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The Best Men's Facials in London
Pampering is usurped by performance in the new age of high-tech treatments
Long gone are the days when the best facials involved a whole lot of unctuous floral-scented creams, elevator music and a therapist that took the idea of an indoor voice a little too seriously. Soporific spa-style treatments have their place, but today we want real results from that hour of lying horizontal on a clinic bed. Be it forehead wrinkles, breakouts, or simply a visual manifestation of the pandemic / transport strikes / cost-of-living crisis (delete as appropriate, I can’t update this frequently enough to reflect the current zeitgeist of terror), there’s now a techy treatment that’ll bring you real results.
Of course, a spa hotel break is always nice, but if a two-day hiatus from regular life isn't possible, you don't need to miss out: there are plenty of decent facial clinics across the capital. LED light therapy looks similar to a traditional sunbed, but does the opposite for your skin, turning you back from a shrivelled raisin to a plump, youthful grape. For breakouts, there’s a host of acne-blasting experts that’ll sort our misbehaving pores and set you on the path to prolonged clarity. And for the truly advanced, trust in London’s laser experts, who can use beams of light to vanquish pigmentation, fine lines, acne scarring and more.
Here, see the very best facials for men in the country, according to the Esquire team.
The Best Men's Facials To Book Now
Skinwork
Based right in the middle of Soho, the Skinwork team knows exactly what smoggy city air can do to your complexion. To combat the clogged pores and dullness, they've launched the City Cleanse treatment: a properly thorough skin detox that'll leave you looking like you've packed it all in for the calm pace and clean air of the suburbs.
Combining an exfoliating, brightening acid peel with manual extractions (yes, that is what you think it is), antioxidant serums and even a quick arm massage, this is a facial that ranks high on the instant-satisfaction scale.
£165, Skinwork, Soho.
Pfeffer Sal
Fitzrovia's Pfeffer Sal clinic is a go-to for city-dwellers who want effective treatments without the stark clinical feel of most aesthetic outposts.
The brand's latest launch is a slight move away from the techy treatments the brand has built its reputation on (lasers, LED and even thread-vein blasting AFT are on the classic menu here).
The Restorative Recharge facial extends the clinic's famously good massage technique into an epic 90-minute event. The most relaxing thing you can do in a five-mile radius of Oxford Street, it involves gentle lymph drainage, gua-sha cheekbone chiselling, and a lot of deep meditative breathwork to balance your emotional state and sort out your skin too. If this one doesn't dull the thrumming of existential dread, nothing will.
£195, Pfeffer Sal, Fitzrovia.
111 Skin
Nowhere has more cosmetic practitioners per square foot than Harley Street, but there’s one door in particular all the A-listers are walking through. Dr. Yannis Alexandrides’ 111 Skin has grown from a small but respected tweakment outpost to a global skincare behemoth in recent years – and now, with the opening of The Suite, it also boasts the best-looking facial clinic on London’s aesthetician mile.
Here, you can experience a whole menu of 111 Skin classics, including the cult De-Puffing Cryo Facial, in which freezing cold air is blasted at your face in order to tighten, oxygenate and re-energise a sluggish system. Inspired by the premise of cryotherapy chambers (which the brand also offers), this chilly treatment works by boosting circulation in the epidermis, which in turn decreases puffiness while enhancing absorption of the brand’s high-potency topicals. Expect to emerge fresh-faced and very, very awake.
£180, 111 Skin, Harley Street.
Omorovicza
If you've ever been to Budapest, you'll likely be familiar with the ritual of the thermal bath: and while the tourist traps may be polluted by stag parties and students, there is a hefty healing heritage in those mineral-rich waters.
A hallowed name in its native Hungary, Omorovicza is a brand that harnesses the curative properties of the thermal springs, combining them with science-driven actives to create products that mean really good things for your skin.
Now, the brand has opened its first Institute outside of its homeland. The remarkably serene Mayfair space is where you can experience the Andrassy facial: a completely bespoke 9o-minute treatment that serves as a stellar introduction to the brand. Your therapist will freestyle according to your needs, but expect a combination of deep-cleansing, mud-masking and plenty of soporific, muscle-lifting massage.
£250, The Omorovicza Institute, South Audley St.
Skin Laundry
While a traditional facial – think: layers of serums massaged into your visage – can work wonders, when your skin is in need of TLC, you’ll likely require the help of medical-grade equipment.
Skin Laundry, the famed So-Cal clinic that opened across the pond in 2020, is a no-brainer. After struggling with acne and rough texture for years, founder Yen Reis found a lasting solution in laser facials. With that in mind, she wanted to bring the experience to the masses with treatments at more affordable prices.
All of the facials on offer at the three London locations – Soho, Hampstead and Chelsea – use lasers to target the second layer of skin, rejuvenating skin cells and boosting collagen production in the process. The result? A guaranteed glow immediately after treatment. Opt for the Signature Laser if you need the laser beam to quickly target a cluster of spots or sun-induced melasma – done in 15 minutes, it makes for a productive lunch-break pit-stop.
£250, Skin Laundry, 9 Newburgh St.
Skin Design London
For those who like to jump straight in at the deep end, Skin Design London’s treatments are the gold standard. Founder Fatma Shaheen – currently in residency at the Matchesfashion townhouse – has been working on the fashion industry’s most photographed visages for over 15 years, and facetime with her is now incredibly hard to bag.
Persist, however, and you’ll be rewarded: each 60-minute session is entirely customised and will incorporate at-least one high-tech treatment device, from the scar-fading Glow Pen to skin-tightening radiofrequency and collagen-prompting ultrasound. Cocktailed with the masterfully formulated SDL skincare line, which includes clinic-strength peels, you’ll emerge with clearer, brighter skin, higher cheekbones and the smooth-lined forehead of a teenager.
From £250, Matchesfashion, 5 Carlos Place.
U Beauty
Science-heavy skincare brand U Beauty utilises innovative encapsulation technology, meaning the exfoliating and rejuvenating actives powering each formula are released exactly where they’re needed the most.
Now, you can experience the small, unisex line at Hotel Café Royal’s cavernous Akasha spa: the Siren facial combines the brand’s five age-reversing products with a gentle Dermapen tool to enhance the line-plumping results, and longer-than-usual, better-than-most massage that extends from the face to the head and arms. Part facial, part tension-melting therapy, this one is as relaxing as it is productive.
£269, Akasha Spa at the Hotel Café Royal.
Bamford
Bamford's Chelsea outpost offers a facial designed especially for men's skin. The focus here is on relaxation and rejuvenation, so don't expect any devices that look like they belong in a dental clinic, but rather a combination of reflexology massage and cooling stone massage rollers to help unclench those overworked jaw muscles.
For those who want a little tech, there's the option to add on 30 minutes under the industry-leading Dermalux LED panel, which stimulates the skin's cells to boost collagen production, calm inflammation, and kill off the bacteria that leads to acne. It's incredibly relaxing, too.
£130, Bamford Brompton Cross.
Sarah Chapman London
Renowned facialist Sarah Chapman is known for her signature “gymnastics” massage techniques, which doesn’t mean that your dermal therapist will be doing cartwheels during your session at her serene Skinesis Clinic just off Sloane Square, though it does mean that your face will feel awakened and invigorated after an hour in their highly trained hands (and you might feel like doing one afterwards).
The bespoke luxury facial includes a thorough preliminary consultation to ensure your skin gets exactly what it needs: it could include a light exfoliating chemical peel, impurity extractions, a hyaluronic mask, a rejuvenating dose of LED light, and – hopefully – an application or two of Sarah Chapman’s cult “overnight facial” elixir.
From £170, Sarah Chapman, Pavilion Road.
Cowshed
A serious spa stalwart, Cowshed knows exactly how to marry tension-melting technique with skin-brightening results.
The especially knackered should opt for the CBD facial, which involves soporific massage techniques alongside cannabidiol-infused cream, which works to bring down redness and inflammation (it's great for sensitive types).
Something techier? The Advanced Facial employs the newly launched Soho Skin product line alongside a host of tricks and techniques to lift, brighten and sculpt the skin: expect exfoliating microdermabrasion, lymph-draining massage and breakout-eliminating high-frequency technology.
The brand is owned by Soho House, but you don't need to be a member to get through the doors of London's Shoreditch House and Primrose Hill outposts. We'd highly recommend staying for a massage, too.
From £120, various London locations.
Hershesons
Father-and-son duo Daniel and Luke have build their Hershesons brand into a real industry behemoth – and now, their flagship in Fitzrovia is a go-to for more than a monthly trim.
The huge hair-styling outpost houses a host of beauty treatment options, from manicures to brow shaping, and an exclusive Murad facial treatment room. Founded by a dermatologist, the American skincare stalwart is known for its no-messing protocols, so expect facials that involve peels, extractions, and devices that sunk all the gunk out of your pores. There's even a booking that'll clear your back acne before that week on warmer shores, too.
From £60, Hershesons Fitzrovia.
Dr. Barbara Sturm
There's a reason the A-list rely on Dr.Barbara Sturm's facials to get them ready for a much-awaited red carpet appearance. But it's not just the use of the brand's trusted products that has the stars – and us – going back time and time again. Their signature SturmGlow facial includes a massage technique that is as relaxing as a Swedish massage and, more importantly, leaves skin sculpted and hydrated for days.
The treatment includes cleansing, exfoliation, extraction and, of course, hydration. It can be also be paired with microneedling for those looking to up the effects of the brand's signature facial. Sign up for a Saturday afternoon at Sturm's Mayfair spa – you'll soon get the hype.
From £235, Dr Barbara Sturm, Mayfair.
Haeckels
You’re in good hands at Broadway Market’s beloved Haeckels House. The Margate-born brand – which has single-handedly made seaweed an appealing topical proposition – offers a totally bespoke treatment that masterfully combines its algae-based serums and creams with a host of techy devices. Book your desired amount of time (there is no step-by-step facial menu here) and your therapist will ascertain exactly what your complexion is crying out for at that time, be it mega hydration, LED therapy, or a blast of pure, collagen-prompting oxygen.
From £70, Haeckels House, Hackney.
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