I tried a £140 facial and this is what I thought

My skin type is pretty standard ‘combination’ – blotchy on a Monday, smooth by the Tuesday, sensitive in parts, oily in others. Though my bathroom shelf is desperate to showcase the trendy products filling up my Instagram feed, my skin is most comfortable slathered in good old Aveeno and nightly dabs of Sudocrem. Eilidh Smith’s SkinWork is a notoriously plush spot for stellar skincare – not just so-titled by the Treatwell office – so when I was offered the chance to head to Soho to try out their Signature Facial, my blackheads and I travelled straight there, ready to check out the £140 treatment and determine if it’s worth the cost.

By Rachel Spedding

• 1 The intro

  Beauty expert and MD of the company, Eilidh is wonderful to chat with, answering my lengthy list of q’s to get all the intel. Eilidh notes that the Signature Facial (their most popular treatment, consuming "around 80% of their bookings") is often customised by their clients – and on therapist’s recommendation. Adding *extras* like peels, LED light therapy, microdermabrasion, and facial massage for optimum results.
• 2 The cleanse

  Ready for my skin to look reborn thanks to expert facialist Lilly, she begins the process with a cleanse to remove my makeup – it feels very nice – then applies a heat mask and yukka root extract to prepare my pores for some gentle extraction. Using a rolling technique, Lilly gets to work on freeing my pores of debris (so long blackheads). ​She explained that "congested skin will need more pressure applied" – cue lots of pressure applied. 
• 3 The tech

  Now onto the hi-tech stuff. An antioxidant solution mask is applied, before Lilly kickstarts the Galvanic current. You heard correctly – this allows the "vitamin C and zinc to penetrate further beneath the skin". I don’t feel a thing, just the wonderful warmth of the mask, so comforting in fact, I definitely nod off for a minute (or three). ​
• 4 The experience

  SkinWork’s Signature facial "removes oil, congestion and pollution", while the antioxidant infusion claims to stimulate collagen production. It’s the "ultimate skin maintenance" according to Eilidh. Do I agree? Well, yes actually. SkinWork emphasise that the treatment is all about results, not relaxation, and yet I felt so soothed during the treatment. Bonus.
• 5 My verdict

  My skin immediately looked ‘brighter’. That’s a word that’s thrown about often, but I mean it. I remained makeup-free for the rest of the day (despite my face being very pale, and my neck very orange), and opted for a lighter base the next day. I got compliments – yes really – on my ‘glow’ throughout the week, and though I’m now replicating the dewyness with highlighter a week later, my pores appear much less visible still, and I’ve had no breakouts or redness, as Eilidh predicted.
• 6 Should you try it?

  SkinWork recommended a few sessions to see longer-lasting results, around four weeks apart. Though it won’t be a monthly trip for me (sadly), it’s definitely something worth saving for, especially with the added bonus of expert advice on maintaining the results and every day skin behaviours. I think it’s important to invest in your skin when you can, and if you are planning to splurge on a real-results facial, this is the one I’d recommend.

  With Treatwell, you can book beauty online at all your favourite salons – simple, hassle-free, and you can do it on the go. Discover amazing salons in your area.