Beauty breakthroughs

Treatment News

Sothys Le Soin Saisonnier Seasonal Treatment

Sothys launch for spring is an express facial that uses products packed with watermelon and lime extract to help clients combat dry skin, giving it a healthy glow in just 45 minutes. It’s ideal for time-poor clients whose skin has been left irritated by the recent cold weather.

The treatment begins with a deep cleanse and pink clay exfoliation mask to remove dead skin cells, before massaging the facial contours with a lime-infused modelling cream to nourish and promote radiance.

Next, a peel-off mask packed with watermelon extract is applied for 10 minutes to hydrate further, boosting the skin’s moisture levels, followed by Oxy-Vitamin Radiance Treatment drops to aid cell regeneration and brighten the complexion. The facial ends with application of moisturising cream.

Sothys recommends charging £45 for the treatment. Call the brand on 01303 262666

Thalgo Koh Tao Spa Ritual

The skincare brand is launching a luxurious 90-minute “pop-up” spa ritual inspired by traditional Thai massage techniques, aiming to rid mind and body of tension and negative thoughts. The first 45 minutes of the limited-edition treatment focus on the facial element, which includes a cleanse, exfoliation with marine crystals and massage using Thalgo’s signature technique Heart of the Ocean.

Performed using Relaxing Massage Cream, the movements work to drain toxins and ease tension, as well as clearing the mind. Replenishing Mask is then applied to nourish skin, before finishing off with a hydrating moisturiser.

The rest of the ritual focuses on the body, starting with stretching before moving on to muscular acupressure techniques to stimulate strategic points on the meridians and release any knots or tension. Fragrances of pink peppercorns, lotus flower and orange blossom are used throughout to take clients on a “journey to the heart of the gulf of Thailand” and ease them into a deeper state of calm.

Thalgo recommends charging £80 to £100 for the treatment. Call the brand on 020 7512 0872

Skin Rehab Diotherapy Treatment

This 60-minute non-invasive treatment uses five different technologies to brighten, rejuvenate and minimise lines and wrinkles, as well as reducing the appearance of scarring and other skin imperfections.

The treatment starts with diamond dermabrasion to remove dead cells, helping to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and imperfections, followed by the ION Detox – a negative galvanic microcurrent charge used alongside an AHA-rich gel to extract impurities.

Next is ION Infusion, which uses a mild, positive galvanic micro-electrical charge to send actives, antioxidants and vitamins into the cellular level, activating the ionic molecules, which push ingredients even further into the dermal layer to feed cells.

An LED light therapy mask is then applied, with red rays stimulating collagen and elastin production, blue rays helping to kill blemish-producing bacteria, and green rays calming and balancing the skin.

Afterwards, 95% pure oxygen is pressed into pores to stimulate the body’s natural healing function, resulting in plumper, healthier and smoother skin. The brand recommends a course of six to 10 treatments for best results.

Skin Rehab recommends charging £85 to £130 for the treatment (depending on region). Call the brand on 020 3727 5576

This month we tried… Semilac Cat Eye 3D Manicure

The lowdown: The Cat Eye gel polishes from Semilac include magnetic particles that give a threedimensional effect and depth of colour. They’re available in a wide range of shades but I tried the two-tone Turquoise, which looks green from one angle and purple from the other.

The experience: Semilac offered to get my nails PB Awards-ready on its stand at the recent Professional Beauty London show. I sat down with top tech Marianna Ladunca, who prepped my nails, filing them into a strong squoval shape, before tidying the cuticles. She used an electric file, which made me nervous at first, but was done so gently it felt like more of a buff. Ladunca worked it carefully around my cuticles to remove dead skin before applying base coat and curing.

She then added a coat of Semilac Black Diamond to all nails to give a strong base that would allow the colour to pop. Her applications skills were so precise; she even used a fine detail brush to get a pefect finish around the cuticle and avoid the gap that a wider brush – and less thorough cuticle work – can often leave.

After curing, Ladunca applied the Cat Eye 3D polish in Turquiose to one nail at a time, using the Semilac Magnetic Pen on it while the polish was still wet. She held the pen close to the nail and moved it in an S shape, drawing the magnetic particles up so that they caught the light from every angle. After each nail was designed and cured, they were finished with top coat to seal, cured again and hydrated with cuticle oil.

The effect was simple but stunning and I had loads of compliments on this mani at the Awards.

Business Benefits: This is a simple yet high-impact way to offer nail art for techs who may not be confident doing freehand designs. The time needed is not significantly longer than for a standard gel mani, yet you could charge extra for the results it achieves.

Semilac recommends charging £35 for the treatment. Call the brand on 0121 709 3784 Tried by Eve Oxberry

This month we tried… Caudalie Premier Cru Facial

The lowdown: Premier Cru is Caudalie’s top-end line and the new 50-minute facial is designed to lift, firm, smooth and plump. It combines product from the Premier Cru Range with intensive techniques such as dermal rollering and a gel mask packed with actives.

The experience: I visited Caudalie’s Northcote Road salon and store in London on the snowiest day of the year and got a warm welcome from therapist Orsolya Prath. She gave me some comforting herbal antioxidant tea and asked me to fill out my consultation form on an iPad, which was a professional touch.

The treatment itself began with a cleanse, using products chosen to suit my dry skin – Gentle Cleansing Milk and Make-up Removing Cleansing Oil. The concept of mixing and matching cleansing products is also now key to Caudalie’s retailing, with its consultants advising clients on how to switch up their routine with different textures based on their skin’s needs.

After the thorough cleanse, Prath analysed my skin and noted some lines, redness and pigmentation. She chose the Gentle Buffing Cream to exfoliate as this is formulated to be mild on sensitive skin. Between each step, she also spritzed my face to keep it hydrated, alternating Caudalie’s signature Grape water and its Beauty Elixir.

Next came the dermal roller, with its tiny needles to stimulate collagen production and aid penetration of active ingredients in the skincare. Before Prath rolled the device back and forth across my forehead, cheeks and chin, she applied Caudalie’s new power product, Premier Cru Serum. She then massaged in the rest of the serum, along with the brand’s precious oil by hand.

The next step was an active-ingredient-packed sheet mask, the anti-ageing Resveratrol Mask, which was applied to my face and neck and left for 10 minutes, during which Prath gave me a relaxing hand and arm massage. The treatment concluded with the application of the Premier Cru eye cream, serum, precious oil and cream, gently massaged in so my skin was left hydrated but not oily.

Business Benefits: This is Caudalie’s most expensive facial, and the ability to tailor elements such as the cleanse and massage adds a personal touch that will be appreciated by the higher spending client. This luxurious facial also offers a safe and familiar way to introduce advanced techniques such as microneedling to a clientele who may otherwise be nervous about making the leap.

Caudalie recommends charging £85 for the treatment. Call the brand on 020 7720 7111 Tried by Eve Oxberry

Mortar & Milk Formula No.2 City Detox: Vitamin C Infusion Facial with Exuviance

Clinical aesthetician Pamela Marshall, owner of Mortar & Milk clinic in Fulham, London, has teamed up with cosmeceutical brand Exuviance to create a signature anti-pollution facial.

The 80-minute evening treatment protects skin against the damaging effects of urban pollution by increasing collagen production, elastin and hyaluronic acid levels, working overnight so skin looks smooth and refined when the client wakes up.

After a double cleanse and blackhead extractions, Exuviance’s Detox Mud Treatment Mask is applied to skin. It contains 23% active charcoal, clay and neoglucosamine mud to remove debris, toxins and excess oils. Antioxidant boosters are chosen, depending on the client’s skin type, then a 20% glycolic peel is used.

Next is Bionic Oxygen Facial treatment mask – packed with molecular oxygen to restore luminosity – followed by a massage using the antioxidant-rich AF Vitamin C20 Serum Capsules. A restorative cream and refining fluid complete the treatment.

Mortar & Milk is charging £200 for the treatment. Call Aesthetic Source for Exuviance on 01234 313130