We’ve covered the best spa days in London and have your aches and pains all massaged out, but the impact of modern life – stress, pollution, sleep-deprivation and weather conditions, to name a few – still manages to show on your complexion. Thankfully, some of the best beauty brands on the market no longer limit themselves just to products on the shelves, but offer spa-grade treatments in-store, allowing you to learn about your skin and take some time out to unwind before that 3pm marketing meeting.

Understanding that your lunch break is short, your shopping time is valuable, and you want speedy results, many offer facials that are under an hour and need only be booked mere hours before. Whether you’re looking to overhaul your skincare regime or just need a mid-week pick-me-up, these are the quick but uncompromising treatments to book now.

Streamlined and Straightforward by Aesop, Clapham and Regent Street

Duration: 45 minutes
Price: £110

From the moment you enter your personal facial suite, your Aesop journey of sensory indulgence – and very good skin – begins. The treatment starts with a thorough consultation to allow your therapist to understand your skin and tailor the experience to suit your unique needs. Your face is cleansed, exfoliated and dry-brushed, before custom-blended Aesop products, developed by its in-house scientists, are applied under steam using facial massage techniques, ensuring that every ounce of moisture is utilised by your skin. This is followed by further cleansing, hydration and a round of antioxidant fortification, which will protect your face from the outside elements and pollutants. A lot happens within 45 minutes, but the entire experience is calm and considered, and the result is as the title says: streamlined and straightforward, optimal nourishment for your skin.

71 Northcote Road, SW11 6PJ; 185 Regent Street, W1B 4JP; aesop.com

Bader Introductory by Augustinus Bader, Mayfair

Duration: 60 minutes
Price: £150

Augustinus Bader is highly regarded for its advanced formulas and remarkable results, and if you haven’t had the chance to experience its products first-hand yet, the Bader Introductory facial is the perfect place to start. Expert therapists use comprehensive analytical techniques to decode your skin and create a personalised menu of ultra-high-performance products, which are then applied, step-by-step, with equally attentive expertise. Paired with lab-grade technology, such as full-spectrum LED lighting and microdermabrasion, the facial will increase hydration, improve cellular communication and transform your complexion in just 60 minutes. Not only will you leave with a fresh-feeling complexion and top-tier skincare regime, but there is no downtime required post-facial, making it ideal for pre-event preparation.

17-18 Dover Street, W1S 4LT, augustinusbader.com

Technoceuticals Peel by Murad, Fitzrovia

Duration: 30 minutes
Price: £60

Combining advanced technology (the techno-) with cosmeceutical skincare (the -ceuticals), Murad’s Technoceuticals Peel not only promises to completely regenerate your skin in 30 minutes, the products used also contain medicinal properties that will support long-term health afterwards. There are four levels of intensity to choose from, each involving a range of antioxidants, acids, hydrators and powerhouse concentrates that will retexturise and resurface skin, leaving you with a smoother, firmer and more radiant complexion. Despite the intensity, Murad prides itself on addressing skin concerns without irritation or downtime, so when you leave Hershesons Fitzrovia, home to Murad’s only dedicated skin clinic, you can put your best face forward whatever your plans for the rest of day. All products used are also available to buy at the clinic, so you can peel, reveal and continue to shine from home.

29-32 Berners Street, W1T 3NP, hershesons.com

Signature Facial by Sunday Riley, Soho

Duration: 45 minutes
Price: £85

Deep in the hallowed halls of Liberty London is the Sunday Riley treatment room: bathed in golden light and glowing from the inside out. Step inside and, 45 minutes and a Signature Facial later, you’ll be boasting a similar radiance of your own. Carried out by one of their expert facialists, the treatment brightens, tightens and soothes the skin by harnessing the power of Sunday Riley’s most efficient products and techniques, including lymphatic drainage and sculpting massage. The treatment includes a full cleanse, exfoliation and prebiotic essence application, which is then followed by a vitamin C infusion to stimulate that all important glow. You will then be recommended a personalised skincare routine, plus the opportunity to buy any of the products used, ensuring you can maintain your glowing complexion until it’s time to book again.

Regent Street, W1B 5AH, libertylondon.com

ProClear by Dermalogica, across London

Duration: 30 minutes
Price: £85

Stress, pollution, hormones, acne, new products… We all suffer from breakouts in one way or another, and the answers are never as clear as we would like. But the ProClear by Dermalogica, one of the world’s most trusted, high-grade, skin therapy brands, is one way to resolve them. The three-step treatment begins with a pore softening deep cleanse, leaving skin feeling clearer before the real work even begins. Targeted manual and electric extraction methods follow, removing impurities and relieving congestion deep within the pores. Once your skin is clean as a whistle, your Dermalogica therapist will choose a personalised selection of serums, calming masks and light therapy to reduce redness and inflammation, balance your skin's microbiome, and prevent the build-up of bacteria. Not only can you be assured that Dermalogica’s top-grade products will be doing your face a favour, but the therapists are also a fantastic source of insight and wisdom for keeping skin clear at home.

Visit dermalogica.co.uk

The Express by MyBlend, Knightsbridge

Duration: 30 minutes
Price: £60

Through the combined power of highly concentrated formulas, remodelling techniques and cutting-edge, non-invasive technologies, newly launched brand MyBlend, from the innovators behind Clarins, offers tailor-made treatments to those who demand results in as little time as possible. Offered at Harrod’s serene treatment rooms, your MyBlend therapist will assess your primary skin concerns before curating a precise treatment to achieve those goals. Products might include the MyBlend recovery serum, containing highly concentrated key molecules that repair dry skin and strengthen its natural barrier, or revitalising moisturisers, which harness the power of biomimetic peptides and hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin at a molecular level.

The treatment utilises proficient techniques and MyBlend technologies, including the MyLEDmask and CellSynergy machine, which work to release tension, oxygenate the skin, stimulate collagen and maximise product efficiency, leaving you with stronger, healthier skin. Post-treatment, head straight up to Harrods’ fifth floor beauty hall (showing off your renewed complexion as you go) to purchase your favourite products.

87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL, my-blend.co.uk

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