Facials

Also known as: Aromatherapy Facial, Facials - Children, Facials - Men, Firming Facial, Neck Treatments.

Your face doesn’t get to hide under clothes; it spends all day out in the open at the mercy of the elements, pollution, grubby fingers, air-conditioning and everything else life can throw at it. So, every now and then, it’s a good idea to give your face a deep clean and show it a little TLC.

How does it work?

Every face is unique, so you should choose a facial treatment that suits your skin type. A good beauty therapist will help you to choose the right treatment by looking at your skin type (whether you have dry, oily or combination skin). It’s also important to take into account the age and sensitivity of your skin and any problem areas you might have.

Once you’ve pinpointed your pimples, your therapist will ask you to lie down or recline, usually in a quiet treatment room. There are dozens of different treatments, but most will start with cleansing using a lotion or exfoliating scrub. You might also have blackheads extracted, a light facial massage, steam treatment, a moisturising mask or a peel-off treatment to remove impurities.

A facial could take anything from 10 minutes to an hour to get you glowing, gorgeous and ready to face the world again.

Specialist treatments

If you’re pushed for time, or you want a regular ‘touch-up’ in between full facials, a mini-facial will give your face a little lift without the deep-cleaning.

Contrary to popular belief, facials are not just for the ladies - specialist facials for gentlemen will help to deal with the ravaging effects of the razor and can include the removal of ingrown hairs.

An age-defence facial uses vitamin c to nourish your skin and combat the effects of aging.

City living, smoking and thick make-up can deprive your skin of much-needed oxygen. An oxygen facial incorporates a mist of pure oxygen which is absorbed into the skin for a healthy glow.

If you suffer from acne a more intensive facial that focuses specifically on extracting impurities might help. Your skin may appear slightly worse immediately afterwards, but you’ll see the benefits a few days later.