Face down on a massage bed, I’m feeling a little more trepidation than I usually would before a new treatment. After all, I’m experiencing what is billed as the world’s first Four-Cheek Facial, developed by Swedish skincare brand FOREO. As they pitch it: ‘Perfectly formulated for the skin on the face and derrière, this one-of-a-kind treatment will take your regular skincare routine down past the décolleté ensuring skin is well adjusted for winter months.’
Cheeky name aside, the idea behind it is sound: that when body cleansing it's important to focus on all areas, not just those on show to the world.
As Dr Raj Arora, GP, aesthetic doctor and skin expert for the brand, puts it: 'Body cleansing is extremely important in maintaining clean, hydrated skin, especially in the cooler months; however, it doesn’t always get the airtime it deserves. We should be caring for our whole bodies the same way we do our face, which is why I’ve collaborated with FOREO on creating a facial with a difference, helping people to keep their cheeks glowing all year round.'
And so, ensconced at the Four Seasons’s luxe Beauty Rooms high above on London’s Park Lane (‘four cheeks at the Four Seasons’, I can’t help but think), I am ready.
The treatment starts with, the legs and bottom cheeks, with the therapist applying cleanser then using the brand’s first-ever body device, the LUNA 4 body, to smooth the skin with long massage-style strokes and brisk, shorter ones; it feels surprisingly like using a body brush.
That’s what the LUNA 4body is, albeit a souped-up version - a nifty handheld device with quick-drying silicon bristles, plus vibrating technology (T-Sonic™ pulsations). That means it can gently exfoliate, prevent ingrown hairs and 'strawberry' skin, help with cellulite and breakouts, and is 35 times more hygienic than brushes with nylon bristles, according to FOREO.
Shop: FOREO Luna 4 Body
FOREO Luna 4 Body
1 of 1Foreo Luna 4 Body Massaging Brush
After legs and bottom are tackled, I turn over for the facial cleanse and massage, for which the therapist is using a separate device, the LUNA, which has slightly softer bristles than the body version, to suit the more delicate facial skin. Again, she uses deep, lifting strokes, treating the device a little like a gua sha tool, and lulls me half to sleep.
Suitable for all skin types, the firming massage is intended help reduce fine lines and sagging, relax muscle tension points, and improve lymphatic drainage. All in all, the 30-minute treatment is far more soothing than I expected, and afterwards I float outside with glowy, fresh-looking skin that stays looking clear for days – on all four cheeks.
The treatment will be an add-on fixture at the Beauty Rooms in the new year, with a free day for the public expected in January – watch this space.
If you want to try it at home, here's how.
The Four-Cheek Facial DIY Style
Apply cleanser. Dampen your face and body, bum included, and apply a gentle SA (salicylic acid) cleanser such as FOREO Micro-Foam Cleanser on the face and body.
Gently glide your LUNA 4 across your face in upward motions.
Use a LUNA 4 body to cleanse skin from the neck down. Taking the time to focus on the bum, glide your LUNA 4 body in upward motions across your entire body.
Moisturize. While still damp, use a gentle face moisturiser and body moisturiser head to toe.
(Optional) Apply serum. If you have problematic skin, such as bum acne, follow up with a targeted, active serum such as FOREO’s SERUM SÉRUM SERUM.