The Paris spa ritual that soothed my puffy face after a long flight

All the staff at Le Royal Monceau speak English, which can be comforting when your brain is too foggy to conjure up the French you learnt in high school. The masseuse explained that she would perform their signature facial followed by a full body massage, and as she got to work, beginning with delicate but firm strokes meant to encourage lymphatic drainage and reduce facial puffiness, I found myself drifting off to sleep.

An hour and half later, when I sat up and took a look in the mirror, I was genuinely impressed by the results. Not only did the bright skin and healthy flush look like I’d just returned from a 5K run, my puffy face was gone. Even around the eyes, where I struggle the most. No space-age equipment, no detox regimen made up of bitter elixirs—just a massage technique that flushed the water retention away.

To make sure I wasn’t just imagining these results, I contacted Dr Kiran Lohia to validate the science behind this combination of a facial followed by a full-body massage. “The whole body is connected through the lymphatic system, so covering the entire face and body really helps with the detoxification and promotion of lymphatic flow and drainage,” she confirmed, quoting a 2020 scientific review that supported manual lymphatic drainage for mild to moderate fluid retention, especially in the face and limbs.

Courtesy of Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris