A clean getaway from London: a pioneering skincare retreat

This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to London

My skin is two years older than I am. 

I’m looking at a comprehensive analysis of my face, the numbers crunched by a high-tech skin scanner that looks like the progeny of an MRI machine and a tonometer. After capturing an assortment of technicolour-patterned scans of my visage, it has determined my “skin age” — and that my largest organ is more mature than my soul. I hate to think what a grizzled old goblin my liver might be.

This analysis is the first step of a new skincare-focused programme at Glass House Retreat, a detox and wellness facility in Essex (just over an hour by train or Tube from central London) that offers spa packages for day visitors or longer stays chock-full of activities, from country walks to cooking classes.

Following the scan, the four-day full-board retreat (starting at £1,410), includes three bespoke facial treatments devised by a specialist to target a guest’s skin concerns, whether it’s a specific issue or the desire for a reset, using clinical-grade clean skincare from IMAGE and other powerful tools such as light therapy, chemical peels or radio-frequency treatments. The retreat is one of the first of its kind in the UK, and part of a growing number of wellness destinations and hotels globally that are offering stays dedicated entirely to skin.

“Do you wear SPF every day?” Bethany Berry, my skin examiner, asks. 

“Every day,” I say proudly, failing to mention my laissez-faire attitude to sun exposure in my earlier decades, when my skin resembled Louis Vuitton luggage. 

Berry talks me through the analysis of my pores, wrinkles, skin texture, pigmentation, moisture levels and sensitivity, among other things, explaining that many of my dislikes are caused by dehydration and, yes, sun damage. We discuss my sleep-deprived lifestyle and current skincare regime, which is lazy and minimal, especially by internet standards (who are these normal, working people who have time and money for a 12-step routine?), though she assures me that I do not need to do much more to make a difference. To avoid angering my sensitive skin, the first facial is gentle and relaxing: a double cleanse, with a face, neck and shoulder massage, followed by an exfoliating scrub, hydrating mask and brightening serum application. Each product smells like a different fruit confection.

Skincare, which refers to cosmetic products designed for care, protection and beautification of the skin, is one of the fastest-growing segments of the behemoth beauty industry. According to Statista, its global market size is projected to reach $181.2bn this year, which some credit to the effects of social media and the pandemic years we spent examining ourselves on camera.

The skin retreat at Glass House became a part of its offering earlier this year, and according to Bethany Cable, the spa manager, the uptake so far has mostly been among women who are experiencing biological or lifestyle changes that are affecting their skin, such as menopause.

“All of the different things that happen in our life can impact your skin,” she says. “So using menopause as an example, you might book in for the skincare retreat when that happens, as it can cause increased sensitivity to sun or a loss of oiliness, and then we figure out how to adapt. Or it might be that someone has a new job or just had a child, and is struggling to fit in their routine, so this is a bit of a reset for the skin.”

Cable says that IMAGE skincare products are used because of the company’s straightforward philosophy: cleanse, serum and SPF in the morning, and cleanse, serum, and moisturise at night. “A lot of brands tend to overcomplicate skincare,” she says. “But you can see fantastic results with just a handful of products.”

I noticed a difference after my second treatment: an enzyme facial followed by Dermalux light therapy. I could feel the fruit enzymes bubbling away on my face, frothing as they munched on dead skin cells. My skin looked noticeably brighter and less congested, and even the pigmentation I’d acquired from a sunny holiday in the weeks prior was significantly reduced.

Glass House itself, which opened in 2019, is neither a medical facility nor a luxury hotel, but rather a countryside spa with rooms: think comfortable beds, rainfall showers, large, smart TVs with all the usual apps and a “digital detox box” for guests to lock their devices away, if that’s an aim of the stay.

Both day spa and overnight guests also have access to an array of amenities and activities, including fitness classes, wellness workshops and cryotherapy, as well as an indoor heated pool, outdoor swimming pond, hot tub, sauna, steam room and gym. Aside from set meal times and an (optional) early-morning walk through the surrounding woods and fields, the schedule of events changes each day, and guests can participate in as much (or as little) as they want. During my stay I joined meditation classes, sound bathing, aqua aerobics and aerial yoga, all of which were inclusive, enjoyable and, critically (especially when it came to hanging from the ceiling, bottom up, in a silk hammock in the name of exercise), appropriate for all levels and not embarrassing to try.

All help to work up an appetite for three plant-based meals a day, while the site is also alcohol-, refined sugar- and caffeine-free. (Zero coffee, for me, was the biggest challenge: it’s advised to start removing caffeine from one’s diet a few days before the retreat, though I, regretfully, did not, and had a searing headache for my recalcitrance.) Portion sizes are generous and, while not every dish is a hit, the food in general is surprisingly tasty; a favourite was an Ottolenghi-like sweet-potato and chickpea salad, with lightly steamed kale, cashews and pomegranate, which was sweet, spicy and more satisfying than anything called a salad should be. A real knockout, however, was the fruit crumble — hard to believe it was sugar-free, and the vegan custard served alongside was a revelation.

Dining, and the stay in general, is as social as you make it. When I visited, some people brought books to meal times, while others ate in groups together. The other guests, ranging from their twenties to fifties or sixties, were mostly women, and those I spoke to were generally there for some rest and relaxation.

Trisha, who was visiting from California, booked a five-night stay at Glass House following a month travelling around the UK and Ireland, and had some time on her own before meeting up with her daughter in London. “I’ve done wellness retreats before, but I like this one because it’s not so regimented,” she said. “It isn’t boot camp.”

Susanne, a German woman who lives in London, also said she was there to “chill out.” She too had done wellness retreats before, mostly in the Caribbean, but said Glass House is the best she’s found in the UK. “Many of the others seem to focus on colon irrigation, and I didn’t want to spend a week doing that,” she said.

At the end of my stay, with my caffeine withdrawal waning and face glowing, I felt better than I expected to. I’m pleased to report that, as well as keeping up my advised (and manageably minimal) skincare routine, I’ve since celebrated a birthday — and am almost positive that my epidermis has remained the same age. Website; Directions

Niki Blasina was a guest of Glass House Retreat

Do you have a wellness retreat in or around London to recommend? Share it in the comments below. And follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter

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