The latest cutting-edge facials and where to try them

From South Korean Salmon PDRN and exosomes to buccal massage & collagen contouring, Scarlet Spy shares the latest facials landing in spas across the country, so you know exactly where to book your next skin fix.

Best for: K-Glass skin - The Lanesborough Club & Spa 
K-Glass PDRN (60 minutes, £265)

The Lanesborough Club & Spa has just launched its new K-Glass Skin Collection, bringing K-beauty to Belgravia; the K-Glass PDRN facial is getting all the attention. Powered by South Korean Salmon PDRN at a high 20,000ppm concentration - double the strength typically used elsewhere - this DNA-based regenerative molecule works at a cellular level to stimulate skin regeneration, boosting collagen and elastin production. Expect visible improvements to texture, tone, firmness and fine lines, alongside enhanced skin vitality and elasticity. The result? That much-coveted, ultra-hydrated, glass-skin finish that's all over social media.

Best for: buccal massage and jaw tension relief - Aria Spa
Aria Sculpting Facial (55 minutes, £100)

Yes, this facial involves someone massaging you from inside your mouth - and, if you're a jaw-clencher, it might just be the best 55 minutes of your week. The Aria Sculpting Facial starts conventionally enough, with a deep cleanse using Medik8 skincare and a Gua Sha massage to de-puff and get lymphatic drainage moving. Then things get interesting: an intra-oral (buccal) massage works the masseter and temporalis muscles from inside the cheek, releasing the kind of deep jaw tension a regular facial massage can't touch. It sounds unusual because it is - but if you carry stress in your jaw, wake up with headaches, or grind your teeth in your sleep, this is built for you. A cooling mask and Tibetan scalp massage round things off, leaving skin looking sculpted and lifted, and your jaw finally, properly relaxed.

Best for: exosome and growth factor regeneration - The Spa at Gleneagles
Dr Barbara Sturm Exoso-Metic Growth Factor Facial (60 minutes, £355)

Home to Dr Barbara Sturm’s first UK residency outside of London, The Spa at Gleneagles has added her Exoso-Metic Growth Factor Facial to its menu. This anti-ageing treatment supports the skin's own natural repair mechanisms for noticeably firmer, plumper and more even-toned skin. Combining micro-needling with exosome and growth factor-activated ingredients, controlled micro-channels are created in the skin, allowing lab-synthesised exosomes - vesicles rich in proteins, lipids and growth factors - to penetrate deeply and boost collagen production, cell repair and elasticity. The result is smoother texture, reduced fine lines and wrinkles, and a firmer, more radiant complexion.

Best for: supercharging the skin's microbiome - Herb House Spa, Lime Wood
Ground BIOME Facial (90 minutes, £195)

Herb House Spa's Ground BIOME facial focuses on the gut-skin connection, addressing the stress that so often underlies both digestive and skin imbalances. It starts with a mindful massage of the abdomen, diaphragm and décolleté, before moving into a deeply relaxing facial with lymphatic drainage and therapeutic massage to calm inflammation and reinforce the skin barrier. Cooling therapy rounds things off, leaving skin soothed and rebalanced rather than stripped or overworked. Suitable for all skin types, this facial is particularly beneficial for sensitive or compromised skin, including skin affected by illness, medication or the overuse of active ingredients.

Best for: tech-led, fully personalised facials The Club at Cottonmill
Elemis Expert Tech Facial (60 minutes, £140)

BIOTEC facials at The Club at Cottonmill combine cutting-edge technology, active ingredients and therapist-led touch for visible, lasting results. The all-singing, all-dancing BIOTEC 2.0 machine has it all - micro-current, ultrasonic peel, galvanic current, oxygen infusion, light therapy and cryotherapy - which works in synergy with the therapist to amplify the effects of each personalised treatment. Choose Smooth & Polish for an Ultrasonic Peel, LED Light Mask and Galvanic technology (that refine uneven tone and texture for a brighter, more polished complexion); Radiance & Revive to resurface and deeply hydrate tired-looking skin with Oxygen Infusion and Galvanic technology, or Lift & Rejuvenate, which pairs targeted Microcurrent technology with an Ultrasonic Peel and Oxygen Infusion for a toned, lifted, visibly rejuvenated finish.

Best for: collagen contouring - Hope Street Hotel
QMS Collagen Contour Facial (80 minutes, £175)

We lose around 1% of our skin's collagen every year from our mid-twenties - accelerating sharply at menopause, when up to 30% can vanish in just five years. Sigh. Enter the Collagen Contour Facial at Hope Street Hotel Spa, the first spa outside London to introduce QMS skincare. After a deep cleanse and AHA exfoliation, QMS's signature 97% natural soluble collagens are infused into the skin to rebuild its structural scaffold, followed by a contouring massage using an exclusive sculpt-and-define technique - sometimes with intra-oral work to release jaw and facial tension - and a firming mask, containing hyaluronic acid, silk proteins and isobutylamides - to seal it all in. The result: an anti-gravity lift, with noticeably firmer and plumper skin.

Best for: a HIIT-inspired facial workout - Breedon Priory Spa
Proverb Skin Workout Facial (50 minutes, £115)

Tucked away in the Derbyshire countryside, Breedon Priory Spa is home to a facial that treats your skin like it's at the gym. Taking its cue from the world of fitness, it gives skin its own workout, using firm, sculpting massage techniques you won't find in a regular facial, alongside cold Gua Sha and Cryo tools to lift, contour and tone while easing tension in the jaw and sinuses. Scarlet Spy tried it on her last visit and left with a visibly more refined jawline and skin that looked flushed and glowing. It's a great pick if you're dealing with tired, lacklustre skin, signs of stress, or want to soften fine lines - no gym kit required.

Best for: A holiday ready, vitamin C glow-up - Utopia Spa at Alexander House Hotel
Oskia Revitalising Super-C Facial (55 minutes, £145)

Vitamin C is a powerhouse skincare ingredient, and the Oskia Revitalising Super-C facial at Utopia Spa, Alexander House Hotel in West Sussex, delivers it via advanced smart Vitamin C technology that works beneath the surface to brighten, firm and restore vitality. Often described as a non-surgical facelift, it's a cocoon of deep hydration and skin-loving nutrients, melting away fatigue without a needle in sight. Expect skin that feels plump, lifted and beautifully radiant, with a soft, dewy glow that lasts way beyond the treatment room — a solid pick before a big event or a week away in the sunshine. Which is quite handy, as the spa is only 9 miles from London Gatwick Airport.

Best for: quick, express results between spa-ing - Aqua Sana Forest Spa
Comfort zone FACE SPAce Treatments (25 minutes, from £59)

Aqua Sana Forest Spas have added three new 25-minute Comfort Zone FACE SPAce treatments to the menu - express, science-backed facials targeting deep facial muscles to release tension, stimulate collagen and enhance skin elasticity, with instant, visible results for the face and eyes. Pump UP is the ultimate anti-ageing choice, delivering instant lifting to the face and eye area; Ultra Glow uses 3-Bright™ Technology to correct and prevent pigmentation for a visible, lasting glow; and Hydra Lift is an intensely hydrating option, clinically proven to reduce dehydration lines and relieve tired, puffy eyes. Hydra Lift is also available to teenagers aged 14 and upwards.

Best for: squeaky-clean pores and an instant glow - The Spa at Lucknam Park
HydraFacial Platinum Experience (60 minutes, £235)

If you've ever watched (or squirmed through) a HydraFacial video online, you'll know the appeal - this is that treatment with bells on. It starts with lymphatic drainage to de-puff and sculpt, before the main event: a purifying cleanse, gentle chemical peel and genuinely pain-free extractions via the patented Vortex-Fusion tool, which vacuums out gunk you didn't know existed, while simultaneously flooding pores with hydrating serum. Targeted boosters and LED therapy are added in for your specific skin concerns, and the whole thing finishes with a wash of nourishing hydration and antioxidants. The result: squeaky-clean pores, zero irritation, and the kind of glow that has people asking for your facialist’s number.