Comfort Zone Skin Regimen Longevity facial at Ena Salon

A new anti-ageing facial offers spa-goers the chance to take a more active part in their treatment.

Beauty, unlike football, isn't always a results business. World-weary consumers are often all too willing to be taken in by an elegantly espoused set of product claims, and this can blinker us to the reality: that, over time, the effects of our beloved product or treatment are actually pretty negligible.

I find this is particularly true of facials. The trouble is the process is so relaxing, I usually emerge from my half-hour's pampering estranged from my critical faculties, unable to tell for certain whether I actually do look any younger, smoother or shinier.

So when I heard about a new treatment from Comfort Zone that promised near instant results, I was intrigued. The claim? “It will take just 30 minutes to renew, restore, tone and reposition the skin tissues for a youthful, healthier appearance.” Challenge accepted.

Things got off to an interesting start. Normally I simply lie back and close my eyes, but this time around I was asked to take a more active part in my treatment. We began with a series of stretches — simple movements of the arm and hand, made while the therapist provided light resistance with her hands.

This was followed by facial exercises, again made against resistance — at one point I was asked to smile while the therapist gently held the corners of my mouth. The point of all this is to ease tension in frequently used muscles, and to prepare the skin for the treatment. It seemed to work, and when I finally eased back into my chair I certainly felt relaxed.

I was then coated with a series of products from Comfort Zone's new Skin Regimen range, made with a high concentration of natural ingredients and designed to counter causes of skin ageing, such as inflammation and oxidation. Then, to assist the effectiveness of these creams and cleansers, the therapist started to roll the skin on the right side of my face, one small section at a time, working from my chin up to my forehead. The rolling, which forms part of a neuromuscular rehabilitation technique known as ‘kabat', is meant to tone, tighten and reposition the skin in a way that's instantly noticeable.

Sure enough, when I looked in the mirror, I genuinely did notice a difference between the two halves of my face. The right side looked fresher and tighter.

At £45 for half-an-hour, this treatment isn't cheap, but at least you can see what you're paying for. www.comfortzoneskincare.com www.enasalon.com