR SKINCARE HISTORY ONTO THE SAME INSTINCTS THAT SHAPE YOUR WRITING, WHAT WOULD THE THROUGHLINE BE?
VS: I approach skincare with the same philosophy that I approach everything in life: as a sceptic and not as a cynic. I am always aware that there is an entire industry geared towards selling women products that we may not actually need. So, I am interested in evidence-backed treatments which have been proven to work. That is one thing I love about coming to Salon C Stellar: I know and trust the team; I can fall asleep in the treatment bed while we discuss the merits of peptides!
VICKY'S GO TO TREATMENT: THE BEST FACIAL
Her treatment of choice with us is The Best Facial, with microneedling several times a year for good measure. In her words, the perfect skin maintenance, and it has seen her through adult acne, dryness and a schedule that would flatten most of us.
The Best Facial is exactly what it says it is: our signature, fully bespoke facial built around whatever your skin is doing that week. Deep cleansing, expert extractions, targeted actives and a proper dose of calm, all mapped to you on the day. It is skin maintenance for people who do more in a day than most do in a week, and the only appointment where falling asleep mid-conversation about peptides is actively encouraged.
VICKY'S GO TO SKINCARE
Vicky approaches skincare with the same mindset she brings to everything else: as a sceptic, not a cynic. She is interested only in products that are evidence-backed, thoughtfully formulated and proven to work. Her routine is simple, intentional and centred on supporting the skin's microbiome.
At the heart of it is ESSE Probiotic Serum, the world's first live probiotic serum and still the benchmark. Every millilitre delivers one billion live probiotic microbes directly to the skin, where they strengthen the barrier, improve firmness and soften the appearance of fine lines. This is microbiome science in its purest form: living microbes working in partnership with your skin. Beautifully simple and exceptionally effective.
Throughout the day, she reaches for ESSE Probiotic Mist, a hydrating mist that calms, rebalances and replenishes moisture while supporting the skin's microbiome. Kept on a desk, in a handbag or on the train, one spritz leaves skin feeling soothed, refreshed and more resilient.
To finish, ESSE Light Moisturiser delivers lasting hydration without unnecessary weight. Fast absorbing and breathable, it is ideal for combination skin, warmer weather or anyone who prefers skincare that feels effortless. Prebiotic nutrients nourish beneficial microbes, helping maintain a healthy skin barrier while leaving skin balanced, comfortable and naturally luminous.