The new mindful facial at 96 Harley Street transforms a classic treatment into an out of body experience adding a bespoke live hypnosis. Beauty writer Jake Daniels takes a closer look at why it’s become the talk of the town.
Working from home has taken its toll on both our minds and our skin; peaking anxiety and stress levels combined with surprise breakouts and dryness means it’s time to give your skin and mind a holiday.
Harley Street based hypnotherapist and life coach Malminder Gill has joined forces with Dr David Jack, the founder of advanced skincare brand Dr David Jack Skincare, to design a facial for those seeking ultimate pampering and healing in one. Representing the perfect solution for the time poor and results-driven Londoners, the mindful facial is thought to be the first ever 360 wellbeing ritual that simultaneously cleanses and detoxes your skin whilst deeply relaxing the mind, removing any emotional burdens and anxieties.
A day or two before the visit, clients will be contacted by Malminder for a preliminary consultation about what they would like to achieve from the session. This can be just reducing anxiety and stress levels (which – considering the global health emergency – is probably on everyone’s wishlist) but Malminder has been helping her clientele with a range of different issues such as insomnia, overeating, work related stress, lack of self-esteem, public speaking anxiety and breakups therefore she can be a resourceful professional in a number of cases.
Once you arrive at the clinic at 96 Harley Street, Izabela Pawlitka – Dr Jack’s chief facialist – will do a full skin assessment before letting you lie on the couch. Now Malminder starts playing soft music and the world’s most soothing voice begins to speak, while Izabela gets all the skincare products ready for the treatment.
Thanks to Izabela’s deftness and light touches it’s easy to keep focusing on Malminder’s words as the former treats your face with a range of luxury cleansing and moisturising products to give the skin a radiant glow while improving tone and texture.
During the cleansing phase of the facial (which ends with the dermaplaning process and a vigoirous massage) Izabela uses Dr Jack’s milk cleanser, followed by the clean slate cleanser, which is enriched with raspberry seed oil and pumpkin fruit ferment filtrate, an ingredient packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
During the last cleansing steps the gel cleanser and the daily foam cleanser, which contains salicylic and glycolic acid, are used. Three peels follow: the first one aims to increase the ceramides in the skin’s protective barrier, so that it can better prevent congestion while the presence of lactic acid improve pigmentation. The second is an azelaic acid peel whose antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects help reduce redness, breakouts and scarring. The third peel is has an anti-ageing effect thanks to mandelic acid, which will make your skin brighter while stimulating collagen production. While the peels are working to give the skin a younger and unblemished appearance, Izabela will give you a scalp massage.
While Izabela artfully does her part of the job, Malminder has been working on your relaxation. She will get you into a state of deep hypnosis and calm, using breathing techniques. Then she’ll guide you with words towards a visual place of peace and contentment, where a mix of feelings (warmth, calm, freedom) are tied with images and unconscious thoughts. Here comes the dermaplaning, a process that is meant to stimulate new skin development by gently scraping the surface of the skin, removing impurities and outermost dead cells. And Malminder keeps walking you through your subconscious.
The final stage of the treatment is a sculpting and lifting massage that combines various techniques including Kourgi Japanese method and cross-fibre friction technique in order to stimulate blood circulation in the subcutaneous tissue, collagen production and elastin.
After the treatment you’ll feel completely regenerated and lighter in spirit. The skin looks lifted and the overall sense of relaxation generated by the hypnosis helps minimise stress lines. Definitely a different person than the one who entered the clinic one hour before!
Malminder will proceed with a follow-up call and will send a record of the hypnosis you can play every time you’ll need to find inner calm, reduce anxiety or simply before going to bed, in order to improve sleep quality.
The mindful facial can be booked at 96 Harley Street for £500 for a one-hour bespoke live hypnotherapy, subject to availability or £285 for a recording. Call 020 7589 6309 to book.
