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Whether you want glow, lift, hydration or improved skin health, the city’s facial scene has never been better. These are the top-tier treatments worth your time, trust — and cash.
Before opening the doors to her Notting Hill clinic, Israeli aesthetician and skin pioneer Keren Bartov was the woman discerning clients flew to Tel Aviv to see, with a famously loyal — and lengthy — list of A-list devotees. Clients book time rather than treatments here. Bartov, or one of her impeccably trained team, then prescribes a bespoke protocol based on your exact skin needs from an arsenal of more than 50 cutting-edge technologies. The results are thrillingly transformative, without compromising skin health. New to Bartov’s collection of magic machines is the RedTouch Pro, a regenerative laser (the first of its kind) which targets collagen fibres within the dermis. What that means is, with regular use, it will train your skin to produce the sort of plump-making collagen you had in your youth. It is pain-free with zero downtime. The skincare Holy Grail — run, don’t walk.
“Skin responds to consistency, not novelty,” celebrity facialist Melanie Grant, below right, tells me when we meet at her beautiful new Mount Street studio. Designed in partnership with designer and gallerist Rose Uniacke, it eschews the traditional clinic concept in favour of the look and feel of a residential sanctuary. And boy does it deliver. The same restraint and refinement defines Grant’s highly sought-after skincare philosophy, which is to “do less, better, and always tailored”. I couldn’t agree more.
As a long time fan of Caroline Hirons’s brilliantly formulated skincare, I was thrilled to discover the Skin Rocks facials are just as good. Pick from six easy-to-understand treatments that take the guesswork out of booking, each tailored on the day and finished with the brand’s signature lifting or lymphatic drainage massage. If in doubt, try the popular Amplified Facial for a fresher, brighter, glowier face.
Few beauty brands have as much control over — or dedication to — what goes into their formulas as Seed to Skin. Ingredients are grown, harvested, formulated and bottled on the founder’s Tuscan estate, giving this beautiful brand remarkable traceability. Happily, the facials are just as good, pairing the exceptional products with massage and cryotherapy to lift, soothe and refresh.
When life is overwhelming, I call cosmetic acupuncturist and intuitive healer Sarah Bradden, who has an unrivalled ability to support body and mind. Her restorative treatment sessions are out of this world. She deals with the nervous system, skin and everything that lies beneath with a combination of acupuncture, facial massage, PEMF, light therapy, tuning forks and energy work. Your skin will glow afterwards, yes, but perhaps more importantly, you’ll leave feeling like a calmer, more grounded and positive version of yourself.
If you suspect your state of mind is playing out on your skin, this could be the facial for you. South Korean facialist Lee, right, has earned a reputation for treating the whole person, not just their complexion, getting to the root of stubborn skin woes and blending acupuncture, massage, reiki and carefully selected skincare from around the world to treat them. So remarkable are her powers that her waiting list now stretches to nearly two years. While you wait, her trusted colleagues Flavia and Yoke are fab, too.
It’s no exaggeration to say that I was blown away by my first facial with Iris Maglanoc. Combining a South Korean bone-setting massage called golki with myofascial release, lymphatic drainage, craniosacral therapy and advanced Korean skin tech, the results are nothing short of remarkable. You’ll leave svelte, symmetrical and grounded too.
You’ll not be surprised to hear that Augustinus Bader’s London home is beautiful, brilliantly run, suitably luxurious and dedicated to skin science. Treatments begin with advanced skin analysis before combining the brand’s celebrated skincare with technologies including LED therapy, microdermabrasion and lymphatic drainage.
The savviest, glowiest beauty and fashion set have made aesthetician Karen Doherty, left, their go-to for her light touch and fresh, healthy-looking skin that never appears “done”. Her Shoreditch flagship — a serene and stylish subterranean haven created with designer Max Radford — perfectly reflects her refined, restrained approach. Treatments here are rooted in regenerative aesthetics, combining evidence-backed technology with biostimulatory treatments to strengthen skin over time, helping clients become the healthiest, freshest looking version of themselves.
Clients rave about — and return for — Rexonage, an exceptional treatment that stimulates collagen, elastin and cellular repair with no downtime, but the just-launched CellStory Facial is a must-try as well. “It’s a super-intelligent, regenerative treatment from Korea that delivers brighter skin, refined pores, improved texture, and that beautiful glass-skin radiance,” Doherty tells me. I’ll see you there.
Few facialists are as universally adored as Sarah Chapman. As such her Chelsea clinic is a place of pilgrimage for editors, celebrities (think Sienna Miller, Victoria Beckham) and all who appreciate her flawless, highly effective blend of serious tech and rhythmic, sculpting massage.
