London living does a whole lot of no good to your skin. Pollution runs amuck on the Underground and even up top where we tread busy streets full of cars and trucks.
And don’t get us started on the hard water. It just adds to the troubles of keeping a clear, bright and generally healthy-looking complexion.
That’s because our pores soak up everything that comes into contact with our skin.
All our bad drinking and eating habits just make things worse, with so many of us dealing with adult acne and face blemishes. That’s why semi-regular facials can be so necessary.
Lay down for an hour, breathe in some essential oils, and let a professional remove that nasty gunk from your face.
What is it?
ANAMI is unlike most beauty companies out there; for one, it’s discreetly hidden within a large office building in Old Street.
To get in, you’ll need the receptionist to call ANAMI so they can lead you through a series of long and winding corridors.
Inside their small space, the team at ANAMI specialises in several kinds of beauty and wellness treatments, but they’re best known for their facials for both men and women.
Yes, it’s not just the ladies who need to look after their skin.
In fact, the team at ANAMI are working hard to teach men about proper skin care. They see that women spend far more time on their skin routine while men tend to focus on grooming and barbering.
The beauty industry doesn’t give much of a solution for men’s skin concerns. But ANAMI is stepping in to teach guys about skincare.
How does it work?
Each of the signature skin treatments is personalised to the needs of the client; it all depends on whether you have dry or oily skin, or are prone to breakouts.
And if you really have no idea about your own skin type, then they’ll gladly help you figure it out (yes, that’s directed towards the men out there).
After the skin analysis, they’ll kick things off with a basic cleansing, enzyme exfoliation, and steaming.
Then comes the slightly strange part – the galvanic desincrustation process. A small ionically charged roller passes over your face helping the treatment gel get further into the skin, bringing impurities to the surface. It also stimulates blood and oxygen flow to the skin. That’s a double win.
And after all these relaxing processes, the inevitable painful part begins – the extraction.
No matter how good your beauty therapist is, this is always going to hurt. They’ll be squeezing out all of the awful stuff your pores have soaked up from the outside world. It’s like your being pinched all over your face. Shedding a few tears during this stage is normal – we certainly couldn’t hold back our own while we gave the treatment a go.
After this, most facials would lather you up with some moisturiser and send you on your merry way with a red and blotchy face which still hurts from the extraction. But not at ANAMI.
They get out their skin scrubber which sends ultrasonic sound-waves into your body to loosen up dead skin cells and general debris.
It will end with a super cooling mask which sits on your face for about 15 minutes. Only after this part do they ease you back into the world with a fresh looking face.
What are the benefits?
ANAMI uses so many different tools, oils and creams that you’ll experience a huge array of benefits.
The extraction itself simply removes all the bad stuff from your pores. Most of us have very congested skin from living in London, so we really need to have it all flushed out regularly.
But the extra tools make it far more effective. For example, the galvanic desincrustation process facilitates deep pore cleansing, emulsifies your sebum, removes surface oiliness and brings impurities to the surface.
But we haven’t even mentioned our favourite bit yet – the high frequency oxygenated treatment. A high frequency electrical current is sent right into the worst bits of your face as if you’re being zapped with a small taser. It’s more uncomfortable than painful and can leave you with a weird metallic taste in your mouth. The things we do for beauty!
But this technical treatment is a miracle worker. It reduces inflammation, closes the pores after extraction, shrinks enlarged pores, tightens and tones the skin, and acts as an antiseptic.
The ANAMI team have the equipment on hand for all skincare needs – after all, it’s not just your run of the mill beauty parlour.
How much?
Hour-long facials start at £70 each and increase slightly depending on your skincare needs.
For those wanting extra pampering, book the special beauty package which includes a full body massage, skin scrub and a manicure. This will set you back £178.
Where?
Brew Eagle House, 167 City Road EC1V 1AW.
