Interview

Talking to… Joanne Evans

The skin health expert, celebrity facialist and founder of Skin Matters tells Eve Oxberry why trust, curiosity and hands-on care beat social media hype, and how staying true to core expertise builds a decades-long career

With over 35 years of experience in the beauty industry, Joanne Evans is one of the sector’s most respected skin specialists. Combining advanced technology with bespoke hands-on care, the founder of London clinic Skin Matters has built a career defined by deep client trust and an enviable celebrity following.

For skin specialists, gaining widespread recognition can be harder than for hair professionals, whose work is immediately visual. Yet Evans believes the path to establishing a solid reputation has little to do with self-promotion and everything to do with client experience.

“What we do is behind closed doors,” she says. “It’s always been about trust, curiosity and education. Once you have the trust of a client, they talk. Word of mouth is our biggest PR.”

Pioneering bespoke skin health

That conviction stems from a career built on breaking traditional rules – 25 years ago, after being made redundant from a spa management role, Evans took a gamble that was virtually unheard of at the time: setting up a joint practice with a doctor inside the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington.

“At the time, you’d go to one place for a relaxing facial massage, and then head to Harley Street for lasers,” Evans explains. “I never understood why they were kept separate. I brought it all together to create bespoke treatments tailored to each individual. No two skins are identical – your dry skin isn’t the same as your friend's dry skin. Treating everyone with a fixed routine just doesn’t make sense.”

Operating in central London brought high-profile figures, journalists, and actors through her doors with client recommendations leading to stars such as Joely Richardson booking in.

The reality of treating A-listers

However, while many therapists dream of an A-list client list, Evans is quick to dismantle the glamour surrounding red-carpet work.

“They operate in a whole different world,” she says. “They work extreme hours, they’re shattered from six months on set, and you’re called out to studios or asked to show up at 6am. You have to ask yourself, do you say no to Angelina Jolie because she wants an appointment at 6am? Where do you set your benchmarks?”

“I ’ d rather a client leave and go elsewhere than perform a treatment they are pushing me to do. You ’ re the expert – that ’ s why they're coming to you– so if they are telling you what to do, then you ’ re not right for each other”

Far from having flawless complexions, Evans reveals that high-profile clients often carry intense insecurities, amplified by being on camera.

“Skin is skin, and they have the exact same acne scarring, pigmentation, and frustrations as anyone else, except theirs is multiplied a thousand times on HD,” she explains. “They are under immense pressure, and they’ll have crew, hairdressers, and makeup artists whispering in their ears, telling them to try this or that. On your couch, they are incredibly vulnerable.”

Crucially, Evans refuses to bend her clinical principles for a quick red-carpet fix. “You have to be very gentle but firm. They might want a quick fix right before a shoot, but you can’t do it – your reputation is on the line if they end up on camera with welts or spots because of something you did.”

Calling out industry delusions

That uncompromising stance extends to how Evans views modern skincare trends. She believes the industry is currently caught in a cycle of over-treating and over-promising, leaving clients’ skin barriers destroyed.

“We’re in a bit of a delusional industry at the moment where there is so much choice,” she says. “Everyone’s trying to be a jack of all trades, but you don’t need to buy every machine or offer everything. People are over-exfoliating, using 10 steps, doing daily liquid peels, and over-stripping their skin. Some of the damage being created underneath the skin is practically scarring.”

While she embraces technologies such as LED light therapy, infrared and microneedling, Evans avoids aggressive treatments that compromise skin integrity.

“I’m really cautious about heavy CO2 lasers that strip the skin barrier,” she notes. “Once you damage or strip that barrier, it takes a year for it to recover. People want instant gratification, but we aren’t about that. I tell clients ‘no’ all the time. I’d rather a client leave and go elsewhere than perform a treatment they are pushing me to do. You’re the expert, that’s why they’re coming to you – so if they are telling you what to do, you’re not right for each other.”

Instead, her approach leans heavily on stripping routines back to basics. “Sometimes I take everything away,” she says. “I tell them to stop cleansing in the morning, give them one serum and an SPF, and tell them we’ll re-evaluate in a month. Simplicity will not fail you.”

Knowing your worth

For therapists navigating an over-saturated market, Evans’s advice is to ignore online numbers and focus strictly on clinical standards and self-belief.

“Don’t believe in social media numbers,” she urges. “There are people out there with millions of followers whose diaries are completely dead. Believe in your own numbers instead.”

She also acknowledges the business reality that many gifted therapists struggle with running a commercial practice. “We’re not taught accounting, HR, or marketing at college,” she says.

“You can be a great therapist but terrible at managing people or running a business. Accept your weaknesses and bring in team members who have the strengths you lack. Don’t try to do it all or you will burn out.”

Looking back over her 35 years at the forefront of the industry, Evans believes practitioners need to reclaim their authority.

“I wish I had shouted a lot louder about my knowledge 30 years ago, because everything I was telling clients back then – about avoiding low-fat diets, cutting sugar, gut connection – has all become standard,” she says.

“Believe in yourself and be proud of what you do. We work our socks off in this industry, so speak loud and proud.”