Everyone loves to be pampered but, lets face it, modern life doesn’t often allow much time for that kind of thing, what with working all the hours god sends to pay the mortgage and keeping up with the partying habits of the Joneses. If you have been secretly longing for a bit more of that luxury ‘spoil me’ time then you will be pleased to hear that there is a new breed of beauty treatments you can now fit it into a lunch hour (or less). The fast facial – and ‘mini facial’, ‘express facial’ or ‘speed facial’ as it is otherwise known – has touched down in the Capital and is already gathered hundreds of fans among the pamper-starved ladies of London who don’t get much time to lunch.
What happens during a fast facial?
Well, as the treatment generally lasts around 30 minutes, there is not going to be time for the full 15-step process your face would be put through if you had 2 hours to kill. A fast facial generally focuses on facial basics – cleansing, exfoliating, toning and moisturising. A typical fast facial might start with a warm, wet towel being placed over the customer’s face, followed by the application of an exfoliating cleanser, another wet towel with some kind of aromatherapy oil applied to it, a mask, a toner and finally a moisturiser is applied.
Why bother with a fast facial?
Most companies that offer this type of facial use products that are super strong and designed to give your skin a real concentrated boost. There are also a number of specialised fast facials available, which give you access to expensive treatments like microdermabrasion and facial peels that would be out of the average customer’s price range if they were to book the full length treatment. If you don’t have the time (or the money) for a full length, 2 hour, £100 facial then having fast facials on a regular basis can invigorate your skin and get rid of all the tired or dead cells, for a fraction of the cost. It doesn’t matter how good you are at caring for your skin, having it pampered by a professional is always going to give it that extra boost of vitality.
How much do fast facials cost?
They tend to vary in price, depending on the profile of the spa that you go to and the kinds of products that are used. If you sign up for a specialist fast facial like Bliss Spa’s (http://www.blissworld.co.uk) Oxygen Blast (fruit acid wash, massage with mycelated vitamins, a hydrating hot towel and enzyme pack, and a five minute oxygen spray) that will set you back £81, whereas a basic Express Facial with ESPA (http://www.espaonline.com) costs only £25.
Where can I get a fast facial in London?
As the trend for fast facials has grown, the treatment has spread and is now common practice in most of the big spas, as well as boutique and high street establishments. Head to the Carnaby Street Cowshed for a (http://www.cowshedonline.com) Speedy Facial that costs £40 for 30 minutes and entails facial cleanse, exfoliation, steam, customised mask and scalp massage; The Roseberry Rooms (www. kumariclub.com) in Clerkenwell does a Dermalogica mini facial for a very reasonable £27; and Groom at Selfridges (http://www.groomlondon.com) offers no less than 4 fast facials – including a Rapid Reveal Facial Peel and Quick Blitz Microdermabrasion facial – ranging in price from £40 – 60.
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