Believe it or not we are just 58 days away from Christmas and that means we are heading into one of the worst seasons for skin.
It’s not only the cold weather and central heating that take their toll. The holiday season brings plenty of cheer but also plenty of late nights, parties packed with over-indulgence and general behaviour that leaves skin looking worn out, tired, irritated and blotchy.
So the time to act is now. Most facials are recommended every 4- 6 weeks so if you get going now, you have time to get one or two in before the party season is in full swing.
London offers a host of treatments that will let you safeguard your skin and manage to recapture your hard won summer glow all winter long.
Start with The Champagne Enzyme treatment @ Facial Bar, Neville Hair & Beauty, designed to revive tired and congested skin and help banish dry spots.
First and foremost it gives the face a deep cleanse that incorporates warming honey cleanser, followed by a divine feeling masque that very gently resurfaces skin with 16% sugar cane extract (glycolic acid) that encourages exfoliation along with papaya and pineapple enzymes to break down the proteins in dead skin.
It’s understandable that the word peel can make you nervous – but this really is so gentle – there’s no redness or sun sensitivity afterwards, so you can go straight from salon to party with no downtime.
There is plenty of hydration and brightening too with botanically derived hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and green tea, licorice, grape and rosemary, vitamin C and a very cool ‘copper firming mist’.
It’s a results-driven treatment facial that feels cleansing, firming and plumping. Pores looked smaller afterwards, fine lines less obvious and puffy areas – around marionette lines and cheeks – reduced. It’s also good for hyperpigmentation which can be worse after summer sun. The addition of the red light mask seemed to brighten skin and reduce redness.
The finale was a layer of a high grade pharmaceutical strength SPF serums that left me feeling like I’d had Botox.
The treatment is suitable for all skin types including those with sensitive or rosacea prone skin. The botanical, pharma grade ingredients are non-systemic so the treatment is also ideal for pregnant and nursing women. The Champagne Facial is £90.
Another great option, is the Linda Meredith Haute Couture Facial, which is beloved by a host of famous faces including Charlize Theron, Penelope Cruz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Emma Thompson and Stella McCartney. The reason? It genuinely brightens skin. It starts with a gentle cleanse and steam, before a natural micro-glycolic serum to clean deep beneath the surface. Its antibacterial effect serves to reduce breakouts and soften fine lines and wrinkles. If skin is sensitive, a fine layer of glycolic is applied and removed immediately. Less sensitive skin can have more layers applied, creating a firming effect.
Then comes the uniquely Linda Meredith part – a facial massage and pure oxygen (her serum is patented and potent) to plump up the skin’s surface and give the skin a marked radiance. There’s a reason this facial is so often performed before a red carpet appearance.
And while there are many oxygen treatments available, what makes the LM oxygen treatments unique is the combination of medical grade oxygen and the vitamin-enriched serum. This is one of the reasons that Linda Meredith’s facial is frequently named one of London’s best. Recommended every 4-6 weeks. Facials start at £135.
For those of us with skin like the Sahara, you may want to opt for the Hydrafacial with Dr Nima. Already big in the USA (in 2018 the HydraFacial was performed on someone every 15 seconds) this wonder treatment gives instantly plumped and saturated skin.
The HydraFacial uses Hydradermabrasion to flush out the skin and leave that perfect template for putting makeup on – which you can do straight afterwards. The process also uses a gentle vacuum-like technology to clean out pores and supply the skin with the moisture and active ingredients it’s craving for a plumper, dewier, smoother look.
Plus, it can help smooth fine lines, discoloration and wrinkles. The entire facial is a four-step process (with a couple of optional steps tacked on at the end):
It begins with an exfoliating cleanser, followed by a glycolic peel and a salicylic acid peel before the final step which is a serum packed with peptides. LED light therapy at the end is optional as is some lip plumping.
The first step, the exfoliating cleanser, eliminates dead skin cells on your top layer of skin. The second and third steps, the glycolic and salicylic peels, provide all the benefits of a chemical peel – minimising pore size, enhancing collagen production, smoothing fine lines, improving and tone and texture. The intensive serums replenish the skin in the fourth step, leaving it plumped and shiny, now that everything has been removed from the pores.
Finally a quick round of LED light therapy. Blue light helps rid the face of acne, and red light helps calm the skin. Recommended every 4-6 weeks, cost is £195
Taking it back a notch is the Ancient Egyptian Facial with Dr Jack – It is believed 2,000 years ago Cleopatra maintained her famous complexion by using regular milk and fruit acid peels, combined with face shaving. Today, Harley Street’s leading skin expert, Dr. David Jack has modernised and reintroduced this ancient technique and is achieving incredible results.
This unique anti-aging facial comprises three steps: a gentle facial peel, dermaplaning (or facial shaving) followed by a vitamin facia, giving brighter, radiant and more youthful complexion with smooth, even skin tone and reduced fine lines and pigmentation. The dermaplaning will remove any fine hairs and the pro-collagen anti-aging serums will give your skin a super-boost.
The fruit-based mixed acid peel is tailored to your skin type and gets to work on your dead skin cells. These are then removed by dermaplaning to reveal fresh new skin beneath. This is followed by a really rich and nourishing vitamin treatment that makes skin look refreshed and dewy.
Face shaving or dermaplaning may sound crazy but this technique has been around for centuries and recently has been gaining traction in the beauty industry. It is believed that Cleopatra maintained her even complexion by regular milk and fruit acid peels combined with face shaving.
The treatment takes around 30-45 minutes involves the use of a fruit-based glycolic acid peel, combined with salycylic and mandelic acid, and then gently shaving the top layer of the skin. This exfoliation technique removes the waterproof upper layers of the skin to allow penetration and absorption of a series of anti-ageing advanced vitamin serums which are then applied to the skin.
After the treatment it is expected that the face may be a little red and dry for a few days so it is important to use plenty of moisturiser, vitamin serums and SPF for at least 5 days. What to expect afterwards? And increased glow to the skin, evening of complexion, reduction of hyperpigmentation, improved skin tone, reduction of ‘peach fuzz’ vellus hair (but no risk of hair growing back thicker or darker).
This beautifying blade method will shave years off. Recommended once every skin cycle (approximately 6 weeks, the cost is £250).
source https://metro.co.uk/2019/10/29/the-4-best-facials-in-london-to-avoid-the-curse-of-winter-skin-10772996/
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