Intraceuticals

The Intraceuticals facial is a gentle, deeply hydrating, and face-sculpting treatment which makes skin look amazingly plumped up and glowing.

Intraceuticals has become a pre-event staple for celebrity fans ranging from Kim Kardashian to Justin Bieber (they each have Intraceuticals machines at home, just to make it easier).

In short, a slim wand of a device is used to blast pressurised oxygen mixed with skin-improving serums over the face.

The main serum that is used is a low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid serum; ‘low molecular weight’ means its molecules are really small, so that they can sink more readily into the skin, rather than sitting on the surface. Then you can have an acne-calming serum or a skin-brightening serum, or another hyaluronic acid with a larger molecular weight, layered on top…

The idea behind the jet of oxygen is that it is meant to push the serums more firmly into the skin. It also delivers a face-sculpting lymphatic drainage massage at the same time.

Yes. The Intraceuticals facial has a great reputation for delivering instant results.

When treatments claim celebrity fans, you usually need to take the claim with a pinch of salt – maybe the celeb in question tried the treatment once, and never went back. But Intraceuticals points as evidence to the growing number of A-listers who have bought the (expensive) machines that deliver these treatments, so they can get that glow at home any time they want. At the last count, Madonna, who has been a fan of the system for over a decade, had six machines – one for each of her houses around the world.

An Intraceuticals facial is good for getting your face to look its best for a week or so, such as in preparation for a big event.

You can use the Find a Practitioner tool on this website to find a practitioner who offers Intraceuticals facials.

Make sure that the practitioner is experienced at giving Intraceuticals facials. While the facial is a gentle treatment, you don’t want to have your face blasted with pressurised oxygen and serums by someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.

An Intraceuticals facial costs around £200.

An Intraceuticals facial takes 30 to 60 minutes.

The effects of an Intraceuticals facial last for about a week before they wear off.

Not really. The treatment is not only non-invasive but also gentle enough for sensitive skin. You can apply makeup almost immediately after the facial if you want.

Unusual but very comfortable. Having the oxygen-spray-jet worked steadily around my face is a strange but not unpleasant sensation. Once I realise it isn’t going to hurt even in the slightest, it becomes quite hypnotic, and I drift off into a nap.

The improvement is immediate (well, it has taken 45 minutes) and obvious. My cheeks look more defined and a little lifted, and my skin has the most fabulous dewy glow to it, as if I’d been on a detox regime with early nights for a week. I can completely see why A-listers whose faces are under a lot of scrutiny would want these treatments regularly.

My skin went on looking great for the best part of a week, but after that, alas, it was back to normal.