The treatment starts with a really thorough cleanse to remove all impurities; it’s advised to come to the appointment without foundation to make this process quicker. The face is then cleaned off with alcohol to remove any residue, bacteria and remaining grime. It’s so important that there are no nasties lurking that can be pushed into the skin during the Aquagold. My skin had never felt so clean!

Now prep was done, it was time for Kelly to mix my personalised Aquagold cocktail of ingredients. This step is completely tailored to your individual skin concerns and goals, and can include components of Botox, pure hyaluronic acid, growth factors, antioxidants, peptides, vitamins and very fluid hyaluronic filler. You can find out more about these ingredients on our Aquagold page. For me, Botox, pure HA, a “glow” mixture and growth factors was chosen.

Now, a quick word on the inclusion of Botox here- used superficially like this it won’t reach the muscle, so there won’t be any facial freezing. Instead it works to reduce pore size and appearance, reduces redness and flushing, inhibits sebum production (hello!) and reduces sweating. You can read more about the incredible benefits of superficial botox in our blog post.

Unlike microneedling, there’s no need for numbing cream for Aquagold, the needles don’t go as deep and the action of the needles is very different. The aim here isn’t to create microinjuries to promote the body’s natural healing to kick in… this is just a bonus in the case of Aquagold, but obviously not to the same extent.

Kelly worked methodically across my face, gently “stamping’ the tool on my skin, which would puncture the skin ever so slightly and release the magical elixir! As she worked, she rubbed the serum into my face, to make sure it really go in there and nothing was wasted! The process took about 15 minutes, and even though my skin in SUPER reactive and sensitive (think automatic beetroot face and sensitivity to ingredients), I didn’t really flush at all. And that was it! To boost the process further a sheet mask was applied, which I kep on until it was almost dry. I like to get as much out of a treatment as possible!

There’s no major after-care required. It’s advised to avoid washing your face for at least 8 hours (to ensure the ingredients are able to get to work) and don’t wear make-up (remember you’ve got these tiny holes in your skin, although they’ve already begun healing) and directly after avoid major sun exposure.

That night my skin felt tight and had reddened, like I’d had too much sun. Knowing how my skin reacts, this was very minimal for me!!

The next day my skin felt amazing- it was soft, plump, hydrated and had a really even tone. I get a lot of redness around my nose and this was completely gone. Over the next few days, this only got better, until I felt like my mirror MUST have had a filter on it!!

The real “WOAH” moment came about a week later when I went to a gig. Despite being in a big sweaty crowd, dancing for several hours, my skin still felt powdery to the touch- like I’d just finished putting on my make-up! I always flush when I’m hot or doing anything remotely energetic, and my skin tone was still completely even. I couldn’t believe it.

It made me think that this would be the ideal treatment before something like a wedding, or other big event where you want your makeup to stay put, or wear none at all!

I’m 4 weeks post treatment now, and overall skin tones is still massively improved. The first ingredients that took effect were definitely botox and the hyaluronic acid (the pure form, I didn’t have the filler) which made my pores tiiiiiny, skin plump and feeling like velvet (I was a complete bore and made everyone stroke my cheek).

For my overall skin health, and skin appearance, this is absolutely my favourite treatment now!