Our House of Coco team loves a new skincare trend. Whether it’s chemical peels, microdermabrasion or the hottest new serums – we’re all over it. When our resident lifestyle writer Jenna was invited to try out Skin Laundry newest Laser and Light facial, which promises a fresh glow in 15 minutes, she couldn’t get her hungover ass there quick enough…
“Usually, the idea of having a laser shot at my face wouldn’t be my idea of heaven. However, when this was paired with a facial and a trip to Harvey Nichols, I was sold. Laser & Light facials are relatively new to the UK beauty scene, but in the US this has been a big deal for quite some time. Skin Laundry was one of the first companies to bring this treatment to the UK with the entire procedure taking less than 15 minutes. Perfect for a lunch hour freshen-up, it’s not the type of treatment to leave you relaxed and chilled out – but it will leave you looking like you’ve just had 12 hours sleep. Founded by Yen Reis, who created the concept after a tiresome battle with adult acne – not only is the treatment quick, it requires no downtime at all.
Skin Laundry Treatment: A Deep Dive into Laser Skincare
Now you’re thinking what I was thinking – how the hell does having a laser shot directly onto your face for 15 minutes clean your skin? Well, it’s science really. The laser enables this treatment to be one of the most intense deep cleanses on the market by penetrating around 2mm below the skin surface, meaning all dirt and excess oils are extracted. Sounds crazy right? Speaking to my therapist, told me how the combination of laser and IPL is like turning on a light switch for your skin. It wakes everything up and stimulates the cells to give a more dewy glow to the skin. We all love that glow.
I will say that the smell during the procedure is a mix between a log burner and charcoal, but don’t let that put you off! My therapist told me to not worry that my skin was burning (as it wasn’t) it was merely the dirt and excess oil coming out of the skin. Although it smells like your skin is far too close to a bonfire, it doesn’t feel like it. I’d liken it to tiny electric shocks and it’s over within minutes – and trust me, I’m a total wimp when it comes to any sort of pain! As my skin is quite oily anyway, it’s no surprise that my skin felt incredibly clean after the first round of lasers. Like, squeaky clean.
Experience the Gentle Power of IPL in Skin Laundry’s Skincare Treatment
Moving onto the IPL, it wasn’t going to strip my eyebrows off as some may have lead me to believe. Skin Laundry uses IPL at an incredibly low level, therefore rather than hair removal – It is used for the surface of your skin to address any discolouration issues and to brighten everything up. Even with goggles on and my eyes closed, I still saw bright red lights – which although not dangerous at all, was definitely strange. But to manage to penetrate the surface of your skin it’s going to be a lot brighter than a standard bulb.
The treatment ended with a tone and moisturise from their Wash and Wear range. The range is small but perfectly formed with Reis wanting to keep the range simple and free from any faff. It does exactly what it says on the tin and works hand in hand with the treatment to prolong the effects. First, the toner is used to calm & detoxify then the moisturiser (with spf35 may I add!) adds a glowy radiance to your newly primed face! Like any laser treatment, I was advised to stay off the sunbeds and away from any chemical peels/exfoliants for at least 48 hours to give the skin time to recuperate. However, unlike a lot of facial treatments I’ve had, I could re-apply my makeup straight away if I so wished. However, as my mascara and brows had been left intact and my skin was glowing and soft – I shied away from any base.
Skin Laundry Review: My Experience and Verdict
Now, did the treatment improve my skin? Skin Laundry is pretty confident when it comes to the Laser & Light facial as they offer every customer their first treatment free, so I didn’t want to be one of the first guys to say it wasn’t worth it. Unlucky for me, two days later I broke out in some pretty annoying spots around my t-zone. However, that was probably down to my all-night party in the Casino I attended the night I had it done, rather than the facial itself! Two days later, they had cleared and my skin still felt incredibly soft and had that dewy look. Two weeks later, I do believe the surface of my skin has improved. It looks less dull and after using some of their products (especially the SPF35 moisturiser – which I LOVE) it’s given me a jump start for taking my skincare a little more seriously. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Can I afford the recommended 1-3 times a week (£60-£170)? Not quite yet. However, I’ll be booking in again for a pre-holiday glow-up!
Skin Laundry Laser & Light Facial. £60 per treatment, first treatment free. Available at selected Harvey Nichols stores and Liberty of London.