I Tried A G-Beauty Facial & Here's What I Thought

So you've heard of K-beauty, J-Beauty, and A-Beauty, but there's a new kid on the block and it goes by the name of G-Beauty. The latest location-specific trend taking over is German beauty, but this one feels a lot less like a fad and more of a movement concentrating on technology and nurturing the skin. Keen to learn more, I tried a G-Beauty facial, and what I found may have just changed my skincare regime for good.

So, you might be wondering what exactly G-Beauty is, and if so, you're in luck, as Rowan Hall-Farrise is the International Head Trainer at luxury G-Beauty brand QMS Medicosmetics and told me all about it.

"German beauty sticks to the science-led ethos rather than being driven by fads, trends, or fashion. It is technology driven and sticks to strict protocols. German skincare is also treatment led, seeing brands working closely with professional aesthetic therapists and facialists to achieve real results in treatment specific rooms." Hall-Farrise says, before continuing:

"For Germans, skincare is a necessity, not a luxury. To them skincare is more about wellness and efficacy than just finding something considered to be luxurious or a pampering experience."

Hall-Farisse tells me that, because of the focus on technology, the products used in G-Beauty, including QMS Medicosmetics, contain active ingredients that mean, when you step out of a facial, you can really see a difference in your skin. Unlike many other skincare brands, with QMS, the focus wasn't on having a super relaxing facial (although it was pretty relaxing) but instead on healing and treating the skin.

Before the facial began, we spoke about my skin and I told Hall-Farrise that my main concerns were oiliness and hyper pigmentation, which is common for darker skin tones. Hall-Farrise said that, due to my skin concerns, I should stay away from anything too abrasive including scrubs (which I previously would've described as my holy grail) and she said that we needed to be careful with extractions to ensure that the skin wouldn't scar. We opted for the QMS urban repair facial, which works on "clearing though pollution caught in the skin at a cellular level." This pollution "leads to premature ageing, inflammation , pigmentation and dull looking skin," according to Hall-Farrise.

The facial was a ten-step process.

1. I was given a double cleanse with QMS deep cleanser milk. As this isn't a foaming cleanser, it doesn't strip the skin. It can also double up as your eye makeup remover — two birds, one stone.
2. Next up, instead of using a scrub, Hall-Farrise used the sensitive AHA exfoliator that aims to stimulate cell turnover and blood flood to help increase healing in the skin.
3. On top of the exfoliator, Hall-Farrise added a gentle exfoliant cream and massaged the two products together.
4. The exfoliator and cream were removed and we then did extractions where needed. Usually I dread extractions because, lets face it, they're pretty painful. But honestly, I could barely feel them.
5. Hall-Farrise then wiped over my face with QMS PH balancing toner to remove water residue and bring the PH level back to normalised, which is between 4.7 and 5.75.
6. A thick layer of the EpiGen daily detox serum was applied.
7. This was followed by an Algea mask to help the serum absorb into my skin. This was when I could really start to feel the lower levels of my skin being targeted. The mask was pretty cooling and, as soon as it hardened, it became a thick plastic-like gel that Hall-Farrise could just peel right off, which felt pretty satisfying.
8. Then the QMS day collagen was applied.
9. Hall-Farrise used an oxygen boost to infuse the collagen into my skin, which was sprayed on your face through a small tube and was actually super tickly.
10. Hall-Farrise finished with advanced intensive eye care and a hydra foam mask to give a boost of hydration and let the treatments really get to work.

After the facial, I could definitely see a noticeable difference in my skin. It felt smoother and was positively glowing. With my beauty regime, I’ve always been a fan of abrasive scrubs and loved facials with treatments like microdermabrasion, but what this experience taught me is that just because a product feels like it's penetrating your skin because it's abrasive, doesn't mean it's actually doing you any good.