Editor Beth Forsyth was invited to the Bearsden clinic to try the radiance-boosting, cutting-edge Intraceuticals’ HydraFacial that’s now available in Scotland
Hands up if you’re never far from a ‘motivational’ water bottle. You know the ones: they countdown the day, hour-by-hour, and are emblazoned with phrases like ‘keep chugging’ and ‘remember your goal’ to encourage regular H2O consumption.
It’s the most basic yet effective piece of skincare advice that makeup artists offer, but drinking plenty of water really does pay dividends. While there’s a lot to be said for staying hydrated and following a tailored beauty routine ahead of the wedding, sometimes a little professional ‘glow-getting’ assistance doesn’t go amiss.
Run by celebrity medical aesthetic practitioner Fiona Grant, The Aesthetics Club specialises in advanced aesthetics and injectables at its two branches in Glasgow and London. It’s also home to one of the newest facials in the Scottish market – the Intraceuticals HydraFacial, AKA the ‘Oxygen Facial’. It claims to deliver dramatic, instant results – glowing, plump and visibly smoother skin – with zero downtime.
It’s already got an A-list following (apparently Helena Bonham Carter and Olivia Colman both requested the treatment regularly while filming The Crown), so I visited the Bearsden clinic recently to find out if the royal seal of approval is justified…
Practitioner Kerri welcomed me into the calming, chicly decorated space and I was soon relaxing under warm towels and a weighty blanket on an exceptionally comfy treatment bed. As she cleansed my face, gently massaging to aid lymphatic drainage, improve circulation and eliminate toxins, she told me that she’d had lots of brides booking appointments for this facial the day before the wedding.
Most that are as technologically advanced as the HydraFacial are off-limits close to a big life event in case of adverse reactions or flare-ups, but makeup artists have been recommending this one as the results are outstanding and potential side-effects minimal.
Following a deeper cleanse to remove dead skin, Kerri applied a rejuvenating enzyme exfoliant to brighten my complexion and used a painless suction device (like a teeny Henry the Hoover) to remove any lurking impurities.
Using a technique called ‘hydradermabrasion’, the next stage is where the magic happens: a small silver pen-like blower blasted serums packed with hyaluronic acid, peptides and antioxidants into my face. Using pressurised oxygen in such a way pushes these quenching products further into the skin than topical application can. Basically, it’s much better than slathering on the moisturiser and hoping for the best.
At this point, Kerri employed a lot of lifting movements on my face and applying a lip and eye mask, before she left me to wallow in a state of bliss.
The last steps involved smoothing on moisture-giving gel/cream and using cutting-edge LED light to stimulate the production of collagen, reduce redness and support the natural production of vitamin D.
So does the ‘Oxygen Facial’ live up to the hype? Yes, I believe it does. I emerged with plump, hydrated skin that looked radiant and glowing. My smile and frown lines were still there, but I felt some of them were less noticeable for a few days after.
I had annoying patches of psoriasis on my top left cheekbone and along my hairline and although they looked slightly irritated immediately after the treatment, they had almost completely disappeared by the following morning. I think being drenched in such goodness genuinely helped nourish my skin and kickstart the process of getting rid of them.
Kerri insightfully advised that retinol does not mix well with psoriasis-prone skin like mine and that I had possibly damaged my skin’s natural barrier by using products containing the anti-aging vitamin A derivative. She suggested avoiding it going forward and incorporating products rich in hyaluronic acid instead. I have been following her advice and, you know what, those flaky patches haven’t come back.
I was thrilled with the results after just one hour-long session; however you might want to consider taking advantage of the clinic’s six HydraFacials for the price of five deal, to help you achieve maximum bridal luminosity.
The Oxygen Facial is available now at The Aesthetics Club, Bearsden, with prices starting from £130.