Busy minds, tired bodies – we can all do with a little pamper to add fuel to our fire, but where to go? Tried and tested by the HB team, these are the very best beauty treatments in London to book now…
1. The Grey Wolfe Method
A small and beautiful boutique spa space in SW London, Grey Wolfe is dedicated to overall well-being. In fact, make that simply being well. Not your usual day destination, time here is fluid – don’t expect to be hurried along or any rigid scheduling. You are welcome for as long as you need and are made to feel extremely at home – cups of herbal tea, cosy blankets, and all.
In terms of treatments, if you feel like you’re running on empty and need a full-body reboot, then the Grey Wolfe Method is for you. Arriving in a very depleted state, I can honestly say I left a few hours later a new human.
My experience began with what I can only describe as a mind massage – a session on the super comfortable Rebalance Impulse bed that uses light and sound cycles to balance and analyse your brainwaves. My mind was quite literally blown. This preceded a soothing full body massage performed while lying curled sideways around a pillow – simultaneously odd and yet gloriously freeing.
My favourite part next – sweating out all those built-up toxins in a private infrared sauna. An old-school coal sauna lover, I’d never experienced the infrared alternative and can attest to its superiority – no suffocatingly dry air or discomfort. The final element in the Method was a session in front of the BioCharger – a machine that emits 4 different energy types (light, frequencies and harmonics, voltage and PEMFs (Pulse Electro-Magnetic Fields) to recharge your cells. I fell completely asleep – enough said.
BEST FOR: The stressed, emotionally drained and frazzled.
LENGTH: 2.5 hours for £199
USP: Tipped as high vibrational self-love, it would be tough to beat this as a 360-degree wellness MOT with ALL the luxury of a chic day spa.
WHERE: Barnes, London
MORE INFO: greywolfe.co.uk
2. Harmony Massage
This unique double-whammy combination of a hands-on massage and energy healing takes place at the plush Beyond Medispa in Harvey Nichols, London.
This beautiful and profound healing experience brings the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies back into alignment. Carried out by either one of the founders of Harmony, Helen Porter and Wioleta Janik, who cherry picks the best elements of various holistic therapies to create the most powerful and transformational experience.
With their strong belief in the relationship between physical and emotional health, you’ll be treated with the utmost care and attention..
After an in-depth consultation form, my energy centres were checked for depletion and so-called “energy blockages” before my full body was massaged with luxury skincare Tea Tonic oils while crystals and hot stones were placed on specific parts of my body to increase blood flow and balance my chakras.
This is not your average massage, some parts of my beauty treatment felt a little uncomfortable as my therapist worked on my facia and trigger point release, however the results I felt were well worth it.
I became emotional during parts of the treatment while at other times I drifted off into a blissful state of relaxation. Once the treatment was finished, I sipped warm Tea Tonic tea (delish!), while I listened to the fascinating findings that my therapist found while mapping my body during the treatment.
BEST FOR: If you’re looking for alternative treatment to help aid emotional wellbeing and recovery.
LENGTH: 120 mins for £300
USP: Not your average massage. Combining all aspects of healing rolled into one treatment, you get all the holistic benefits as well as a traditional massage.
WHERE: Harvey Nichols, London
MORE INFO: theharmonymassage.com
3. Randox X Reviv IV Drips
At first you may question your decision to voluntarily be wired up to a bag of liquid that is intravenously pumping through your bloodstream, but the benefits you feel post treatment is truly elating.
Although you would normally associate the equipment with hospitals and illness, these are specially formulated liquids that are injected into your vein that effectively increase your intake of vitamins and minerals that you may be lacking.
I chose the MegaBoost IV, because that’s quite literally what my body needed, a mega boost! Poor diet, disturbed sleep, catching every virus going, my body was crying out for more than just my daily multivitamin.
With a menu of IV drips to choose from plus mini boosters, which is frankly like an extra shot of caffeine in your morning latte, you just sit back and relax while the vitamin drains from the bag and pumped straight through your veins. Expect to come out of the treatment pounding the pavements with new-found energy.
It’s worth noting this isn’t for the squeamish, nor for anyone pregnant or breastfeeding.
BEST FOR: Recharging, detoxing, and boosting energy levels.
LENGTH: Dependent on the drip, approximately 30 minutes, from £85
USP: A quick vitamin and mineral fix that works immediately.
WHERE: UK & Ireland
MORE INFO: randoxhealth.com
4. The Mesotherapy Experience with Vaishaly
Hidden away on a side street in the hustle and bustle of Marylebone, London lives award-winning and celebrity favourite facialist, Vaishaly Patel. This new innovative beauty treatment uses facial massage technique and Vaishaly’s unique and powerful cranial sacral work shifting the client’s mind from ‘a state of overthinking’ into ‘Being’. From the moment Vaishaly’s magical hands touched my face, my mind went completely blank (in a good way). Everything suddenly slowed down and my mental to-do list was far away.
Vaishaly began the facial with a powerful yet gentle cleanse releasing tension and stress around my jaw and cheekbones (thanks to months of wearing aligners). She then mixed up a serum (a powerful bespoke blend of hyaluronic acid, vitamins, amino acids, and minerals) and applied it on my skin using the ‘Nappage’ technique – a tapping motion on the surface of the skin that releases fresh cells and removes damaged ones which left me with remarkably firmer, more toned, uplifted, and radiant complexion after just one treatment. I was only saddened that I didn’t have anywhere special to go to show off my new skin.
BEST FOR: Skincare concerns particularly fine lines, pigmentation, tired eyes or when your face starts moving south.
LENGTH: 60 mins from £225
USP: The nearest thing you’ll get to a skin boosting non-surgical anti-ageing treatment with the ultimate glow.
WHERE: Marylebone, London
MORE INFO: vaishaly.com
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5. Chantecaille Revitalising Sculpting Facial
This is luxury at its very best. Housed in the Harrods beauty suites in London, this facial uses the iconic energising 24K Gold skincare collection – which seems rather apt, including the newly launched 24K Gold Serum.
In the most glorious setting (without a sound from the outside buzz of shopping above) my skin was layered up using the most potent peptide-rich ingredients while the exclusive Chantecaille Revitalising Lifting Machine lifted, toned and de-puffed my face using similar techniques you would experience from lymphatic drainage and cupping.
The smell of the products was beautifully intense while the beauty treatment was powerful and exhilarating in equal measures. While laying on a heated blanket, it didn’t take long until I was dozing in and out of consciousness (even with the gentle use of the machine) while my cheekbones and jawline were gently chiselled to perfection.
BEST FOR: Sun-damaged, dry, tired skin. An ideal pre-event treatment.
LENGTH: 90 mins for £200
USP: As luxe as it gets from venue and products to overall treatment and service.
WHERE: Harrods, London
MORE INFO: harrods.com
6. Tarot Reading at Wellness Foundry
An alternative way of promoting deep healing through a spiritual reading, particularly great for busy, curious minds. This reading can be done face-to-face in Vauxhall, London or on Zoom. Susanna, a psychic, clairvoyant and energy reader prompted me with questions in all areas of my life where most want questions answered or at least some positive guidance towards the future. Everything from current to past relationships, jobs, health, family, and love were all touched upon but without being too intrusive. Susanna was scarily accurate without me giving away too much about my life. I came off the Zoom almost elated, like a weight had been taken off my shoulders, and I had goosebumps throughout the entire hour session.
BEST FOR: Unlocking questions that are playing on your mind and general guidance in areas of your life.
LENGTH: 60 mins for £85
USP: Far from a one-size-fits-all approach to healing, this will allow you to find comfort, confidence, and grounding without having to leave your house.
WHERE: London
MORE INFO: wellnessfoundry.co.uk
7. The SJW Signature Treatment by Sarah Jane Watson
Sarah Jane Watson is a firm believer in the power of massage. But this is no ordinary massage, her SJW signature will truly leave you feeling transformed. Practising for over 20 years, Sarah has a remarkable talent for quietening the mind while removing every last trace of tension with a continual, rhythmic flow.
Using the highest quality essential and aromatherapy oils blended by renowned aromatherapist Michelle Roques-O’Neil, Sarah used a huge variety of massage techniques from Swedish, Balinese, Hawaiian and Indian head massage that felt blissfully meditative. Sarah is astonishingly intuitive and knew my points of tension and where I carry stress in my body. After 90 minutes of pure bliss, my body felt peaceful, calm and like I had been on some wellbeing journey far far away from London.
BEST FOR: Exhausted minds and bodies that desperately need to slow down.
LENGTH: 90 mins for £450
USP: A massage that is truly transformative and lulls you into the deepest state of rest.
WHERE: South East London
MORE INFO: sarahjwatson.com
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8. CACI Synergy Purifying Facial Treatment
If you’ve been considering trying a more techy facial but aren’t sure where to begin, this is for you. Flashing blue and red lights, thousands of vibrations a second – all of these tools look very futuristic, so our Editor went to see what all the fuss was about.
“As someone with blemish-prone skin that’s also starting to show the first signs of ageing – no happy middle ground between the teens and adulthood for this writer, it seems – this sounds spot on. The combination of anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory red and blue LED light therapy heals the skin while also triggering tissue repair. This stage used an Ultrasonic Actuator, which is as impressive as it sounds, containing ceramic/quartz transducers and vibrates at a speed of 27,00 per second, to propel impurities to the surface.
“Other highlights from the treatment included ETR (Enhanced Tissue Repair pads placed on specific areas of concern) along with a skin-repairing Wrinkle Comb, and finishing with CACI’s New Purifying Silver Mask. This transparent gel face mask is a hard-working creation, infused with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory Pure Colloidal Silver combined with antioxidant-rich ingredients to strengthen the skin’s natural defences and protect from free-radical damage, which is known to age the skin.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how gentle this treatment was while delivering a solid dose of cutting-edge skincare goodness.”
BEST FOR: Sensitised, irritated, oily, combination, teen, hormonal skin.
LENGTH: 45 mins, starts from £50
USP: Gentle yet effective
WHERE: CACI spas and salons nationwide
MORE INFO: cacibeauty.com
QUICK TIP: If you’re time-poor, try one of these pampering and skin-loving overnight beauty treatments instead:
