The best facials in London, from glow-giving quick fixes to skin-sculpting perfection.
London is littered with sparkling outposts promising to renew your complexion in a jiffy. But where really works? We’ve rounded up 10 of our favourites.
1. Lisa Franklin
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Lisa Franklin is a true expert when it comes to rosacea-prone and sensitive skin, having suffered herself, and is a dab-hand at transforming city-dweller skin too. The Repair, Recover, Renew facial is a high-performance signature focusing on cleansing, protecting, and restoring vitality. It begins with a deep cleanse, a gentle resurfacing peel, and oxygen therapy to penetrate the efficacious products deeper into skin. It ends with yet delightful rose quartz coupled with lymphatic massage to sculpt out cheekbones. With an instant glow, you will be confident to bare all; however, if you do have a meeting, you can opt to have your make-up done with the gentlest skin-loving products.
Repair, Recover, Renew from £125
2. FACEGYM
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Did you know your face has over 40 muscles? Yes, really! Quite remarkable when you think about it, which is why FaceGym approaches its facials with the same due diligence as a PT. Indeed, a facial at FaceGym truly is like no other. Fuss-free sessions take place sitting in a plush leather chair facing a mirror. So you can watch as your face is preened, pinched, and slapped into submission. Quite like a vigorous workout session, skin is warmed up, followed by a burst of cardio, then massaged to cool down. Nifty tools like a a squishy ball is passed over your face, whilst most tantalising is the whizzy Facegym Pro device, which sends tiny electric waves through your skin as it penetrates products deeper. Skin is rendered dewy and undeniably taught, as if you’ve been on a strict week-long juice diet. It’s rather addictive.
Signature Sculpt £75 for 35 minutes
3. Bamford Wellness Spa, Brompton Cross
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As much as I adore facials, and I mean REALLY adore facials, I find my mind often wandering off to other things – like my ever extensive to-do-list – which is why I was pleasantly surprised by the new multi-sensory Bamford Wellness Facial, which very much kept me ‘in the moment’. The treatment begins with a warm chakra stone being placed (and left for the duration of the treatment) on the abdomen, setting the tone for a deeply holistic experience to follow. Connecting the whole body throughout the treatment, you are encouraged to focus on your breathing, like a soothing meditation class, whilst a head, neck, and stomach massage are combined with the excellent new skincare range to focus on treating your skin from within. The products themselves are delightfully fruity and aromatic; ceremoniously layered onto skin. It is a sensory feast you don’t want to end. The results? Glowing, supple skin, and a renewed sense of calm.
Bamford Wellness Facial £200
4. ESPA Life at Corinthia
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Few hotels in London feel more decadent than The Corinthia and the subterranean spa brought to you by ESPA is the perfect spot for some pure, unadulterated pampering. The Glow From Within ESPA facial is a perfect exploration of the brand’s Active Nutrients Range. Everything smells delightfully fruity as its lovingly layered atop skin in the dimly lit treatment room. The facial starts with a comprehensive skin analysis to best tailor products to the skin. A thorough cleanse and exfoliation is followed by pore-opening steam. Skin is then multi-masked, to target myriad skin concerns. A slightly tingly Overnight Glow Enzyme Peel, is chased by the Clean and Green Detox Mask, for skin so fresh it practically squeaks. A Gua Sha is deployed to release tension for shoulders, temples, and jawlines, making you float out feeling three inches taller, with a glorious glow to boot.
Glow From Within Facial £190 for 60 minutes
5. Nataliya Robinson
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Dubbed ‘the skin whisperer’ by her incredibly loyal clients, Nataliya Robinson is scrupulous about skin. Indeed, if breakouts are your biggest bugbear, I wouldn’t recommend going anywhere else. Her approach is truly bespoke, addressing key concerns and then using her potent botanical-based own blends to generously layer over skin. Extractions are gentle yet effective, whilst the options of acupuncture and deep tissue massage leave you plump and dewy for weeks after. Nataliya is also a fountain of knowledge, you’ll leave with a new commitment to your skincare regime, as well as a repeat booking in the diary.
Advanced Signature Facial £300
6. Dr. Barbara Sturm Spa
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The Dr. Barbara Sturm Spa London outpost on Mount Street has been a veritable who’s who of London since it opened this summer. It’s Instagram cat-nip with white marble, minimalist architecture, and a rather chic green onyx table taking centre stage. Utilising Dr. Sturm’s ever-glowing skincare line, there is a facial for every skin niggle: anti-aging, congestion, and dullness, to name but a few. The Signature Sturm Glow Facial, concentrating on soothing the skin barrier, calming irritation, and boosting hydration, is a facial everyone will love. This luxurious multi-step facial – cleansing, exfoliation, serums, anti-aging massage, and masking – deeply hydrates the skin and combats seasonal dryness. Your therapist can recommend specific products from the range to carry on your regime at home, so you may well leave with a little white bag brimming with serums…
Signature Sturm Glow Facial, £215 for 60 mins
7. Waterhouse Young
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Waterhouse Young, on the famed Harley Street, has a sterling reputation for injectables amongst *ahem* other more transformative treatments; however, there’s no need to reach for the needles quite yet, thanks to their much-lauded HydraFacial. A red-carpet favourite, this super-advanced, medical-grade facial instantly produces firmer skin. It sloughs off dead skin cells, plumps skin with ultra-hydrating hyaluronic acid and antioxidants, whilst red LED light boosts collagen and produces an immediately noticeable glow. Whilst your face is being treated, add on the Hydropresso – a mechanical massage suit for full body lymphatic drainage – to your treatment. This gentle, relaxing massage is quite soothing, boosting circulation, and removes toxins to reduce cellulite. What’s not to love?
Hydrafacial £250, Hydrapresso £350
8. Radiance London
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Find yourself down a picturesque little alley in Fitzrovia and walk into the discreet gem that is Radiance London. A little piece of calm in amongst London’s busy streets, you can expect nothing short of an extraordinary beauty and wellness experience. In a collaboration with Decléor, book in for the Radiance London x Decléor Ultimate Glow treatment; a 90-minute face and body toning and firming massage. The bespoke treatment includes a 30-minute expert sculpting massage, whilst Essential oils of Lemon, Peppermint and May Chang help to restore firmness and elasticity, leaving the skin texture refined. The treatment concludes with a targeted 60-minute unique anti-ageing facial massage, which combines flow and rhythm to focus on the power of repetition for a true workout for the skin.
Radiance London x Decléor Ultimate Glow £105 for 90 minutes
9. Laser Genesis at KX
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If you want the benefit of the luxe private members club lifestyle, without the fees, hotfoot it to The Spa at KX London. With an extensive treatment the KX Laser Genesis Advanced Facial is truly standout. It utilises the A-Lister loved Genesis Laser to activate cell metabolism and collagen production, optimising skin tone and elasticity, targeting fine lines, and soothing redness with zero down time. Despite sounding like a spaceship taking off, it’s perfectly comfortable, with just a gentle, warm sensation as the laser passes across the face. To round off the treatment and cool the skin, a hyaluronic acid laced sheet mask is applied, coupled with a blast under soothing LED light. An indulgent 85 minutes later, skin is positively GLOWING.
Laser Genesis KX Bespoke 70, £315 (member), £335(non-member)
10. SKINWORK
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Previously situated below Alex Eagle, this new outpost in Soho is resplendent in its green-tiled glory with seven treatment rooms. Using whizzy products from PCA Skin, which you will be tempted to snap up on the way out, the staff here are so affable my facial flew by as we nattered throughout. The signature facial is akin to a full skin MOT, if skin has lost its sparkle. It consists of skin-clearing Anti-Bac Pore extraction, antioxidant, and Galvanic infusions to boost radiance, lift, and calm, plus a restorative tension-release neck, shoulder, and arm massage. Expect a clear, radiant, lifted complexion within the hour.
Signature Facial, £140 for 70 minutes
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