Tweak of the Week is Citizen Femme’s tried-and-tested beauty treatment review series, covering the CF team’s favourite recommendations for facials, massages, aesthetics, and everything in between.
For this week’s review, fashion editor Gemma Louise Deeks visited Ricari Studios at The NoMad London. Housed within the historic former Bow Street Magistrates’ Court, the tech-forward sculpting clinic offers lymphatic drainage the new way: via a contemporary vision.
With A-lister clients including Hollywood’s biggest stars, we wanted to get the lowdown on the pioneering treatment.
What is Ricari Studios?
Developed by Anna Zahn over a decade ago and named after the Italian word for ‘recharge’, Ricari Studios was born to fill the gap in spa culture. Forget clinical looking spaces, the same repetitive spa music and your average massage, Anna wanted to celebrate self care and wellness uniquely. Now partnering with leaders across hospitality, beauty, fashion, and science to craft transformative experiences of self-care, Ricari offers innovative experiences, where you can experience the benefits of medical grade equipment in a therapeutic setting, in the world’s most captivating travel destinations and exclusive spaces. In Los Angeles, you’ll find Ricari at L’Ermitage, a luxurious getaway located a stone’s throw from the beating heart of Beverly Hills. In New York, within the WSA Building, a reimagined 80s architectural icon on the financial district’s scenic waterfront and home to Ricari’s New York flagship. Other clinics are found in the Cayman Islands, St. Moritz and London’s The NoMad hotel, within one of the building’s former prison cells.
What is lymphatic drainage?
The lymph is like a sewage system for the body, helping to get rid of toxins. Unlike our circulatory system, it doesn’t have the heart to help pump things along, so manual or mechanical support is needed. In Ricari’s case, a mechanical machine.
Why is Ricari Studios exciting?
At the centre of the treatments is innovative Italian-made ICOONE® technology, which is essentially a mechanical device with rollers that rotate to stimulate the skin. The vibrations gently help to reduce cellular deposits, enhance blood and lymphatic flow as well as reactivate lipolysis. The bonus of this treatment is that it’s completely painless, unlike some other methods, forgoing the idea that beauty is pain. The traditional lymphatic drainage treatments involve the therapist directly massaging with the hands. The Ricari Method not only addresses the lymphatic system, but also re-energises and revitalises the tissue and skin cells to tone, refine, relax and cleanse your body and face.
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Tried and tested: what is having the treatment like?
There’s no crystal holding or woo woo here, your Ricari therapist will get straight down to it. You can request to have the treatment in silence, but I enjoyed speaking to my therapist as I was initially feeling nervous about the look of the octopus-style machine. You’ll be asked to put on a white bodysuit (which helps the machine glide smoothly across the body) before lying face down on the bed, which feels like you’re in someone’s aesthetically-pleasing home. Equal parts relaxing and transformative, the ICOONE® device will work across different areas of your body, draining, firming and remodelling skin and tissue through cellular stimulation. Your legs will then go into the Ballancer Pro compression recovery suit and muscle relief balm will be applied to your upper body, before your therapist moves onto your face. The same sculpting technique will apply but with a smaller device, before using the Lyma laser – the world’s most powerful laser technology – and ending with a scalp massage. The results? Decreased water retention, a more sculpted and toned silhouette, less visible cellulite, and tighter skin. You’ll have a noticeable glow and a calmed nervous system, everything I could have wanted from a post-work Wednesday evening. I floated home and had a beautiful deep sleep.
What is the aftercare advice?
Take it easy! It was recommended to me to have my treatment in the evening, so I could go home and relax. As mentioned before, it definitely aided my sleep that night. And of course, like any lymphatic draining treatment, it’s important to rehydrate and drink water to continue to help flush out toxins and waste more effectively.
Who is Ricari Studios suitable for?
Ricari is suitable for anyone looking to focus on their wellbeing. The method aids functions like sleep, digestion, detoxification, anxiety relief, and optimised mobility, which essentially is what most of us need. It’s great for those post-flight and feeling sluggish, or for those who want to soothe sore post-exercise muscles.
Isabella Lombardini
How many treatments do you need?
Every client’s experience is unique, but Ricari say they see an increased benefit in their clients from regularity, say 10 sessions, but some see an immediate change after one treatment.
Why is Ricari Studio’s Signature treatment worthy?
If you’re looking for a treatment that’s a little bit different, this is for you. I’ve had more massages than I care to admit, and often left feeling anything but satisfied. From the location to the treatment room to the overall experience, this is something I would pay to enjoy again.
Lead image credit: Isabella Lombardini
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Any Questions or Tips to add?