Treatments We Love: a Katharine Daniels facial

We’ve occasionally been forced to leap off a table during a so-called ‘sensitive skin facial’ and shout, ‘Stop! Stop! Stop!’ (True.) It was with a little trepidation, then, that we submitted to a facial by a new-to-us brand called Katherine Daniels, developed by two facialists – Kirsti Shuba and Donna Tait – who decided there was a gap in the market for a British skincare range (and treatment options) targeted at classically sensitive ‘English rose’ complexions. (Anyone with sensitive skin, of course – but it does often go hand-in-hand with fair colouring and pink cheeks.)

The Age Defence Nourishing Hydrating Treatment is 80 minutes long (though due to time pressure we slightly cut ours short – and the facialist was very accommodating). It is, as the name suggests, wonderfully moisturising – and incorporates plenty of facial massage, our favourite (and for us most important) element of the treatment, because that’s what truly puts the glow back.

Because this sets out to tackle sensitive skin, you won’t find your complexion overloaded by loads of products. In point of fact we loathe the sort of facial where products are endlessly applied, removed, repeat, repeat, repeat, so that you leave with a lengthy scroll of ‘prescribed’ products, and your poor skin doesn’t know whether it’s coming or going. (Actually, we think that whole ‘hard-sell facial’ is a misplaced concept – because the women we know tend to want silence, simplicity, and not to feel like they’ve got a shopping list as long as their arm, once it’s over).

There’s an excellent Essential Cleansing Milk and a Micellar Face & Eye Make-up Remover, which start the proceedings. During the treatment you’ll also experience anything else the therapist thinks is truly necessary, but not just there for the sake of it. Naturally, before heading out into the world, there’s an application of moisturiser – on a winter’s day, it was Sensitive Skin Rich Cream (which in their own trials has been shown to soothe the skin for 74% of users, and deliver a sensation of comfort for nine out of 10).

There are now, apparently, over 200 salons offering the Katherine Daniels treatment menu, up and down the country – so chances are you’ll find a therapist not too far away from you. And it may have taken a while for this range and its excellent facial to make it on to our radar – but get it onto yours, is our advice to the touchy-skinned.

www.katherinedanielscosmetics.com