Treatments specifically designed for clients living with cancer or going through the menopause take centre stage

Comfort Zone Sublime Skin Hormon-Aging Facial

The Italian brand has set its sights on the over-50s market with the launch of a facial for menopausal skin. The 75-minute treatment tackles the common skin side effects of the change – extreme dryness, psycho-physical fragility, thinning and loss of density – by increasing collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid production.

The therapist performs the first steps of the treatment standing next to the client, not behind them, to create a level of intimacy. This is followed with a dermal petrissage and Kobido facial massage, performed using products packed with the brand’s cell-support technology to stimulate the skin’s cellular communication.

It finishes with a special closure, where the guest is assisted to a seated position and a final comforting massage is performed on the upper back, neck and shoulders.

Comfort Zone recommends charging from £90 to £120 for the treatment. Call the brand on 020 3301 0496

Voya Tender Ties treatments

The Irish seaweed brand has collaborated with Christine Clinton Cancer Care Touch Therapy Education on an advanced cancer care training programme. Launching this autumn, the Tender Ties menu consists of four rituals that nurture clients during and after cancer treatment, restoring moisture to skin that has been affected by radiation, chemotherapy and other targeted therapies.

The 60-minute Skin Sea Soothers Facial is for clients in active treatment. It works to repair the skin’s functional barrier and prevent moisture loss with a face mask packed with rose of Jericho and argan oil.

The 60-minute Art of Healing Facial is ideal for clients who have completed treatment. It reinvigorates the skin with a gentle enzymatic exfoliation, which encourages cell renewal, while an omega and vitamin-rich treatment reduces sensitivity around the eye area.

The 80-minute Calm Seas Massage uses a combination of techniques and products packed with vitamins, minerals, shea butter and evening primrose to restore hydration to the body. It’s recommended for clients undergoing treatment.

Meanwhile, the Heart of the Ocean Cocoon, also 80 minutes, is a full-body exfoliation and massage for clients who have completed their cancer treatment, helping to detoxify by stimulating blood and lymphatic circulation.

Voya recommends charging between £80 to £120 for each treatment (depending on location).

Call the brand on +353 719 161872

This month we tried… Institute Hyalual Wow Facial

The lowdown: The Wow Facial is a medically inspired treatment that uses a hybrid of non-surgical techniques and technologies to kick-start the skin’s metabolism, as well as exfoliate, detox, regenerate, hydrate and supercharge it with essential vitamins and peptides. The brand says it doesn’t cause any trauma to the skin and the results last for three to six months.

The experience: I had my 60-minute treatment at Institute Hyalual’s training clinic in Pimlico, London.

The first stage uses an exfoliating cleanser and powerful acids and antioxidants for skin health from pHformula, which has a unique delivery system to make the acids more powerful but gentler on the skin.

Next came the dermaplaning element, which I was really excited to try. This stage removes vellus hair, exfoliates and brightens skin, and is sometimes nicknamed the Hollywood facial as it leaves the complexion glowing and red carpet-ready.

This was followed by Electri with the Wowo Meso Gun, a patented combination of high-quality hyaluronic acid and succinic acid injected in small papules into the skin, hydrating, reducing pigmentation spots, and stimulating collagen and elastin.

Regenerative LED light therapy is then used – red light to heal and stimulate the skin, blue to fight acne and inflammation, and green to reduce sun damage. The hydrating Wow mask is then applied, which contains hyaluronic acid, antioxidants and peptides to hydrate, brighten and smooth skin.

The treatment finishes with application of an SPF 30 sun cream and spray of hyaluronic acid and succinic acid to protect skin from pollutants.

Business benefits: When my therapist handed me a mirror after my facial, I spontaneously said “wow” without even thinking about it and then laughed – so it’s quite aptly named. It’s a good results-driven facial and even though some bits, in particular the mesogun, were slightly uncomfortable, overall it was pleasant. Plus, the treatment really does deliver.

I didn’t suffer any downtime or side effects, as promised, and my skin was glowing.

Institute Hyalual recommends charging £250 for the treatment. Call the brand on 07506 517274

Tried by Vicky Eldridge

Thalgo Exception Marine Redensifying Treatment

Exciting news for Thalgo accounts – the brand has relaunched its 90-minute Exception Marine Redensifying Treatment using new products and an enhanced massage technique.

Ideal for older clientele who want to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, the facial now includes the exclusive Energilift Technique, which tightens sagging skin and minimises the appearance of volume loss using deep, rhythmic movements that re-oxygenate the skin. Developed in collaboration with an aesthetic doctor, this element of the treatment lasts 20 minutes and focuses on the face, neck, décolleté and hands, restoring the skin’s tone and firmness by resculpting the contours. It’s followed by a soothing arm and neck massage to aid relaxation.

The Exception Marine range, which is used in treatment, has also been reformulated and now contains the patented Marine Replenishment Complex – a mix of active ingredients such as natural algae hormones, Egyptian fig tree extract and native edelweiss cells to combat mitochondrial ageing and restore fibroblastic contraction.

Thalgo UK recommends charging £75 for the treatment regionally and £95 in London. Call the brand on 020 7512 0872

Elemental Herbology Coconut Shell Cream Body Scrub

Elemental Herbology has expanded its offering with the addition of a coconut-infused full-body scrub. The 45-minute treatment combines aromatherapy with a deep exfoliation to leave skin smooth and hydrated.

During consultation, the client chooses from five body oils – Fire Zest, Water Soothe, Metal Detox, Wood Rejuvenation and Earth Balance – the idea being that they’re drawn to what their body needs physically and emotionally, and this is the product that’s used in treatment.

The exfoliation starts on the back of the body, using the Coconut Shell Cream Body Scrub to buff away dead cells, while the product’s shea butter and aloe vera properties work to improve the skin’s texture and suppleness. This process is then repeated on the front of the body.

After they’ve washed the scrub off in the shower using either Grapefruit & Mandarin or Neroli & Rose Damask Body Wash, the client’s chosen oil is then massaged into the body to lock in moisture and ease the mind. The treatment is suitable for all skin types.

Elemental Herbology recommends charging £65 for the treatment. Call the brand on 020 8968 4477

This month we tried… Caudalie Divine Massage

The lowdown: The 60-minute full-body massage is aimed at stressed out clients who need some downtime, using a mixture of compression techniques to smooth out tension and re-boost energy. The treatment was launched in conjunction with the brand’s Thé Des Vignes Oil, which is packed with vegetable oils and notes of white musk, neroli and ginger to help nourish skin and calm the mind.

The experience: Therapist Orsolya Prath welcomed me at Caudalie’s boutique salon on Northcote Road, London. She took great care to get to know me during consultation, asking how I felt mentally as well as enquiring as to whether I had any injuries or areas of deep-set tension – I told her my right shoulder had been giving me grief for a while.

Prath begun the treatment by asking me to inhale three deep breaths of Thé Des Vignes Oil from her hands, before getting to work on my scalp, performing pressure point work using alternate thumbs to get me in the zone. A towel was then folded over my eyes, to help me fall into a deeper state of calm, followed by medium-pressure massage on my chest and arms.

Stretch movements were used to loosen up the muscles, while firmer pressure was applied to my neck to work out the knots that had built up from sitting at a desk five days a week. The stomach massage, which was optional, was really comforting, with light strokes performed to help detoxify the body while helping me de-stress.

Circulatory effleurage was performed on my legs and feet to stimulate and reawaken tired muscles.

However, the standout moment was the back massage – Prath dedicated much more time to this area than prescribed in the protocol because of the issues I had told her about in my consultation. She performed effleurage, sweeping motions and free massage.

At first it was slightly uncomfortable when Prath was working on the knots, but after a few minutes I felt a great sense of relief as all the tension I had been carrying around, particularly in my shoulder, began to disappear.

Business benefits: This treatment is all about personalisation. Even though therapists are given a protocol, they are able to deviate and perform free massage based on the client’s needs, which can turn them into loyal, return customers. The body oil used in treatment is also available to retail, helping boost product sales.

Caudalie recommends charging £60 for the treatment. Call the brand on 020 3325 7450

Tried by Amanda Pauley