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NEW: Comfort Zone Remedy Facial

Comfort Zone’s latest treatment aims to soothe sensitive skin by restoring and strengthening its protective barrier. Using a delicate action in combination with a natural prebiotic, the treatment is designed to calm inflammation, making it particularly suitable for clients who suffer with sensitive skin conditions such as rosacea.

The treatment begins with a welcoming ritual, followed by a deep cleanse. The therapist then applies the soothing biphasic Remedy PeelOff Mask, packed with marula oil and hyaluronic acid to fortify the skin’s barrier, before massaging in a thin layer of an intensive serum to combat redness and application of Remedy Cream to further nourish. The experience concludes with either a cup of matcha tea or fruit juice.

All professional products used during treatment are fragrance free. The brand also has a complementary Remedy skincare range, which includes antiinflammatory ingredients such as marvel of Peru and Mexican hyssop, so clients can continue to treat the issue at home.

Comfort Zone recommends charging £50 for the 50-minute treatment. Call the brand on 020 3096 1753

NEW: Thalgo Prodige des Océans Face and Body Ritual

Thalgo’s latest face and body treatment combines sophisticated marine ingredients with sensorial treatment techniques to ease aching muscles and leave skin looking toned, radiant and more youthful.

After beginning with a Discovery of the Sea welcome ritual, the therapist then conducts an Indian scalp massage incorporating technical movements, including seven different massage techniques – one inspired by the ancient Japanese massage therapy Kobido. Used in combination, these movements help to release tension and improve drainage.

During the rest of the treatment, 32 movements are performed on the face and 37 on the body, using products packed with marine molecules from the brand’s Prodige des Océans Essence range – which work to minimise the appearance of fine lines and enhance the complexion.

Thalgo recommends charging £130 for the 90-minute treatment. Call the brand on 020 7512 0872

NEW: 3D-lipo 3D-Ultimate

3D-lipo is offering salons and clinics a prescriptive approach to non-surgical face and body treatments with 3D-Ultimate.

The machine combines five technologies – radiofrequency, cyclone cavitation, duo-cryo, shockwave and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) – in one system for more effective treatment results.

The machine offers prescriptive fat removal, skin tightening and cellulite reduction body treatments, as well as non-surgical lifting and skin tightening for the face. In addition to the 3D-Ultimate, the machines brand has also launched a bespoke service that allows clinics to design a multi-platform device to suit their business needs, such as incorporating additional technologies that are not contained on existing machines.

3D-lipo suggests charging from £50 for facial skin tightening, from £150 for non-surgical face lifting and from £100 for body treatments. Call the brand on 01788 550440

This month we tried…

Exuviance bespoke facial

The lowdown: Mortar and Milk, a contemporary skin clinic in London’s Fulham, only offers one type of facial – bespoke. Managing director and clinical aesthetician Pamela Marshall believes in taking a unique approach with every client, with each firsttimer receiving an hour-long consultation, taking into account lifestyle, medical history and nutrition.

Marshall then builds a treatment protocol based on the answers, as well as pictures taken of the skin using an Observ 520 camera. Cosmeceutical brand Exuviance is one of the product houses chosen by Marshall for its clinical methods and sophisticated formulas.

The experience: Marshall gave me some lifestyle pointers to help sort out my acne, such as washing my make-up brushes weekly, replacing hand towels every other day and swapping the milk-derived whey protein powder I’d been using for a vegan alternative to avoid the testosterone hit that stimulates acne.

She said the exfoliating, hydrating and healing powers of PHAs (poly-hydroxy acids) would be the antidote to my (quite bad) underlying pigmentation and hormonal acne, so I was to get the full Exuviance experience.

Marshall applied 11 products in total, broken down into four stages: cleanse, peel prep, peel and post-peel.

She used Triple Microdermabrasion Face Polish to prep my skin, then applied mandelic layered with glycolic acid peels in specific areas to concentrate on the worst of my under-the-skin sun damage. Marshall keeps the Observ images up on an iPad next to the treatment couch so she can see exactly what’s needed where. Self-foaming Bionic Oxygen Mask followed, then Marshall applied two other masks including Clay Purifying Mask on areas of congestion. A cocktail of serums and creams completed the treatment and I felt as though my skin had been given the attention it needed.

Business benefits: Marshall’s holistic but serious approach to treating skin, coupled with the effectiveness of Exuviance products, make this a very modern treatment. The consultation is just as much a part of the experience as the facial itself, and other therapists could try developing a unique protocol based on the client’s answers during an in-depth verbal consultation to up the personalised factor of facials.

Exuviance offers a good selection of peels suitable for clients new to acids that can be layered and stepped up by therapists with an understanding of the science behind the procedure.

Mortar and Milk charges £150 for the 60-minute facial. Call Aesthetic Source for Exuviance on 01234 313130 Tried by Georgia Seago

NEW: Voya Mindful Dreams

Organic seaweed brand Voya’s latest launch is a full-body massage which claims to help those who suffer from stress, sleep deprivation or insomnia achieve a good night’s rest. The brand is putting its focus on quality sleep, saying it’s “essential to wellbeing and the body’s inner balance”.

The treatment combines a variety of massage methods, including both Balinese and Hawaiian techniques, to relax body and mind, helping clients drift off with ease. The pattern of rhythmic and flowing movements is also said to release stress and ease muscle tension, a common problem that keeps clients awake at night.

During treatment, the body is also exfoliated using a seaweed and sugar scrub gel to buff away dead cells, leaving skin smooth and nourished. The treatment has initially launched into selected spas including the Mandarin Oriental London and Lime Wood House & Herb House Spa in Hampshire.

Voya recommends charging from £85 to £140 for the 75-minute treatment (depending on region). Call the brand on +353 719 161872

This month we tried…

Dr Russo Skincare Cell Repair Clinical Facial

The lowdown: Dr Luca Russo is a cosmetic and dermatologic surgeon and face of his eponymous skincare brand, known for its Sun Protective Day Cleanser, billed as the first cleanser with built-in SPF 30. He developed the Cell Repair Clinical Facial as a supercharged response to tackling sun damage. It incorporates the use of a dermal roller and combined radiofrequency and LED device, along with retinol and acids.

The experience: I visited Dr Russo at his clinic at The Four Seasons on Park Lane in London. We started with a thorough cleanse using the Night Repair Exfoliating Cleanser, which contains a blend of acids, followed by a swipe of a 20% glycolic acid pad to prepare the skin for the dermal roller. This was my first experience with any kind of skin needling and I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t at all painful.

Dr Russo explained that he would use a 1mm needle This month we tried… on me, but that the needle length was less important than the pressure the therapist applies, adding that because I don’t have much sun damage, a light touch was all that was needed.

Next followed a firm, draining massage using the Night Repair Face Serum Retinol Plus, which was further pushed into the skin with the help of a dual radiofrequency and red LED device, to have tightening, lifting and energising actions.

This was incredibly soothing post-rollering and I could really feel a difference in the tautness of my skin. Dr Russo finished with a liberal application of his Sun Protective Day Moisturiser and strict advice to take sun damage seriously.

Business benefits: This is about as clinical as a facial can get without being medical. It’s also a good way to introduce clients to dermal rollering and get them over their fears of more advanced methods of skin rejuvenation. Plus, Dr Russo’s product line has a tangible selling point with the weight of a prominent skin doctor behind it.

Four Seasons Park Lane Spa charges £295 for the 55-minute treatment. Call Dr Russo Skincare on 0843 289 6010 Tried by Georgia Seago