Last week I was invited to try out Inner Soul’s Red Carpet Facial with Emma Coleman, an aesthetic nurse, facialist and skin nutritionist. Disclaimer: Yes, this treatment was complementary but I only ever write about practises that I genuinely love and see real results from. Read on to find out more…
Emma Coleman’s Red Carpet Facial is a one-hour treatment that combines antioxidants with a glycolic peel and Mesotherapy. (I’ll explain more about what that means a little later on). Her therapy room is based within her beautiful home in Orpington (about a 30 minute drive from South-East London) and offers a range of treatments that help to nourish and balance the skin. As soon as I was welcomed inside, I felt immediately comfortable with Emma and was given time to make myself comfortable while we chatted and I filled out some forms. I think when going for a treatment for the first time in someone’s home, it’s really important that you a) feel comfortable and b) are going to be able to completely relax. Thankfully, Emma’s warm persona made both possible.
After an initial consultation and explanation about the process of my facial, Emma began gently cleansing my face with soft cotton pads before the glycolic peel was applied with a brush. Emma warned me that this would create quite a powerful tingle (which it did) and I panicked a little as my face can be really quite sensitive. Other than containing 50% glycolic, the peel features cranberry and mulberry to provide a deep cleanse and exfoliation, which creates a blank canvas for the next step of the facial. Emma then explained that she would apply an alkaline substance that balances the PH levels of the peel before removing and moving on to the Mesotherapy: a process that uses a simple syringe and 30 gauge needle to impregnate the epidermis with a cocktail of natural ingredients. Emma used rose hip, spilanthes acmella flower, rose de mai and rose absolute in my cocktail, as well as moisture-packed hyaluronic acid and amino acids. This powerful mix of antioxidants aims to protect the skin from sensitivity and ageing, while providing nourishment. You can also choose your preference of essential oil too for a truly bespoke feel – I went for rose which always makes me feel really calm and pampered. I should also add that by this point any sense of stinging or tingling had disappeared and my skin was feeling really comforted and nourished.
I knew that Mesotherapy is used by some as a natural alternative to Botox (due to its ability to replenish naturally-occurring substances required by the skin to rehydrate and repair imperfections such as fine lines) but I wasn’t expecting such instant results. As I looked into the mirror after the facial, I was genuinely surprised to see no trace of redness (which I usually get after a results-driven facial) along with super smooth and dewy skin. The next day my skin felt and looked pretty amazing – I was so shocked to see that the facial (with all of tingling and stinging) had left my usually sensitive skin unbelievably calm and soft.
I’d recommend this facial to anyone wanting to look their best at an event as it really does give immediate but long-lasting results. Just bear in mind though that any kind of peel will make your skin extra sensitive to the sun, so don’t book in before a sunny holiday and always ensure you wear high factor, broad-spectrum sun protection afterwards.