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Helen Franks gets rejuvenated
 When
you are offered something called a Harmonising Facial by a famous beauty
guru (one who has, it is said, treated Cherie Blair and various celebs), you
don’t say no.
Bharti Vyas is the guru, a woman with a deep
knowledge of Ayurvedic medicine and owner of a pair of magic hands.
Now, I must confess that I am not a
high-maintenance person. I don’t go in for massage or facials, or
manicures or colonic this and thats. I visit the hairdresser once in three
months, and have only recently given up doing my own tinting.
However, who could resist a Harmonising Facial
by Bharti? It sounded like something with a chorus of birds in the
background.
Actually it wasn’t.
Bharti greeted me with great enthusiasm.
She asked questions about diet, general health and lifestyle. She made
shrewd comments about my personality and character. All these things, she
said, affected the way she would treat me. (I have no way of knowing if
this was true, but see later for results.)
It wasn’t only a facial. It was a whole-body
experience. That, I suppose, is where the Harmonising bit comes in. She
gave me a thong to wear, and a towel to cover the bits she wasn’t working
on. I was oiled all over, including the scalp, and then plastered with
various unguents and emollients, ending with a light tanning lotion.
Before she started on my face – which was more
or less the same routine – I was clad in these funny boots to aid
circulation. Flowtron boots were originally designed for post-operative use,
for people who are bed-bound, to reduce danger of blood clots. Bharti uses
them for lymphatic drainage. Yeah, they felt nice, sort of tingly.
You need time (as well as money) if you want
a Harmonising Facial. The whole business took one and a half hours, what
with the chat and everything. I decided to surrender to the moment.
“How do you feel?” asked Bharti, when the one
and a half hours were up. “Walking on air,” I replied. My skin felt silky
and smooth, and looked it too. After a scrutiny at the mirror, I
reckoned she had taken off a good ten years. Many of my lines and
wrinkles were ironed out. My skin looked radiant. My hair, though, looked
completely wild. Bharti advises her clients to wear a scarf or hat when they
go home, and get their hair done afterwards.
Would I do it again, knowing there would be a
bill for £120 second time around? I think I might, but only for a very
special occasion or if I felt exceedingly stressed. When
I said this to Bharti, she replied, ‘Ideally, after fifty, the body needs an
MOT every month to see real results. Think of it as an investment – better
than a new outfit or jewellery in terms of energy and rejuvenation.’
She could be right. Cherie Blair
and a lot of other well-known people seem to think so.
I have been trying out some of Bharti’s
facial products at home. This is definitely high maintenance, involving
half a dozen pots of creams and potions for cleansing, a gentle face
polisher,
nourishing, moisturising, etc.
The contents of the pots are unfamiliar,
some of them brown and thick or creamy and slippery. They have the feel and
look of being reassuringly natural, free of chemicals, perfume or
colouring.
I can’t honestly say that they – or I - have
the Bharti magic touch. My lines and wrinkles are fully visible. But my
skin feels smooth and looks luminous.
Details and prices can be found on
Bharti's website
(The following is a shortened version of the Bharti Vyas information
leaflet)
Bharti top-
to- toe treatment - the Harmonising Facial
The Harmonising Facial includes locating all
pockets of tension in the body and releasing them, by stimulating
circulation. The therapy involves a combination of hands-on therapies
including Ayurvedic and aromatherapy oils; heat therapy, acupressure,
lymphatic drainage and friction massage are also employed. Whatever the skin
needs on the day will be provided.
The massage techniques
Lymphatic drainage
The lymphatic
system massage incorporates activating vital acupuncture pressure points,
located on the face and scalp. The massage helps to relieve any tension..
The treatment also employs the use of Flowtron boots to help stimulate
circulation - see more on this below.
Ayurvedic friction massage
A quick, but not deep, massage that helps
stimulate blood circulation and strengthen the immune system - and give the
skin a vibrant glow.
Aromatherapy massage
Aromatherapy
massage includes the use of pure essential oils to enhance physical and
mental well-being. The Ultimate Face Balm is fused with a unique blend of
essential oils including jojoba, tea tree, and chamomile and carrot oil to
create a balancing effect on the skin.
The technology
Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is an accelerated form of
exfoliation (the removal of dead cells). Aluminium oxide crystals are
blasted onto the skin, with a controlled pressure, through a plastic tube.
The peeling effect achieved accelerates the repairing of scar tissue,
reduces the thickening of skin and pigmentation problems. It will also help
strengthen the skin. A cold laser is then waved over the skin. This helps
speed up the skins healing and rejuvenation process.
Myolift
A great tool which helps to lift and tone facial
muscles. Pads are placed on large and small facial muscles and electrical
impulses are passed through them. This causes the muscles to contract and
relax, giving them the equivalent of a good workout. Immediate results can
be seen, so this treatment is perfect if someone has a special evening
planned.
Flowtron Lymphatic Boots
These inflatable
boots intermittently compress and decompress. This helps to boost the
lymphatic system and ease painful legs.
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A vast industry is out there to help with all and
every beauty concern. In this column every month laterlife.com will report on ideas
and products, old and new. All with the focus on maturity of course.
