By Erin Skrypek

Kate Moss does it. Madonna does it. Jude Law does it. I had to do it.

It’s called Crystal Clear Oxygen Therapy and it is available at the new May Fair Spa at the five-star Radisson Edwardian May Fair Hotel right in the heart of London.This new spa is more than what one would typically expect to see in a city hotel. Part of a £40 million refurbishment programme the entire hotel is undergoing, the May Fair Spa unsurpasses other hotel spas with its state-of-the-art facilities and tranquil design.

Set in a sumptuously dark, Asian-inspired environment with subtly scented waters cascading down more than one of the black granite walls, along with statues of calm monks hidden in crevices, the May Fair Spa takes you far from the bustle of London and into a Zen atmosphere that seems a continent away.

I arrived to my appointment 30 minutes early, as was recommended. As soon as I was in my bathrobe, my spa therapist, Liandi Snyman, lead me back to a special room with a steam bath, sauna and misting showers scented with essential oils – a refreshing mint and lavender or a tropical mango and papaya; you can choose. There is also a choice of ways to cool off from the heat of the sauna: a bucket of ice-cold water to pour over your head or a basin of ice to rub on your flushed skin. 

After trying out all the facilities in that room, my circulation was flowing and my skin was red, but I was relaxed - especially when I moved into the “relaxation room.” While I waited for Liandi to collect me for my treatment, I lounged in a organically shaped granite lounge bed, ate a plum from a selection of fruit, sipped some water and read an article about the people who live in the sewers beneath Paris.

I just finished the article when I was taken into yet another room. The room was perfectly arranged with a sprig of lavender laying on the
turned-down bed and a slow rendition of a token 80’s song playing quietly overhead. This was my kind of place.

The treatment began with a gentle cleansing using Pevonia’s sensitive-skin products and a tension-relieving shoulder massage Liandi learned while training in South Africa. Next came the Crystal Clear microdermabrasion. Using a the microdermabrasion wand, Liandi pelted my skin with tiny particles, exfoliating away all the dead skin. This process took about 15 minutes and was entirely pain-free. My skin was then coated with an oxygen-infused moisturizer and another machine was turned on in preparation for the Crystal Clear Oxygen Facial. Cold Oxygen was pumped out of a nozzle and onto my face and neck; this is supposed to help plump up the new skin cells and give the skin a fresh glow.

The results were evident straight away. I had a radiant glow that lasted a few days and clear skin that is still lingering while I write this nearly a week later.

Now I know why Kate, Madonna and Jude are fans of the Crystal Clear Oxygen Therapy – and at least one of the reasons they always look so good.

www.mayfairspa.com
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