A couple of week's ago, I was luckily enough to experience a Su-Man facial, with Su-Man herself.
Now, for those who don't know, Su-Man is a leading celebrity facialist and skincare pioneer with a unique beauty ethos born of a life-long passion for wellness. She is celebrated for her non-invasive high performance facials, so when I heard she had a contouring facial at the W Hotel in London, I had to test it out...
I experienced the Chi Flow Contour Facial which is centered around gua sha, the Traditional Chinese Medicine healing art form that removes toxins from the body, stimulates blood flow, and promotes healing. This is done via the use of a flat smooth stone that is scrapped over the skin. In recent years, the western world has started to incorporate gua sha into beauty routines and treatments. Gua sha has been shown to increase microcirculation, stimulate collagen production, reduce wrinkles, even skin tone, and combat pigmentation.
Su-Man's Chi Flow Contour Facial incorporates various strokes, pressure and friction techniques best suited for each individual skincare need.
The treatment uses Su-Man's own skincare products which - I need to stress - smell and feel beautiful on the skin. I'm actually desperate to get my hands on the range and put it through proper testing!
The Facial starts with an Eastern massage technique that removes stagnation or blockages, ensuring chi flows smoothly throughout the body. According to Su-Man, "When the chi flows smoothly, your blood and lymph system can flow smoothly, which stimulates brain function, massages your internal organs to keep them healthy and strong and helps to maintain healthy skin."
During this massage, a steamer was working on opening up my pores, preparing it for better cleansing, extraction, and exfoliating. Then - after the later - it was time for the contouring...
Before the gua sha scrapping began, Su-Man applied a crazy amount of facial oil to my skin, which is apparently crucial when doing gua sha. She then got to work stimulating the muscle tissue in my face, removing toxins and increasing blood flow. Now, contrary to what you may think, gua sha isn't painful - it can feel slightly uncomfortable at times, but no more than many other highly effective facials I've experienced.
Once the contouring was over, an incredibly thick, ultra-nourishing mask was applied all over my face – bar my nostrils (after all, a girl needs to breathe). This mask was left on for 10 minutes while Su-Man massaged my neck, chest, arms and shoulders. After removing the mask, Su-Man applied her serum and face cream (both felt amazing) and I was good to go.
I finished the treatment with a face that was tighter, brighter and less congested. Results lasted for six weeks and I haven't had a spot since!
The Chi Flow Contour Facial is available at the Away Spa in the W London. It costs £220 and last 60 minutes.