Turning Back the Clock:  Top 5 Facials in Athens 

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1. The Luxury Pampering Classic – ESPA Personalised Facial at Hotel Grande Bretagne

Every step of the way through the spa at Hotel Grande Bretagne and throughout their treatments feels deeply luxurious in a way that only the best hotels can offer. The ESPA facial here comes highly recommended and your facialist will adapt the revered ESPA protocol to the specific needs of your skin. If your circulation needs a boost, they’ll place the emphasis on lymphatic drainage; if it’s firming you’re after, bespoke massage techniques will be employed. The facial begins with a sensory test to see which aroma you’re intuitively drawn to, and a toner and oil are matched to whatever you’re feeling. The idea is that this is not just a facial for the skin but a wellness experience for your whole self. ESPA’s products are based on aromatherapy combined with plant and marine extracts. After a mild cleansing, skin is given a close up to assess needs before a peeling of varying strength according to skin type, and a second cleanse to remove the scrubs. The oil massage that follows does as much for body and mind as for collagen levels in the face. Oil might be balancing, replenishing or regenerating; eyes are protected with a rich eye cream and treated to their own pressure point massage, a bonus as the eye area is often left out of many facials. The facialist expertly works the muscles around the eyes, cheeks and jawline for extra definition and lift. After a tailored mask is applied you’re treated to an indulgent scalp massage using pink hair mud with apricot kernel and red clay, before a finishing cleanse and tone to prep for your appropriate serum and cream, such as from ESPA’s new probiotic range. All in all, you leave feeling fully replenished and your face looks radiant to match. /www.gbspa.gr/

2. The Natural Radiance Source – Bespoke Prescription at Dimitra Goula

Dimitra Goula is Athens’ natural beauty guru beloved among Greek celebrities and approved by Goop for her ability to restore skin to glowing health and leave harsh products behind. Her team handmakes her own powerful recipes using the freshest bioactive natural ingredients including local herbs, which means when you put her serums, creams and masks on your face it feels like eating a highly nutritious organic Mediterranean tomato after previously living on a diet of supermarket supplies – the skin instantly responds and replenishes itself more and more with time. For every client’s first visit she recommends her Deep Clean, which is remarkably awakening in itself and sets the stage for absorbing her natural remedies while weaning your face off everything that damages the skin barrier, the restoration of which is always her top priority. Those wanting to go further can choose from an array of healing and reviving treatments ranging from mesotherapy to bioptic eye therapy and caviar rejuvenation, all administered with super-rich natural skin remedies mixed up freshly on the spot, such as spirulina face mask, rosemary eye serum, or rich beeswax and pine honey cream, each nourishing the skin with the pure power of plants. For amped up results, order a bespoke skin prescription that her team will hand make to her instructions especially for you – all packaged in sustainable chic glass bottles and jars. www.dimitragoula.gr

3. The Tailored Tech Solution – Hydrodermabrasion Plus Add-ons at Urbane Skin

This efficient city spa is totally skin focused and specialises in multi-action treatments that deliver fast results. The Hydrodermabrasion treatment offers an updated version of microdermabrasion that targets similar issues of texture and pigmentation but with less abrasion and therefore less damage to the skin. Targeted add-ons will be suggested, such as cryotherapy for dark circles and tired eyes, or bio-matrix wrinkle filler, a no-needle alternative to mesotherapy, which can slide seamlessly into your treatment. Following a cleanse and tone, a peeling gommage or scrub is applied to prep the skin, before the therapist gets to work with the hydrodermabrasion device. Depending on the skin’s needs, a personalised mix of hydration and nutrients are blended – for example hylauronic acid plus vitamins and peptides – before being sealed in with an ultrasound tool for increased penetration. A rejuvenating facial massage follows, adding the power of human hands to this device-led experience, and then a multi-taking mask is applied, addressing needs such as oil-balancing and calming, or anti-aging and glow-boosting. The neck area receives a transformative lymphatic drainage massage while the mask sets, and after the final cleanse a moisturiser and sunscreen protect you for when you step outside looking fresher than ever. www.urbaneskin.gr

4. The Affordable Quick Fix – Lymphatic Drainage at Apivita Beehive Spa

Apivita’s Lymphatic Drainage facial is efficient and effective, providing instant glow, with a mini massage built in. The treatment room design is inspired by the idea of being inside of a beehive, and the resulting natural wood and golden lighting instantly calms the nervous system. After lying under a fresh white sheet, the therapist asks about your skin concerns and tailors their choice of products and the focus of their massage accordingly. Following a gentle cleanse, they open the lymphatic points with soft pulsing around the collar bone before going into the full drainage massage, focusing on the brow bones, cheeks and jawline. Neck and shoulders are given generous attention for a facial treatment, supporting the drainage pathways that run down from face to collarbone. Two masks are then brushed on, one for eyes and one for face, and while that sits you receive a generous hand massage, making the experience double as a computer tension relief treatment relaxing the nerves down the neck, shoulders and arms. Core ingredients in Apivita’s skin care products are honey and propolis, and then depending on the targeted issues, some contain royal jelly, mountain tea, grape and other therapeutic natural Greek remedies. Once the mask is done, the therapist applies a serum followed by a cream suited to your skin’s needs, followed by a dry touch sunscreen. You are out the door again in 30 mins, looking revived, feeling refreshed, and with your bone structure outlined beautifully. www.apivita.com/hellas/experience

5. The Ultimate Skincare Standard – Augustinus Bader The Method at Tzouma Clinic

German professor of stem cell biology Augustinus Bader’s high-impact face creams have taken the skincare market by storm having originally been developed from a medical-grade burns-healing recipe. They continue to prove their efficacy with more and more converts and a growing list of desirable products. The doctor calls his approach to facials The Method, and its powerful impact is as impressive as his creams, created to boost cell communication that prompts the skin’s self-healing ability. In Athens the treatment can be found at Tzouma Clinic, the high-end beauty destination of dermatologist Anastasia Tzouma. In the clinic, the therapist assesses your skin’s particular needs before applying each product with intense massage using a mix of tools and hands. A double cleanse with gel and balm is followed by exfoliation using fermented wasabi and salicylic acid. Augustinus Bader’s signature serum and face oil are thoroughly absorbed through a 15-minute massage, and then a hyaluronic sheet mask is applied and an oxygen and negative ions dome is placed over the face to stimulate skin cells and oxygenation while you enjoy a hands and shoulder massage. After the mask is removed, your face is finished with the brand’s most suitable cream for your skin type and its core face oil. After all this, the correct positioning of your facial fascia has been reactivated, leading to a level of restored bone structure definition and revived luminosity that’s hard to beat. The result is a seriously radiant and sculpted face that lasts for days afterwards and into the following week. tzouma.gr/