Try These Next-Gen Facials For Your Pre-Christmas Party Prep

From providing an instant skin glow to targeting fine lines and sun damage, the next generation of advanced facials offer so much more than just a relaxing face wash at the spa. That makes them your secret weapon for subtle yet effective facial rejuvenation, just in time for your Christmas. 

Read on for a refresher on the benefits of an advanced facial, and to discover our favourite advanced facial recommendations, including the treatments to book for a deep-cleaning reset and the beauty insider’s secret to party-ready radiance.

What is an advanced facial?

An advanced – or ‘dermatology-grade’ – facial is a treatment that is specifically designed to resolve a skin issue or to achieve a complexion goal, delivered by a medical or aesthetic expert. That means they are a lot more targeted (and can use stronger devices or actives) than traditional ‘relaxing’ facials you may get at the spa. The latter tends to more generally focus on cleaning and moisturising your skin in a soothing yet not necessarily results-driven manner.

A key benefit of an advanced facial is that they can be customised to target your specific concerns, including acne, pigmentation problems, or fine lines. Depending on the treatment and practitioner you choose, that means after your facial’s traditional cleansing and exfoliation steps (and before moisturisation at the end), you could benefit from a chemical peel to target uneven pigmentation, microneedling to smooth and firm, or skin-soothing LED light therapy.

Many advanced facials can be enjoyed as ‘one and done’ treatments, meaning you can see certain results straight away (although the benefits can also get better overtime with a session of treatments). This makes them especially good to book in for in the run up to a big event, including your up-coming festive parties.

What’s more, while advanced facials are known for being thorough in their approach, they are also designed to keep downtime to a minimum – with some offering treatments where you can confidently head straight to a social occasion post-session. That’s why if you want to solve an annoying skin concern, including dull, tired-looking skin before your Christmas party, you can trust them to deliver skin-boosting results super quickly.

Our favourite advanced facials:

FOR A DEEP CLEAN: HYDRAFACIAL

Brilliant for targeting blackheads and congestion, HydraFacial has revolutionised the meaning of a ‘deep clean’. The pen-like device uses a controlled jet of water and varying tips to deliver a thorough skin cleanse and hydra-dermabrasion (aka water-based exfoliation), followed by a gentle glycolic acid peel that softens up gunk in your pores so it can be hoovered up via the device’s painless suction extraction technique. Targeted serums are then pushed deeper into your skin to maximise their benefits, before a touch of soothing red light therapy concludes the experience. Consider it your quick-fix for instantly fresh and glowing skin.

FOR A LIFTED LOOK: EMFACE

If you want to lift and tighten your skin without needles or downtime, Emface has you covered. Combining synchronised radiofrequency with HIFES (a type of muscle stimulation), the device delivers its skin-toning energy through sticker-type ‘pads’, meaning its totally non-invasive. The HIFES triggers muscle contractions to improve facial definition, while the radiofrequency heats the skin’s tissues and stimulates collagen and elastin production, to lift and smooth. None of this has any side effects on the skin’s surface, so you can head straight out afterwards, benefitting from a mildly more-contoured look. You need a course of four, weekly treatments for best results, especially for smoothing fine lines.

FOR A RADIANT GLOW: WOW FACIAL

Designed to give you instant glow-boosting results that you can take straight to your evening event, WOW Facial is a six-step hyper-personalised facial, customised to your skin type, tone and age. Starting with a tailored cleanse and choice of four acid peels (to brighten, smooth, clarify or treat dark spots), the standout feature is the WOW Fusion microneedling device. This infuses the brand’s skincare actives deeper into your skin, leaving it brighter and more evenly-textured. LED light therapy then follows, plus a collagen sheet mask, and tailored skincare application; maximising your results and leaving you with a long-lasting, healthy-looking radiance.

FOR WIDE-RANGING BENEFITS: CELLUMA

You might actually spy your practitioner using CELLUMA‘s LED light therapy devices as part of a longer facial treatment, as well as on their own, as the technology treats an array of concerns, all without downtime. There’s the blue light wavelength for helping clear acne; red light for boosting collagen production and reducing fine lines; as well as infrared light energy to soothe inflammation. Plus, with a treatment time of just 30 minutes, you simply relax under the LED panel, basking in the light. Results do take longer than some other facials on this list, but you don’t even have to head into clinic: the CELLUMA PRO is also available for at-home use.

FOR SKIN SMOOTHING: SKINSTORM

SkinStorm really is a ‘does-it-all’ facial, with elements of resurfacing, needling and peeling working together to smooth and firm your skin. All that activity could, in theory, leave you red and sore, but that’s where the device’s ‘cold therapies’ come in. There’s the ‘ice peeling’ step where AHAs are infused with super-cooled dissolved oxygen to exfoliate with less irritation; ‘ice needling’ to trigger wound-healing while numbing pain; and a blast of resurfacing crystals teamed with healing LED light. Then, best of all for pre-event, is the ‘needle-free filler’ effect, where high-pressure oxygen pushes hydration deep into your skin to instantly (if temporarily) plump it up.

One of our recommendations for ‘future-proofing’ your face without toxin or filler, BYONIK is a laser-based facial with a difference. Unlike traditional heat-based lasers, it uses a Pulse Triggered Laser (PTL), which non-invasively delivers ‘cold’ low-level laser energy into your skin at time intervals adjusted for maximum cellular response. This is paired with a deep cleanse, an enzyme peel, and the application of hyaluronic acid gel, for a treatment that encourages skin repair and targets lines, enlarged pores and uneven tone. The best news: one treatment is enough to start seeing results, and it can even be used on inflamed skin, including active acne.