Tried & Tested: The Best Facials In London, Reviewed By The C&TH Team

Introducing the C&TH pick of the best facials in London. There are few feelings as wonderful as walking out of a facial sans make-up and glowing so much that your friends ask if you’ve been on holiday. No matter how many times you watch a Gankin Massage tutorial on YouTube, you simply can’t beat the skilled touch of a trained professional, but as with anything, not all treatments are created equal. We’ve got the lowdown on where to get the best facial fix in the capital; for first-timers, radiance-seekers, glow-getters and facial-veterans, these are the finest treatments in London.

The Best Facials In London

The Microbiome Facial | Dr. David Jack, Belgravia (Review By Charlie Colville)

Best For: Inflammation

Tucked away on a pretty street in Belgravia, the Dr. David Jack clinic lives up to the glamour of its postcode with its marble floors, chandeliers and art-lined walls. This is the most recent edition in Dr. David Jack’s growing collection of clinics (the second in London, after his Harley Street abode), and boasts all of the aesthetic doctor’s hero treatments as well as his latest innovations. I’m here to try the latter: the newly launched Microbiome Facial. Designed to address inflammatory conditions – rosacea, acne and chronic inflammation, to name a few – the facial uses a combination of peels and technologies to treat the cells at a deeper level.

Laying down for my consultation with skincare expert Leila Elias, we talk through my concerns (regular flare-ups and combination skin) before settling a bespoke micropeel comprised of mandelic, azelaic and lactic acids to prep the skin for deeper penetration. It’s then onto the main event: Lumixa Fluorescent Light Energy (FLE) Technology, a topical photoconverter gel that is applied to the skin then activated under a professional LED light. I’m recommended the ‘normal’ gel to help normalise inflammation across the skin; once applied, it’s just a matter of sitting under the lamp for 15 minutes (perfectly enough time to doze off) before the gel is removed. The final step involves cold plasma therapy, a combination of atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen which is applied to the skin via a special device – it’s this finishing touch that helps enhance collagen synthesis, strengthen the skin barrier and settle any lingering inflammation. I’m in and out in just an hour, with minimal downtime meaning I can go about my day without worry of redness.

BOOK IT: £350, available at Belgravia clinic; drdavidjack.com

Hydralift Facial | The Glasshouse Clinic (Review By Ellie Smith)

Best For: Sensitive skin

The Glasshouse Clinic has gained a loyal following since the first branch opened in Clapham back in 2009 – with a second to follow in Wimbledon Village. It’s the brainchild of Alison Tefler, who qualified as a nurse before training in aesthetics, and focuses on a distinctive approach which combines artistry with medical precision. With six months to go before my wedding, I visited to kick off my prep routine with the clinic’s new next-generation hydralift facial – an even more advanced version of the classic hydrafacial. But first was a skin analysis, which helped identify the specific concerns to focus on in the facial (skin texture and pigmentation for me). I’m always a little nervous before facials as I have sensitive skin, but hydrafacials are perfect for this – and my facialist was careful to avoid anything too potent. Hydrafacials are renowned for their hydrating effect, created using a hyperdermabrasion technique, exfoliation and specialised boosters, but this one felt particularly effective: afterwards my skin was glowing, with zero downtime, and the effects lasted for weeks. The clinic itself has a lovely feel too.

BOOK IT: £275, available at the Wimbledon clinic; theglasshouseclinic.co.uk

Sculpting Facial | Montrose (Review By Amy Wakeham)

Best For: Firm and sculpted skin

Clinics don’t come much more luxurious or discreet than the Montrose, which is tucked into a gated, jasmine-scented courtyard just off Sloane Square. While it offers a full range of treatments, tweakments and injectables, led by its expert medical team, I’m here for a pre-wedding Sculpting Facial, which combines Eastern European lifting techniques and facial contouring lymphatic drainage to provide sculpting, toning and complete relaxation. I’m led to a calm, cocooning treatment room by Jess, the practitioner who specialises in this type of facial. There, she alternates applying both firm pressure to my face and neck, which provides the lifting and sculpting effect, and slow and gentle massage techniques that target the lymph nodes, assisting in the drainage of toxins and reducing puffiness. The results – which last a couple of weeks – include firmer skin, a more defined jawline and cheekbones, and also more glowing skin, something that guests at my wedding commented on. An essential before your big day, or ideal as a monthly moment of calm.

BOOK IT: From £175; montroseclinics.com

Hydrafacial | Dr Motox (Review By Ellie Smith)

Best For: A deep cleanse

Dr Motox is best known for its aesthetic treatments, but the clinic also offers a few facials – with a focus on the ones that will actually give you results. Helmed by Dr. Mo Hamed (AKA Dr Motox), the clinic’s flagship is located in Mayfair, with a second branch tucked away in the heart of Clapham Old Town. We tried its Hydrafacial, an invigorating experience which involves removing dead skin cells and impurities using specialist equipment. Each facial can be tailored to your needs – we opted for an extra mask to ramp up the glow factor even more – and at the end you get to see all the oil and dirt which has been extracted from the skin, which is very satisfying. There’s no pain or downtime, and the effects are long-lasting – you’ll notice the results most a week on, so it’s a great facial to do in the lead-up to a big event.

BOOK IT: From £300; drmotox.com

Customisable Facial | Dermanda Clinic (Review By Caroline Phillips)

Best For: In-the-know wellness

Think hidden London. A clinic in a private, third-floor apartment entered off Harley Street. It’s where Arab slebs and royalty come to get younger. You’re offered homemade Moroccan biscuits, fresh mint tea and dates while you wait. Then a 12-step bespoke facial that fuses technology and hands-on, including a dreamy face and scalp massage. You may have cleansing (with natural acids and Jojoba beads), manual lymphatic drainage (with divine rose-whiffy oil), facial acupressure (for energy healing). A Hydrafacial machine may decongest your pores and a massage of Boto Lift moisturiser – think Botox in a bottle – will tighten your skin. You’ll leave rejuvenated and with a serious moisture boost. Dr Mandour,  pharmacist and cosmetic practitioner at the clinic, formulated the products and they’re fab and available exclusively at John Bell & Croyden. But if you want a DIY job, their Hydrating and Firming Mask is just the ticket. Review by Caroline Phillips

BOOK IT: Price dependant on treatment; dermanda.co.uk 

Dreamy Bespoke Skin Ritual | Iris Avenue (Review By Charlie Colville)

Best For: Bespoke treatments

Facials at Iris Avenue – Fitzrovia’s swankiest nail bar and beauty salon – are crafted in collaboration with luxury skincare brand Murad, specialising in customisable treatments and rituals. If there’s something specific going on with your skin that you’d like to try and tackle, you’ll do well with the Dreamy Bespoke Skin Ritual; this facial is preceded by an in-depth consultation form where you can outline your primary skin concerns (Dry skin? Blackheads? Fine lines and wrinkles?), and followed by a quick talk from your facialist explaining which skincare products you should use and avoid for the next week.

The facial itself is comprised of a combination of skin treatments – cleansers, peels, the works – as well as steam therapy and blackhead extractions. You skin will come out feeling ultra-fresh and toned (although maybe a little sore from the extractions, so best to try this facial a couple days before any big events), with skin brightening up within days of trying it out.

BOOK IT: The Dreamy Bespoke Skin Ritual starts from £78; irisavenue.com

The Hydrafacial | Hydrafacial (Review By Charlie Colville)

Best For: An express facial

If you haven’t had a Hydrafacial, then it’s about time you booked one. This treatment is often buzzed about by dermatologists, celebrities and skincare enthusiasts – and there’s good reason why. The three-step facial works to deep-clean, exfoliate and hydrate skin in just 30 minutes, using a wand device (which delivers deeper penetration than just using hands) to remove dead skin cells and dirt before bathing the new skin with cleansing, hydrating and moisturising serums. But how does the wand work? It’s essentially a vacuum that gently opens pores for a deep cleanse and easy extraction, leaving an ‘open door’ for the serums’ active ingredients to penetrate deeper.

A Hydrafacial treatment begins with a deep cleanse and exfoliation using a gentle peel, which reveals a new layer of skin. The next step is to extract impurities from pores using the wand’s suction function – it’s a lot gentler than it sounds – before moving on to hydration, where the skin is then saturated with intense moisturisers and ingredients tailored to your skincare concerns (which you can discuss with your facialist prior to your appointment). One of the newer boosters on the menu has been created in collaboration with JLo; the JLo Beauty Booster features JLo’s patented olive complex to plump and hydrate, tri-fermented essence to support collagen production, niacinamide to brighten and smooth and antioxidants to protect the surface of your skin. This is followed by LED light therapy (the red light stimulate collagen an elastin, making it ideal for tackling fine lines and wrinkles, while the blue light targets acne).

The result? Seriously glowing skin from the get-go. The immediate effect of the Hydrafacial is, as the name suggests, immediate hydration. This facial will help tackle any lingering dryness you might be experiencing, as well as lighten the appearance of fine lines and pigmentation.

BOOK IT: From £125; hydrafacial.co.uk

Featured image: The Lanesborough Club & Spa