Top facials for pregnancy: The Aesop Facial

For mothers in need of a little relaxation the Aesop Calm Correct facial is the ideal pampering treatment

Words Miriam Carey

Not specifically designed for pregnancy, The Aesop Calm Correct facial is actually for those who have recently experienced stress, breakouts, or been to a humid climate. However, we think it’s great for pregnancy as there are no complicated electric currents, chemical peels or light therapies: the treatment is a combination of simple calming hydration and cleansing procedures which individually tailored to calm the mind, body and skin.

Aesop Richmond is a sanctuary from the busy streets of London. Hidden away in an old Georgian house on King Street, the treatment room is in a lofty wooden attic, with a pretty soft palette and minimalist furnishing; shelves are lined high with little Aesop bottles, and the aromas in the air lull the mind and senses pleasantly on arrival, taking you instantly away from the busy London streets.

Bespoke treatments for every skin type

In a skin consultation I discuss with my therapist Marc Mϋller my routine, concerns and history. He conducts a skin analysis, before planning a treatment with specially tailored formulas. Then to calm and correct my stress-reactive skin, liquorice and green tea are blended into the products.

My skin is first purified with cream cleanser, followed by parsley seed cleansing oil, and then a deeper exfoliant paste cleanser. Marc is careful to dilute the exfoliant paste so as not to aggravate my skin.

He also forgoes steaming, which is sometimes done to open up pores to aid decongestion but is not suitable for pregnancy. Next my skin is the carefully rehydrated in stages – step one is a hydrating chamomile face mask, step two an oil massage, and step three a camellia nut hydrating face cream.

The facial includes a shoulder, head and neck massage

The massage is exceptional; Marc glides oil across my face, head, neck, and shoulders applying a thoughtful pressure in rhythmic, cursive motions. The patterns of touch put me in a deep state of relaxation, this attention to detail is above and beyond what you would expect from a regular facial treatment. The effects lasted almost a week, and the combination of purifying and hydrating was a tonic to my city-dried skin. We think this treatment would be a great treat for anyone in any stage of pregnancy, and as everything they use is bespoke, whether you’ve broken out or you are sorely in need of hydration, the Aesop treatments will be able to combat whatever the hormones have brought out in you this week!

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