Whether you have a big event coming up or you’re looking to give your skin a re-boot, nothing quite gives you that lit-from-within glow like a professional facial. 

From light therapy and laser to facial massage and mesotherapy – the options available are extensive but if you’re not totally sure what you’re after, it can be confusing deciding which is the right one for you. That’s where we can help. Here, the Stylist beauty team share their favourite facials of all time, for glow, blemishes and more…

As recommended by Ava Welsing-Kitcher, beauty contributor

“When I first walked into Debbie Thomas’ clinic about a year ago, I spent the next week thinking ‘this is who I’m going to go to before every major, facial-worthy life event – even my wedding.’ I’m not even engaged, but the way my skin emitted its own glow, long after the personalised treatment was over, was enough for me to know.”

“A targeted combination of a lactic acid peel, laser, HydraFacial and bacteria-fighting light therapy drastically shortened the lifespan of upcoming spots, and everywhere felt incredibly smooth and supple for weeks after. I’ve gone every couple of months since and it’s been amazing seeing my skin improve so much session to session – it’s such a satisfying journey.” 

Visit the Debbie Thomas Clinic

As recommended by Chloe Burcham, beauty contributor

 “As much as luxurious, relaxing treatments are dreamy, when I’m having a facial I like to feel that it’s doing something I can’t easily recreate at home. Which is why I love Ada Ooi’s acupuncture facial. Ada is trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine and her treatment starts as soon as you step foot in her office. She looks at you as a whole – rather than just your face – and offers holistic recommendations about your lifestyle and diet – as well as your skincare choices. 

The facial itself incorporates intense facial massage (it’s not comfortable, but you’ll see an instant difference) plus acupuncture and extractions. Skin is left glowing, red-carpet ready and the glow only gets better in those days to come.” — 

Visit Ada Ooi at 001Skincare

As recommended by Shannon Peter, beauty director

“I can’t lie: picking my all-time favourite facial is no easy feat. I love Sarah Bradden’s phenomenal acupuncture facials for the healing vibes, Annee de Mamiel’s restorative, destressing rituals, FaceGym’s full face workouts and Charlotte Connelley’s novel in-mouth massage – and that’s just for starters. But I recently had a facial with Katharine Mackenzie Paterson, the skin guru behind KMP Skin and I just can’t thinking about the glow that ensued afterwards.

“Everything she does is totally bespoke, so you and I will never have identical treatments. For my tired skin and clenched jaw, she layered on actives from brands like Decleor before pummeling the knots right out of my lower face with her intuitive massage techniques. She also treated my skin to 20 minutes underneath an LED lamp for its anti-inflammatory properties and even dabbled in a little reflexology. That’s what I like about her approach the most: it’s the perfect middle ground between hi-tech and hands-on. If I have it my way, I’ll be booking my way back into her treatment room soon.” 

Visit KMP Skin

Main image: Getty