Summer and the holidays are in full swing, which is great and all, but if too much sun exposure and a serious lack of sleep are starting to mess up your complexion, it might be time for some extra loving care. And you can’t beat the mood-boosting powers of a glow-enhancing drug facial treatment†
London is home to some of the best facials in the beauty industry, with treatments to suit every budget and skin concern. So where to go? Below we’ve rounded up the best in town – and we’ve tried and tested them all. Don’t mention it.
The baby face: Kichi
What is it: It’s rare in the beauty industry these days that you come across something so good it makes you dizzy, yet remains relatively under the radar (thanks TikTok). That’s why I’m still so excited about my latest discovery: Natasha Clancy’s Baby Face Laser Facial. Iris Law, Sienna Miller and Olivia Wilde are just a few of her famous disciples who now won’t do a red carpet event without having attended one beforehand. Kichi, Clancy, founder of the skincare brand and Mayfair-based aesthetic clinic, uses an advanced thulium laser to create tiny micro-channels in the skin before inundating it with a cocktail of highly potent antioxidants that penetrate deep into the skin’s inner layers. get to work and help improve collagen production that continues well beyond treatment. There’s no downtime and you’ll see immediate results, but here’s the best part, you’ll then achieve a peak glow over the next seven to 10 days when your skin will feel, well, baby-soft to the touch. It really is the gift that keeps on giving.
Price: £285, plus £32 for aftercare serum.
Where: 14, Hanover House, Hanover Square, W1S 1HN
The APK for your face: Pfeffer Sal
What is it: Pfeffer Sal, tucked away on a pretty cobbled stables in the heart of London’s Fitzrovia, is where beauty editors go for a full MOT. Beginners are encouraged to opt for the Welcome Essential facial which starts with a 20 minute in-depth skin analysis with scans that can pick up everything from sun damage to pigmentation and inflammation – don’t worry, a therapist will tell you through everything and give advice to future-proof your skin. The facial itself includes a double cleanse, extractions, resurfacing, a face-lifting massage, sonophoresis (ultrasound) to infuse a custom blend of vitamins deep into the skin, as well as a custom treatment mask and LED session.
Price: £210 for the Welcome Essential facial (100 minutes).
Where: The Stables, 10B Warren Mews, Fitzrovia, London W1T 6BY
Up the glow: 111SKIN at Bvlgari Spa
What is it: If you’re looking for radiance, look no further than 111SKIN’s new Illuminating Rose Gold Facial, offered exclusively at the chic Bvlgari Spa in Knightsbridge. The treatment involves using the brand’s potent actives and a diamond-infused multi-acid rose quartz shell to promote suppleness and clarity. This, combined with a deep tissue facial massage to sculpt the cheekbones, ice massage to de-aerate, and rose quartz stone massage, leaves skin rejuvenated and lifted before finishing with a rose gold brightening mask and radiant oil. You will be sent home with a seven-day treatment pack of Radiance Concentrate ampoules that are packed with more potent actives to remove dead skin cells and prolong your glow.
Price: € 350 for 90 minutes.
Where: Bvlgari Hotel London, 171 Knightsbridge London, SW7 1DW
The Anti-Zoom Face: The Mamiel at NoMad
What is it: If you’re not familiar with Annee de Mamiel’s dreamy eponymous skincare brand, get to know as soon as possible. And what better way than to treat yourself to her Digital Fatigue facial available at the Mamiel Skin Clinic in NoMad, aka London’s hottest new hotel? The treatment aims to soothe and calm the inflamed skin caused by sitting on Zoom for too long. Using natural, antioxidant-rich products, the treatment intensely nourishes, moisturizes and repairs the skin barrier. A qi rejuvenation massage, meanwhile, helps stimulate circulation, flush out toxins and release tension in facial muscles. Leave energized and refreshed.
Price: €250 for 75 minutes.
Where: Nomad London, 28 Bow Street, London, WC2E 7AW
The innovative: Pietro Simone
What is it: Your skin needs Pietro Simone in his life, trust us. The Italian celebrity facialist is a beauty fanatic’s best kept secret and has conveniently opened a new clinic at the Flemings Mayfair Hotel. What sets Simone’s facials apart from other treatments are his signature organic cotton thread exfoliating method and vigorous dry massage technique, designed to promote lymphatic drainage and give your face a deep tissue massage. The results are, frankly, stunning.
Price: £250 for the Anti-Ageing Cotton Thread Revitalizer (75 minutes).
Where: Flemings Mayfair Hotel, 7-12 Half Moon St, Mayfair, London W1J 7BH
The laser: Skin Laundry
What is it: California brand Skin Laundry is on a mission to make laser facials mainstream, having opened three one-stop-shop clinics in the UK in the past year alone. The signature laser facials use a YAG laser that penetrates deep into the skin to target conditions such as pigmentation, redness and to stimulate collagen production. Laser therapy can be used to treat acne-prone skin by reducing inflammation and targeting bacteria that cause breakouts. Plus, it only lasts 15 minutes and there’s no downtime, so you can zap and go.
Price: £50 for your first Skin Laundry facial (15 minutes).
Where: 9 Newburgh St, Carnaby, London W1F 7RL
The Hitchhiker: Renée Lapino
Skin guru Renée Lapino offers the Diamond Facial at her clinic above Neville Salon in Belgravia. Highly tailored to each client’s skin concerns on the day, the treatment incorporates radio frequency technology to lift, tighten and brighten the skin. Expect a deep cleanse, extractions, exfoliation, LED light therapy and powerful professional skin care products to deeply nourish the complexion. Hop into the Body Ballancer suit while you’re at it for a full-body lymphatic drainage massage to promote detoxification and additional healing.
Price: €250 for an hour.
Where: 5 Pont Street, Belgravia, SW1X 9EJ
The A-list goes to: Debbie Thomas
What is it: Debbie Thomas is the facialist of choice for the likes of Dua Lipa and Jourdan Dunn. Best known for her DNA signature facials that combine laser, radiofrequency and a host of other powerful technologies to transform the complexion, her new post-lockdown DTC treatment packs combine a range of professional peels and masks to provide a dull complexion. , restore tired or inflamed skin. to its pre-pandemic condition. Well worth the investment.
Price: price on request.
Where: D. Thomas Clinic, 25 Walton Street, Chelsea, SW3 2HU
The Oxygen: Su-Man
What is it: Listen folks, super facialist Su-Man, who’s known around town for her cult Skin Reborn facial, now offers a brand new treatment — and it promises ultimate dew. The new Advanced Oxygen Facial (available April 15) combines her signature shiatsu movement technique and oxygen therapy to help penetrate active ingredients into the deeper layers of the skin.
Price: £300 for the Advanced Oxygen Facial (75 minutes).
Where: Away Spa, W London Leicester Square, 10 Wardour Street, London W1D 6QF
The Gadget Led: Tarryn Bespoke Skincare
What: Tarryn Warren has over 15 years of experience in the skin care industry and offers her Signature Bespoke Facial at the Bodyism studio in Notting Hill and now Primrose Hill, where she combines the use of nanocurrent technology, radio frequency tightening, microneedling and Oxygeneo to nourish the skin cellular level. Facials also include exfoliation, deep cleansing of the pores, massage, vitamin infusions and LED light therapy. Enjoy it all in the Body Ballancer, a portable lymphatic drainage massage suit that detoxifies the body.
Price: £245 for the Signature Bespoke Facial (75 minutes).
Where: Bodyism 222-224 Westbourne Grove, W11 2RH
The one with needles: 001 Skincare
What is it: Ada Ooi, a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, delivers highly personalized facials tailored to your skin’s needs for the day. Each begins with a TCM symptom diagnosis, followed by her signature modern gua sha massage and acupuncture on the face, body and ears, to address both internal and external well-being.
Price: from £300 for the Pinpoint Wellness Treatment (60 minutes).
Where: 5 Upper Wimpole Street, Marylebone, London, W1G 6BP
The workout for your face: FaceGym
What is it: Trainers, rather than therapists, perform the cult “workouts” at FaceGym, which is set up like a gym studio — you even stash your stuff in a locker while you get pampered. The workouts are designed to stimulate the more than 40 muscles in your face using an electronic device that emits mild, yet powerful waves into your skin to sculpt and tone. The trainer then performs some powerful punches, knuckles, and “whips” with their hands on your face to further contour. You immediately notice a difference.
Price: £75 for the Signature Sculpt (35 minutes).
Where: various locations in London
The Holistic: re:lax Skin Studio
What is it: In East London, a bespoke facial with Katie (founder of re:lax) begins with a consultation and usually includes various massage techniques including buccal (internal), connective tissue massage, manual lymphatic drainage, gua sha, as well as high frequency and LED light therapy to revive your skin. The treatments are accompanied by a head, neck and shoulder massage and foot reflexology for total relaxation. Cosmetic acupuncture is also offered at an additional cost.
Price: £80 for the customized re:lax facial (60 minutes).
Where: Where Unit 29, Gossamer Gardens, The Oval, E2 9FN