Oxygen facials, we’ve all heard of them and there are hundreds of variations out there to choose from, but what are the benefits?  Well, there are actually many.  Infusing the skin with pure oxygen speeds up healing, brightens and illuminates, fights off toxins and helps to eliminate pollution damage; the big question you should be asking, is how do you deliver an effective dose of oxygen to the skin without unnecessary fads and expense….

I was invited along to Novellus Aesthetics in Jesmond by Dr Steven Land to experience the VIP Image O2 Lift – dubbed The Red Carpet facial by those in the know, and a pre-awards show staple of many an A-Lister including Jessica Biel.  The O2 Lift (Oxygen Facial) is a facial treatment with a difference, it’s administered by an Aesthetic Practitioner rather than a Beauty Therapist and every step of the treatment aims to address a particular need.  First up, skin is cleansed with Image Skincare’s Gel to Milk Cleanser to lift off any surface grime, pollution and impurities, it’s removed with a warm washcloth which opens up the pores ready for the next stage.

A very mild Fruit Enzyme Peel is applied to skin – there’s no tingling and no after peeling, it’s purely to dissolve any dead skin cells sitting at the surface and in turn, amplify the effects of the facial and prolong the result.  Once this is removed, your skin is a blank canvas and that’s when the magic really happens.  An Oxygen mask is applied over the skin, with a foamy consistency, the mask fizzes and pops until it eventually fully disappears.  The effervescent nature of the product delivers oxygen deep into the skin along with brightening agents which promote even skintone, it’s something you can really feel working, it’s a pleasant sensation and a little bit tickly.

Once skin is completely clear, a Stem Cell Rejuvenator is applied and massaged into the skin, it’s a watery serum rich in plant stem cells and vitamin C which help to seal the treatment into the skin.  Dr Land tells me that the O2 Lift is a facial treatment that’s suitable for any skin type, there’s nothing harsh or abrasive at all in it and the end result is lighter and brighter skin.  Normally at this point, you’d have a skin specific moisturiser applied and be sent on your way but Novellus Aesthetics have added in an extra step to magnify the effects of the Stem Cell serum.

Even if you don’t know it by name, you’ll have seen the Opera LED mask – it’s a big, weird looking imposing gadget that kinda looks a bit like Iron Man taking a nap – this high tech face mask has been featured in the pages of British Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and most recently on TV in reality series TOWIE.  In a nutshell, it utilises three wavelengths of low level light therapy to provide a multitude of skin rejuvenation treatments to the face and neck, adding in the LED mask whilst the skin is absorbing plant stem cells encourages faster collagen production and cell turnover which further enhances the benefits of the O2 Lift.  You can of course, opt to have the original off-the-shelf O2 Lift without the LED mask, but then you wouldn’t be VIP would you?

I’m not gonna lie Voyeurs, it’s a weighty piece of kit and it takes a bit of wriggling around to get it in a comfortable position, but once you’re set, it’s plain sailing.  The mask cycles through three different light settings which each have different skin benefits.  The infrared light works on tightening and anti-ageing, the blue light promotes blood circulation and helps to treat acne, and the pink light is not only an excellent anti-inflammatory, it also makes you look like Kimberley, the best ever Power Ranger.  Hashtag winning.  Need further convincing of the benefits of light therapy?  Look no further than Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Khloe Kardashian and Chrissy Tiegen who are all Opera LED Mask devotees.

Once the Stem Cell serum is absorbed and the LED mask cycle is complete, a light moisturiser with UVA and UVB protection is applied (essential after this treatment) and I’m shown  my face in a mirror.  Once I look past the imprints of the mask which make me look like I’m wearing swimming goggles, I can see that there’s a radiance that wasn’t there before and a plumpness to the surface of my skin.  Dr Land tells me that the effects should be better the next day too.  I have enough facials to know that the following day I usually have a few surface blemishes appear as the toxins are drawn to the surface of the skin which happens to me every time, but by day three, my skin looks and feels softer and more luminous and is responding better to the products I’m using at home, like a fresh canvas.

Pixie xo

The O2 Lift Facial at Novellus Aesthetics is £80, for the upgraded VIP version of the treatment with the Opera LED Mask, expect to pay £100.

To book an appointment at Novellus Aesthetics, email info@novellusaesthetics.co.uk or visit the FaceBook page.