New anti-ageing facial at One Aldwych spa

Revolutionary anti-ageing Frozen Marine facial promises top results for tired skin. Bernadette Fallon checked it out

A facial is a nice pampering treat for deep cleansing and moisturising, which leaves skin feeling soft and supple and you feeling nice and relaxed, right? Well yes, usually. Though at the Health Club at contemporary London hotel One Aldwych, you can take it a little bit further.

 

The Natura Bissè Frozen Marine DNA Facial is a hard core anti-ageing facial which takes this familiar spa staple to the next level and is probably better described as a skin treatment. It doesn't do facial peeling and it doesn't do Botox, but it is probably the closest I've ever come to experiencing the effects of either. It's not for the faint-hearted and if all you want is some gentle stroking and a few light products, look elsewhere. But if you are interested in ‘superior results for tired and ageing skin' (which is the promise), read on ...

 

The Natura Bissè range

 

Natura Bissè is a high end Spanish skincare brand, available through a limited number of luxury retailers in the UK, including SpaceNK. However its spa treatments have been developed for and are exclusive to One Aldwych. Founded in 1979 and family owned, the company fuses nature and science, using bio-regenerative ingredients from natural sources.

 

It is the brainchild of Ricardo Fisas, former manager of a Barcelona cosmetic laboratory, who one day noticed that the factory workers' hands were all exceptionally soft. Taking the ingredients they all handled on a daily basis, he developed his first skin cream and Natura Bissè was born.

 

The company is most famous for its exfoliating Glyco peels and the anti-ageing Diamond range - and the DNA facial combines both. ‘Intense exfoliation' is exactly how I would describe it - the Glyco peel has a high concentration of Glycolic Acid and natural AHAs. Some of the basic peels in the range have an acid concentration of 10 to 20%, but I did promise you hard core and this facial offers a whopping 50% concentration!

 

Hot and cold

 

And yes, it does burn, though my therapist manages a very skilful gentle application so that the effect is gradual. This really is a treatment of extremes, once the exfoliator has done its work - and believe me, you can feel it work, that outer layer of dead cells is well and truly gone! - I am treated to the gloriously cooling effects of the Diamond Experience Ice-Lift cold face mask.

 

I originally shivered in anticipation when I was told about the frozen cubes of marine DNA serum that would be applied to my skin, but the ice cold sensation is the perfect complement to the intense heat of the exfoliator. In-between I'm treated to a deft and deep all-over facial massage, my skin felt like it was having a very intensive workout and was left feeling much firmer and tighter afterwards.

 

This is the spa's signature treatment, and at £170 for 90 minutes it doesn't come cheap, but given the complexity of both its technique and its ingredients, you can see why. There are different levels of Glycolic peel available; so it's probably best to start with the lowest and work up from there.

 

Spa facilities

 

After my treatment I'm invited to sample the health club facilities - all visitors to the spa have complimentary use of the steam room, sauna and swimming pool (it's got underwater music, fancy!) before and after a treatment.

 

One Aldwych is one of London's newest hotels, opened in the summer of 1998 the building is a stylish mix of contemporary design and grand touches. Part of the Leading Small Hotels of the World group, managing director Gordon Campbell Gray is as individual as the hotel he has created. As well as being included in The Times' ‘Top 50 People that every Traveller Should Know', he is vice president of Save the Children and regularly travels to India where he is involved with community projects for children.

 

What's the verdict?

 

So what was the end result of my super strength facial? I was confidently told by a member of the hotel team that I would look five years younger afterwards. So did I?

 

The people I questioned peered closely at me. ‘I thought your skin was looking really good today', ‘Your skin looks brighter and fresher', ‘Definitely looking good', were the answers I received.

 

So ‘five years younger' might be stretching it, but I'll settle for the compliments on my younger, fresher and brighter looking skin very happily.

 

Contact details

 

The Leading Hotels of the World offers stays at One Aldwych, London from £195 per room per night based on two people sharing an Aldwych room. Visit the website at www.lhw.com or call free on 00800 2888 8882.

 

See last month's spa review

 

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