Review – Transform Your Skin With a Unique Treatment Which Blends a Warming Peel and Cooling Hydration

If you weren’t aware that Fortnum & Mason, the legendary Piccadilly-based retailer of fine provisions, has its own Beauty Room, consider yourself alerted. In fact, according to former employee Sarah Brown, the facialist who will be providing my treatment, it used to have several. At one point, there were four treatment rooms, but the store decided to cut back on their spa-style offerings several years ago, at which point Sarah, who has over 24 years’ experience in the beauty, retail and aesthetics industry, left to work with a range of different clinics. And now, she’s back; since May, she’s been in residence once a week, and on the last Wednesday of every month she offers a unique treatment called ‘Fire and Ice’.

Using US brand iS Clinical, the aim of the treatment is overall skin rejuvenation. iS Clinical, while a medical-grade brand, is completely safe for skin, is suitable for pregnant women and for cancer patients, and is between 95% and 98% botanical. ‘I first came across the brand when I was experiencing acne breakouts on my own skin,’ says Sarah. ‘I tried their Cleansing Complex and Active Serum and they were game-changers; they have genuinely changed my skin for the better. Now people come to me for help with a variety of skin issues, from acne to dehydration, premature ageing, fine lines and wrinkles.’

I’d love my fifty-something skin to have a bit more glow, and for any fine lines to be put firmly in their place, so I’m excited to try this. After I enter the calm, soothing, white-walled space where the treatment will take place, Sarah talks me through the process. ‘This will help with your skin texture,’ she begins, ‘as well as brightening, boosting luminosity, decongesting, reducing pigmentation, and addressing all signs of ageing.’ I question the somewhat extreme-sounding use of the words ‘fire’ and ‘ice’, and she’s quick to reassure me. After an initial facial cleanse, she’ll apply a glycolic peel which will feel warm – the ‘fire’ element – to resurface the skin, reduce fine lines and encourage cellular renewal, and explains, ‘It’s a very comfortable and tolerable treatment; the low PH of the peel means there’s no skin shedding.’ This will be followed by the ‘ice’ element, using a hydrating masque to soothe and treat inflammation. In essence, the treatment lies somewhere between a mild facial and an invasive peel.

Clients have the choice to customise their treatment; it can either be totally relaxing, with a neck, shoulder and arm massage administered while the hydrating masque sinks in, or it can be more medical, with the use of a pioneering LED light therapy mask, the Déesse PRO’s EOS-X, which I opt for. This is administered after a gentle cleanse with iS Clinical’s Cream Cleanser, and Cleansing Complex, which remove any dirt and makeup and prep the skin for what’s to follow. Then Sarah lowers the Déesse PRO mask onto my face. Different colours of light travel to different depths of the skin, and in this instance Sarah uses infrared light, which targets deeper and provides energy to the skin cells, helping to improve circulation and calm and reduce redness.

The mask, which isn’t uncomfortable but just feels slightly heavy, stays on for ten minutes, then it’s time for the ‘fire’, or peel, stage. The Resurfacing Peel is smoothed into my skin and left to activate for a couple of minutes; I only feel the slightest tingle, but Sarah checks my comfort levels at every step of the way, encouraging me to let her know instantly if I feel uncomfortable. It feels slightly pricklier when she wipes it off – she warns me that it can often feel like a hot flush – but then I’m ready for the next stage: ‘ice’, or the Rejuvenating Peel. This refreshing, aquamarine-coloured gel contains hyaluronic acid, green tea and aloe vera, to calm, soothe, hydrate and rebalance the skin’s PH level.

To finish, Sarah layers on several serums, including Pro Heal, packed with antioxidants, olive leaf extract, and vitamins A and E to reduce redness and inflammation and boost collagen. It also contains l’ascorbic acid, a powerful form of vitamin C, as does the Super Serum, which also boasts Copper Tripeptide to help strengthen skin, Centella Asiatica to calm and reduce inflammation, and B5 to help soften and hydrate. She ends with Hydracool, which is rich in hyaluronic acid and B5, and the Moisture Complex, which also hydrates and supports the skin barrier with more hyaluronic acid, vitamins A and E, and green tea. A final application of Extreme Protect SPF 30, and we’re done.

The treatment lasts about an hour in total, and I am over the moon with my results. My skin looks matte and even, but also dewy and radiant. In terms of aftercare, she advises me not to wash my face or hair for the rest of the day, and to avoid using any glycolic or retinol products for 48 hours. Two days later, I’m out with a few friends I haven’t seen for a while and one of them genuinely asks me if I’ve had anything ‘done’ to my face, as my skin looks so smooth. I’m thrilled, and I owe it all to Sarah.

The Fire & Ice resurfacing treatment at Fortnum & Mason with Sarah Brown starts from £80; to book, visit fortnumandmason.com/piccadilly; you can also find a local practitioner at isclinical.co.uk