Lovely to be featured in Louis Vuitton City Guides: ‘Creme de la Creme’
CREME DE LA CREME SANTI: A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO BEAUTY
If the camera never lies, SANTI’S SKIN LAB at Santi is a mighty weapon against ageing. This centre for skin excellence opposite South Kensington Tube uses cutting-edge non-invasive dermatological technology usually confined to laboratories. The only clinic in the UK to offer dermal scanning, the Skin Lab has state-of-the-art machinery to scrutinise skin up close – magnifying it up to fifty times, to be precise. By measuring a face’s unique traits, Santi’s experts prescribe the most suitable skincare regime. Most skin-analysis services only look at sun damage; this assessment considers hydration, trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), elasticity, pigmentation, collagen levels and sebum production. To turn back the clock, splashing out on expensive brands is not always the answer. Those fancy potions might not be appropriate for you; at Santi they only recommend relevant, often little-known products. Dryness is a concern commonly picked up; while skin may be sufficiently hydrated through sebum production, moisture may be lost through TEWL. Sound technical? It is.
And it’s by talking about the science of skin’s health that its bespoke approach makes an extraordinary difference. Santi steers clients to quality solutions without upselling unnecessary creams or therapies – a great serum and eye cream might be all that is needed. With such a vast array of anti-ageing treatments out there, having a practitioner consider your personal needs is invaluable. LED Light Therapy is one safe, gentle and efficacious treatment that stimulates the production of collagen and makes your face glow. A collagen drink might help improve elasticity and skin-sloughing sugar-cane peel is another option. But which is right? Santi’s ethos is holistic.
To those seeking the Fountain of Youth, they advocate an all-round approach: a sensible, nutritious diet, a carefully considered skincare routine and only treatments that are exactly right for your skin. At this secret spa-of-sorts, it’s less about lolling around in fluffy dressing gowns and more about letting experts guide you to the right results-guaranteeing solutions. Its preferred method is to track your skin’s status twice a year to identify underlying issues and to keep skincare optimized. But even one Skin Lab analysis sets you on the right course to healthier skin.
33 Thurloe Street, SW7, tube South Kensington, tel 020 7584 7000, www.santilondon.com, open 10am to 8pm, Saturday 10am to 7pm, Sunday 10am to 7pm.