In clinic at Cosmetica London, Balham
The D.E.N. Recovery Facial
A slow, restorative professional facial for skin that is sensitised, dehydrated or recovering. Most facials work against your skin. Ours works with it.
Why recovery
Modern skin is in a state of recovery
Skin is asked to cope with more than ever: too many actives at home, aesthetic treatments that need recovery time, pollution, hard water and seasons that swing from one extreme to the other.
Yet most facials still lean on acids, resurfacing and intensity. The D.E.N. Recovery Facial does the opposite. Seven professional-only D.E.N. formulas are layered slowly across five phases to calm the look of redness, restore hydration and support the skin barrier.
Cool temperatures, light pressure and no steam. Just the space your skin needs to recover.
Is it for you?
Book the Recovery Facial if your skin is:
- Sensitised, reactive or easily irritated
- Dehydrated, tight or dry
- Over-exfoliated from too many acids or retinoids
- Recovering after injectables, laser or microneedling, once any redness has cleared
- Stressed by the weather or the seasons
- Simply tired and in need of calm
“Every facial promised a glow. This one promises calm.”
What happens
Five phases of recovery
Pacing is the protocol. Every step is slow, cool and gentle, so your skin is supported, never challenged.
Prepare & Cleanse
About 10 min
Make-up and the day are lifted away with a warm lipid cleansing emulsion, followed by a hydrating mineral mist. No steam: heat can make redness worse.
Renew
About 15 min
A gentle enzyme exfoliant, with no acids, softens dull, rough skin. It's timed to your skin's sensitivity, and extractions only happen where the skin is calm.
Massage & Treat
About 12 min
A slow, feather-light lymphatic massage with our calming serum, working upward and outward. You'll feel held, not worked on.
Mask & Restore
About 15 min
A rich nourishing mask under cool, mist-soaked gauze. The lights dim and your skin gets what it needs most: stillness and time.
Seal & Close
About 8 min
Serum, eye crème and a light hydrating gel are pressed in to lock in the work. You leave calm, comfortable and dewy.
Recovery, not resurfacing
How it's different
A typical results facial
- Acids, peels and heat
- Tingling, redness, sometimes peeling
- Fast glow, but at a cost to sensitive skin
- Designed for a one-off result
The D.E.N. Recovery Facial
- Gentle enzymes, no acids, no steam
- Leaves skin calm and comfortable
- Built for sensitive and reactive skin
- Benefits that build over a course
From our founder
“Sometimes, skin needs less.”
D.E.N. was born from a very personal experience. During cancer treatment, Dr Mica Engel's skin became incredibly sensitive, and she couldn't find a range gentle enough, so she began formulating her own.
The Recovery Facial brings that philosophy into the treatment room: most skin walking into a clinic today isn't thriving, it's recovering. This facial gives it the time and care to do that.
Dr Mica Engel
Medical doctor since 2004 · GMC 6161882 · Cosmetica London since 2012
Continue at home
The Recovery Kit
The Recovery Kit brings together the four D.E.N. essentials we recommend after your facial, so the recovery continues between visits. Pick it up at reception, or order it online.
Good to know
Your questions, answered
Will I see a difference straight away?
Yes. Most people leave with skin that looks calmer and more hydrated and feels comfortable, and make-up sits beautifully. The longer-term benefit, skin that feels stronger and less reactive, builds over a course.
How often should I book?
We recommend a course of four, one a week, to reset the skin, then once a month to maintain it.
Can I have it after injectables or other treatments?
Yes, it's designed to be the recovery step. Please wait at least 48 hours after injectables. After laser, peels or microneedling, check the right timing with your practitioner when you book.
How is it different from a HydraFacial?
A HydraFacial resurfaces; the Recovery Facial restores. They have different goals and can work well together, with the Recovery Facial as the calm-down in between.
My skin is very sensitive or prone to redness. Is it suitable?
It was created for sensitive and reactive skin. We patch test on your first visit. If you have a diagnosed skin condition such as rosacea or eczema, let us know when you book so we can plan your treatment.
Is it suitable in pregnancy?
Please tell us when booking if you're pregnant. We adapt the treatment and leave out the enzyme step.
Who shouldn't book?
Please don't book if you have an active skin infection or cold sore, open wounds or broken skin, a known allergy to any of the ingredients, or you're still within the healing window of an invasive procedure.
Cosmetica London, Balham
Give your skin time to recover
60 minutes · £165, or £595 for a course of four.