The Light Salon
The Light Salon is a brilliant idea. A place to go for quick sessions of LED light treatment on your face or body - you can be in and out of there in twenty-five minutes with amazing results. It's one of several quick fix salons springing up where you can get your hair, makeup or skin seen to on your lunch-break or after work. The Light Salon started in Harvey Nichols and is now also in Selfridges and Hershesons.I visited the Selfridges branch, slightly worried that I would be out on the shop floor having my treatment done. Happily, The Light Salon is in the beauty section, but tucked away in a closed off corner bit, so you feel like you're in a separate space to the main shop floor. Veronica, my light therapist, greeted me and introduced me to the salon and the selection of treatments they offer. She sat me down in one of their three chairs and had a close look at my face and we chatted about any issues I'd had with my skin. Veronica got to work on the Signature Light treatment with an add-on treatment of a hydrating face mask.After exfoliating my face with an enzymatic cleanser, Veronica used a refining clay mask to draw out any impurities. With squeaky clean pores she applied the hydrating mask, which went on like a sheet mask in two sections, but felt more gel-like. The LED lamp goes over your face for thirteen minutes, using infra-red light to work on diminishing lines by increasing collagen production, clearing the skin, and Veronica tells me it also has emotional benefits to increase happy mood chemicals in the brain. It certainly made me sleepy, and I'm not sure I didn't fully drift off. After taking the mask off Veronica gave me a vigorous face massage, really working in to the muscles to lift them, finishing with an application of hydrating sun protection.I left feeling so relaxed, and my skin was absolutely glowing. This was such a nice treatment to have in the middle of a busy day, to take some time for yourself to fully unwind, and know you're doing something that will give you longterm results. LED masks are all the rage at the moment for a reason - regular use gives fantastic results to make skin look younger and clearer. Veronica says their clients visit them once a week to build up the results, and their LED masks can be used at home in between treatments. As well as quick treatments like the one I had, they also offer hour-long sessions where you can include derma-rolling or use bigger lamps on areas of your body (in a private room). If you're in Selfridges give them a try, the results were great - my skin looked bright for several days, and red marks were definitely fainter. The Signature Light treatment lasts 25 mins and costs £45, add on treatments start at £20. The Light Salon kindly gifted this treatment.