ELLE TESTS
EXFOLIATING TREATMENTS
By Amy Lawrenson
Exfoliating in the shower is a love or hate thing, you either see it as a treat or a chore. Either way regular buffing is one of life's necessities, a must for summer dressing and essential preparation for a long lasting, golden tan - fake or real. A skin sloughing salon treatment is the most luxurious and the least tedious way to indulge and the ELLE team have been scrubbed, sloughed and exfoliated to bring you our pick of the best buffing treatments, here's the results...
Gentle Skin Smoother, £30 for 40 minutes by Clarins at Selfridges (Available nationwide)
The spa
It feels a littel odd going into Selfridges, rather than a spa, to have a treatment, and as the room is just behind the Clarins counter, everytime the therapist opens the door I'm worried people might be able to see me! The therapist however, is very professional but the whole experience is not very private and this is a downside to having treatments at department store rather than spa. The upside is you can have Clarins scrub almost anywhere in the country.
The treatment
The therapist describes the scrub, it's a dry mix with a little oil, salt and petals. She asks if I wanted a relaxing or uplifting treatment and I opt for uplifting. The course scrub is then applied all over the body in soft yet rigorous sweeps and then firmer strokes to stimulate the skin and massage the scrub right in - it really feels as though it's working. Afterwards, I shower to remove the debris and then I am moisturised all over, which is just how you would moisturise at home (perfect if you find it a bit of a chore!) I did think the treatment was a little short and would have liked a full hour and maybe a massage while I was being moisturised.
The result
Afterwards my skin feels soft and exfoliated and the feeling lasts until I shower next. It is not the most luxurious treatment but the products smell divine!
Best for: A no frills scrub, perfect before a fake tan.
Rating: 2/5
