By the time I arrived at The Skin Lab by Augustinus Bader in London, my skin had already surrendered to the city. Recycled airplane air, then several days of dry and cold winds had left my face feeling tight, thirsty and a little bit older than I remembered. If there was ever a time to put a “transformative” facial to the test, this was it.
The Ultimate Facial is the house blockbuster: a 90-minute, £480 treatment that combines Augustinus Bader’s signature Method with lab-grade tech — micro-dermabrasion, microcurrent, oxygen therapy, ultrasound and LED light. It’s less spa fantasy, more biotech skincare lab with dim lighting and blankets.
Before I even lay down, there was paperwork. A short five-minute questionnaire covered the basics: skin goals, current routine, allergies, lifestyle. Then things got more serious with a Visia skin analysis — a machine that photographs your face and maps what’s happening not only on the surface, but deeper within the skin. In a couple of minutes, my complexion was translated into data: dehydration flagged, texture analysed, pigmentation highlighted.
Consultation area where the therapist will assess your skin using the Visia skin analysis machine
It also delivered a slightly humbling detail: the machine showed which side of my face was “older”, essentially revealing which side I sleep on most. For me it was the right — a confirmation that yes, pillow habits really do print themselves onto your skin over time.
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My therapist, Irina Lewis, manager at The Skin Lab, used all this information to customise the treatment. The goal: repair and rehydrate a face in shock from travel and London’s brutal weather. This wasn’t a copy-and-paste facial; the structure was fixed, but the emphasis — from products to machine settings — was tailored to what she saw on my Visia report.
We began with a triple cleanse that felt almost ceremonial, stripping back the day, city and plane in gentle stages. Then came diamond-tip microdermabrasion — a controlled exfoliation that buffed away dull surface cells without leaving me raw. It’s not particularly relaxing, but it’s satisfying in that “I’m doing something serious for my skin” way.
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Treatment rooms at The Skin Lab are clean, modern and luxe
Next, Lewis moved on to a fascia lymphatic massage using the Augustinus Bader Face Oil. This was one of the more indulgent phases: slow, deliberate strokes and targeted pressure working along the jawline, cheekbones and temples. Beyond the immediate relaxation, it’s designed to encourage lymphatic drainage, reduce puffiness and release tension from the facial muscles — essentially giving your face the kind of attention your shoulders usually get.
Then came the star — and villain — of the treatment: the microcurrent.
If you think of EMS for the body, this is the facial equivalent. Small electrical currents are used to stimulate the facial muscles, lifting, tightening and re-educating them into a more youthful position. On paper, it sounds clinical. In reality, for me, it was the most painful facial I’ve ever had.
As the current intensified, I felt an intense pulsing and deep, almost toothache-like sensation along certain areas, especially where muscles were tighter or weaker. My eyes watered. This was not the drowsy, half-asleep spa moment; this was endurance. Lewis checked in regularly, even soothing me as I winced to my face muscles twitching as she adjusted the intensity, but there’s no denying this is a “no pain, no gain” step.
The gain, though, was undeniable.
As the session went on, I could feel my skin (and muscles) tightening in real time, like someone was subtly hooking and lifting everything upwards. When I finally sat up and looked in the mirror, I genuinely looked different. My jawline was sharper, my cheekbones more defined, and my nasolabial lines softer. It was as if someone had pressed a “refresh” button on my face. I looked at least five years younger — not in an airbrushed, unfamiliar way, but like a well-rested version of myself with gravity dialled back.
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The remaining technologies — oxygen therapy, ultrasound and LED light — played supporting roles, feeding the skin with actives, improving absorption and calming everything down after the microcurrent workout. The Augustinus Bader formulas, centred around cell renewal, tied the experience together, adding a nourishing, reparative layer that you’d expect from a brand known for its science-driven skincare.
The treatment exclusively uses Augustinus Bader products
By the end of the 90 minutes, my skin was plumper, clearer and much more hydrated. Fine lines looked pressed out, my face felt firmer to the touch, and that dull, travel-worn look had been replaced with a fresher, more alert glow. The change was obvious.
Is it relaxing? Parts of it, yes — the massage, the cleansing, the cocoon of a treatment room in the middle of London. But The Ultimate Facial is, at its core, a results-driven treatment. The microcurrent alone firmly places it in the “beauty bootcamp” category rather than the “drifty spa nap” camp.
At £480, it’s undeniably an investment. This isn’t a casual monthly maintenance facial; it’s the kind of treatment you book with purpose — before a major event, a shoot, a wedding or when you need your skin to look its absolute best on a specific date. For that, it delivers exceptionally well. The immediate lifting and tightening effect makes it one of the strongest pre-event facials I’ve tried.
If you’re squeamish about discomfort and prefer your facials feather-light and meditative, this may not be your match, but fret not, The Skin Lab has many other more relaxing types of facials available in its menu. But if you’re willing to trade a few tears and tingles for visible, almost dramatic results, The Ultimate Facial makes a compelling case: sometimes, beauty really is a little bit of pain — and a lot of payoff.
