The blurb
Newsflash, Botox and fillers are sooo last year. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like the idea of injecting rat poison into my pores to freeze my death stare in place and plumping my cheeks in to a Disney-esque grin—it’s just that I no longer need to… all hail the birth of the Zone Face Lift.
This holistic treatment uses a heady mix of facial reflexology, pressure-point massage, Asian body mapping, healing herbs and Native American techniques. The complementary therapy was developed by Ziggie Bergman, who created the nurturing facial after years practicing reflexology. She also drew from her time spent studying with Native American shamans and healers in New Mexico. She has now trained various therapists to carry out the treatment around the UK.
Alongside an impressive bounty of scary-looking contraptions and intriguing crystals, Zone Face Lift gently stimulates collagen and promotes elastin. It sculpts the neckline and smooths and lifts the face through various massage techniques, tightening skin and regenerating the complexion.
It also makes two seriously bold claims; first, to remove up to a decade of ageing over 12 weeks of regular treatments. Second, that just a single session will leave your complexion glowing. Despite only being in my early thirties, a decade living it up in west London and a year with a baby has left me feeling haggard, with the complexion of old sandpaper, so I was eager to try this supposed instant radiance booster!
The process
Don’t get me wrong, I am pretty cynical when it comes to Mexican miracles and crystal time machines—when was the last time you saw a shaman and were struck by his youthful glow? However, I had the Zone Face Lift’s promises of radiance and tightening from a pretty reliable source: Karen Joseph.
I met Karen four years ago, when I reviewed her reflexology treatments for West London Living. During my years as a beauty reviewer I had tried all sorts of wild claim treatments, from vampire facials and cupping to 24-carat gold face masks—but Karen’s reflexology was the only treatment that I actually rebooked myself… every week for almost four years. Since then Karen has picked up on all sorts of misbalances and ailments, solely through working on my feet. She had recently been trained by Ziggie and, raving about the results, asked me if I wanted to try it. ‘Why not?’ I thought, ‘you only live once’ (although the shaman may not agree).
As I entered the treatment room I felt a little like a child visiting the dentist for the first time as I set eyes on her ominous display of instruments; a facial Gua Sha stone, quartz crystal facial rollers, some metal chopstick looking implements and various stones…
What followed was 90 minutes of utterly relaxing massage and facial reflexology using some of the best techniques from around the globe. I am guilty of grinding my teeth at night and suffer from a tight jaw, which Karen could instantly feel. The Gua Sha element of the treatment, which translates as ‘scraping’, originates from China. Karen used the jade tool to produce pressurised strokes to reduce muscular tension and increase circulation, helping my muscles relax and encouraging toxins to flush out of the skin’s surface.
The ominous looking crystal roller has a cooling effect on the skin’s surface, reducing puffiness and promoting a bright, radiant glow. Facial reflexology identified tension and sensitivity in various areas that I suffer with; my spine, head, adrenals and of course my jaw. Karen focused on these problem areas for me to help relieve the pain and promote healing—now that is more helpful than a generic tone and moisturise!
The results
Despite the scary toolkit this was a totally relaxing facial treatment with added benefits. Working with your skin from the inside out, as opposed to simply plastering over it with lotions and potions, it successfully identified areas of tension within the entire body and began promoting healing. And as for the visible results? My skin appeared plumped, my complexion looked glowing with a youthful dewy quality and I couldn’t stop stroking my silken visage for the rest of the week. I would definitely recommend the Zone Face Lift.
