Virtually every kind of wellness therapy or treatment has a home in London, from the alternative to the high-tech. At Salon C. Stellar in Soho, Andrea Pfeffer is blending both ends of the spectrum. Described as a “sensorial, experience-centric skin and well-being clinic”, where “ancient wisdom meets modern science” and “where self-care is treated as both a personal and collective practice”. What that means is that it’s a space where you can pop in for advanced facial and massage treatments or birth chart reading and astro coaching.
Having not had my skin looked at in many months, I went in for the first option, specifically the Swiss Deluxe Elasto-Collagen Personalised Facial. Using Swiss brand Cellcosmet, the treatment has been developed to revitalise the skin, boost cellular function and restore radiance, three things I’m in need of. Cellcosmet products contain botanical and marine ingredients as well as innovative formulations, like the PostBiotic complex that supports the skin’s microbiome and the CytoPep Cellular Extract that delivers concentrated revitalising power. The result is a spa-like experience with the results you’d expect from a medical clinic.
My therapist Iris immediately clocked my congested skin, so she offered to do some extraction, which isn’t strictly part of the facial programme but it’s there if people want it. If someone’s offering to squeeze all the gunk out of your face for you, I say take the offer. Before we got to that point, there was a cleanse, a thorough exfoliation with an enzymatic scrub and a very long facial steam to really open up those pores for the extraction. She really got in there too, which was pinchy but worth it.
Then it was on with a face mask and whilst that was left to sink in, Iris worked out the knots in my neck and shoulders with a massage. The final step of the treatment was an LED mask, and they use a medical grade one here, which was so bright it felt like my head was inside of the sun but I was assured that results from this mask are far superior and it was worth it.
It’s quite an active facial, with a long exfoliation, lots of steam, pressure from extraction and intense light, but you gotta work for good results, and that’s exactly what I got, with the congestion gone and a firmed and brightened face.
19B Beak St, London W1F 9RP
saloncstellar.com