Archives des The Journal

2026-08-172026-08-06

Jawline: what the science really says

Portrait rapproché d’un homme au teint frais et net

Ultra-hard chewing gums, silicone bite trainers, mewing apps: never have so many jaw-sculpting methods been for sale. Behind the craze lies a simpler, more demanding truth. Here is what matters, free of myth and bias.

What shapes a jawline

Three things shape it: bone, fat and muscle. Bone provides the foundation, inherited through our genes and hormones, with testosterone broadening the jaw at puberty. Yet it is not set in stone: according to Melvin Moss's functional theory, function influences form. Breathing, chewing, swallowing, resting the tongue in place, all of it moulds the face, above all during growth. Fat, in turn, reveals or veils that structure: a leaner face lets the bone show through. Muscle, finally, redraws the contours, and in time its strength even acts a little upon the bone itself, the celebrated Wolff's law. Nothing, then, is entirely fixed, at any age.

Function, your greatest ally

It is the most powerful lever, and the most overlooked. Social media calls it mewing, yet it is in truth a genuine discipline, myofunctional therapy, rooted in that functional theory. Everything begins with the tongue, and with its rightful place: the tip resting on the retro-incisive papilla, the small ridge behind the upper front teeth, never touching the teeth, the body of the tongue against the palate. And you swallow by pushing upward, not forward. Correctly placed, the tongue supports the maxilla, the bone at the centre of the face, and, through the tone it sustains beneath the chin, it keeps the line of the jaw sharp, that famous jawline. In a child, it even guides the growth of the jaws, hence the importance of consulting an orthodontist early and, where needed, beginning re-education with a speech therapist or a specialist physiotherapist. In an adult, the tongue no longer reshapes the bone, yet its role endures. Forever pressing against the teeth, a poorly placed tongue ends up shifting them and can open a gap at the front, an open bite in which the upper and lower teeth no longer meet. This, indeed, is why so many orthodontic treatments relapse when the tongue has not been re-educated. Lacking tone, it also lets a double chin settle in. A well-placed tongue, lastly, encourages breathing through the nose, whose benefits for sleep and oxygenation are the best established of the entire subject. One caveat, however: it does not work for everyone. In some people the tongue is tethered too tightly beneath, a frenulum too short to let it reach the palate; better then to seek a specialist's opinion.

Gums, gadgets and the truth

They are the darlings of social media: the ultra-hard chewing gums, from natural mastic de Chios to the Turkish Falim, and on to so-called fitness gums such as Jawliner, along with the silicone bite trainers in the vein of Jawzrsize. They all work the masseter, the muscle that lends definition to the lower face. In a man, a slightly stronger masseter enhances the volume and the line of the jaw, which is rather an asset. So yes, exercise does transform the face, yet let us keep a clear head: some are selling a fantasy, while the studies tell another story. The only serious study on the subject called for around thirty minutes of facial exercises a day, over several months, for a genuine but modest result. No miracle, simply consistency. And beware of excess: overworked, these devices harm the joint, at times lastingly, and weaken the teeth. The most effective approach remains the gentlest: a few daily movements, focused on the floor of the mouth:

Tongue pressed to the palate and held firmly for ten seconds without touching the teeth, repeated ten times.
Tongue extended forward, stuck out and held for around thirty seconds, to engage the floor of the mouth.
Fist beneath the chin, try to open the mouth against the resistance of the hand, ten times.

Add to this the right functional habits: chewing on both sides, since always chewing on the same side eventually throws the face off balance, breathing through the nose, and swallowing correctly. The face, like the body, rewards only consistency.

To learn these movements properly and weave them into a genuine routine, the facial yoga workshop awaits, for men as much as for women.

2026-08-112026-08-06

The face can be trained too: consistency, jawline and drainage

Rouleau de jade et gua sha sur marbre, en noir et blanc

Jade roller and gua sha on marble, in black and white

The face has around forty muscles. Like those of the body, they tone up when they are used and slacken when they are forgotten. Caring for it is then less a matter of the occasional treatment than of a routine: a few regular gestures that, week after week, sustain the tone, refine the features and preserve firmness. Three levers to get started, and to keep it up.

1. Facialism is like sport: consistency makes the result

No one expects a single weights session to transform a physique; the face follows the same rule. Manual work, whether massage, sculpting or mobilisation, acts on the muscles, the circulation and the fascia, those tissues that wrap and connect. Called upon regularly, they keep their tone, the skin firms and the contour sharpens; neglected, they stiffen and slacken. The treatment room and daily gestures complement each other. In the cabin, a drainage treatment such as Récupération in the Cercle Privé, or La Parenthèse in the Cercle d'Isis, sets the direction and works in depth, where one cannot act alone; at home, a few minutes of self-massage each day, morning and evening when time allows or at least one of the two, maintain that work between appointments. As in training, it is not the effort of a single day that counts, but the habit that takes hold: consistency always wins over intensity.

2. A sharper jaw: the gestures that sculpt the jawline

A clean jaw has become a mark of allure, but it is revealed more than it is worked: its shape depends first on bone structure, and what the gestures truly change is the crispness of the line. The first lever is to release the masseter, that powerful muscle which closes the jaw and which stress and bruxism often leave clenched; relaxing it comes through a deep massage, with the fingertips at home, or through an intra-oral massage, which I practise in the cabin, that loosens the tension and frees the contour. Next comes the platysma, that sheet of muscle running from the chin down to the neck and supporting the whole line: with the head tilted slightly back, one draws the corners of the lips downward until the cords of the neck tighten, holds for a few seconds, then releases; repeated, the gesture firms the area beneath the chin. Tongue exercises, the tip pressed against the palate, also support the structure of the lower face. Finally, the gua sha, drawn firmly along the jaw, from the chin towards the ear, drains and sculpts the line. Three minutes a day are worth more than an hour once a month.

3. Drainage: de-puff, revive, and know how to do it

Lymphatic drainage is undoubtedly the most valuable gesture of the routine, provided one understands what it does. The lymph flows just beneath the skin, where it carries away waste and excess fluid; reviving it de-puffs the features, softens bags and dark circles by waking the microcirculation, revives radiance and even supports the body's defences, the lymphatic system being one of the pillars of immunity. The best moment remains the morning: on waking, after a night lying down, the face is puffy and the circles marked, and drainage restarts the circulation at once. The evening works too, but if one had to keep only one, it would be the morning. Several schools coexist as to the order, and many recommend draining first, to clear the waste, before massaging or sculpting. The gesture should be slow and light, without forcing, from the centre of the face towards the ears then the neck, where the lymph nodes sit. The fingers are enough, but a few tools* refine it: the jade or quartz roller for the larger areas, the gua sha to follow and drain the jawline, the little massage mushrooms for the most delicate zones, the eye contour and the nape. Cold, straight from the fridge, de-puffs and firms; heat relaxes the muscles and loosens tension, precious on a clenched masseter. After the session, as after sport, drink enough water to support elimination.

The face, like the body, rewards only constancy.

These gestures are learned quickly and well: I pass them on in my automassage workshop, so that everyone leaves with a routine that is right, suited to their own face.

→ Book your place at the automassage workshop, on the second Saturday of each month at 6pm.

* A curated selection of bespoke tools will soon join the Mimisis boutique.

2026-08-042026-08-08

At the height of summer: fade, soothe, release

At the height of summer: fading spots, soothing heat, releasing tension

In the depths of summer, the skin takes a beating: spots that the sun settles in, a complexion that flushes quickly over a long lunch outside, and tensions that do not always let go. Three ways to keep the upper hand.

1. Fading dark spots: age spots, melasma, and what can be done

Not all spots are alike. The most common in men are lentigines, or age spots: years of accumulated sun, combined with an age at which repair slows down, settle them mainly on the forehead, the temples and the upper cheeks. There is also melasma, more diffuse patches triggered by both the sun and the hormones, more frequent in women, though men are not spared, with roughly one case in ten. And in those who shave, an irritation can leave a post-inflammatory mark. In every case, rule number one remains SPF: without it, all the rest is pointless. To fade them, you target the pigmentation with dedicated actives: azelaic acid, which evens out the complexion, alpha-arbutin, and above all tranexamic acid, the rising benchmark of high-end brightening care. Vitamin C and niacinamide, already seen in previous issues, round out the picture, and you will find them at The Ordinary, SkinCeuticals or Paula's Choice. And for an established spot, a melasma, or a mark that changes in appearance, you do not play doctor: a dermatologist's opinion is essential.

2. Soothing the heat: what spices really do to the skin

A well-seasoned dish, enjoyed outdoors, and the face heats up. It is not merely an impression: spices, and the capsaicin in chilli, dilate the blood vessels and trigger what is called gustatory sweating, hence the flushing and the rush of heat. For most people this is harmless, and that sweat refreshes as it evaporates. But on reactive skin, or skin prone to redness, an excess of spice, often paired with alcohol and heat, sustains a flushed complexion and visible vessels. The answer is not to cut everything out, but to find the right balance: notice what makes you flush, and go lighter on heatwave evenings.

3. Releasing the pressure: the scalp massage

Even so, summer does not erase the stress: nights too short, the heat, the screens. Tension lodges in the face and the scalp, with a furrowed brow, tight temples and a clenched jaw. The scalp massage unties these tensions, eases the pressure and, by reviving the microcirculation, brings the complexion back to life. A few minutes with the fingertips are enough at home, while in the studio it is the heart of my Recovery treatment.

Summer fatigue shows on the face. In sixty minutes, a protocol of massage and drainage releases the tension and revives the complexion: relaxed features, a rested gaze.
→ Book your ritual.

2026-07-282026-08-06

Pollution and heat: the summer that suffocates the skin

Pollution and heat in the city: protecting the skin in summer

In the city, summer brings two assaults at once: the heat, which dilates the pores and drives up sebum, and the pollution, whose microparticles cling to skin that is already oily and damp. The result soon shows: a grey complexion, visible pores, small blemishes and that dull veil by the end of the day. The good news is that all of it can be neutralised with three simple habits.

1. Why the heat and pollution combination is worse in summer

When it is hot, the skin produces more sebum and the pores dilate. At the same time, the fine particles from traffic and ozone settle on the face, where they find an oily, moist surface, ideal for embedding themselves. These particles generate oxidative stress: in concrete terms, they accelerate ageing, both wrinkles and dark spots, and sustain a low-grade inflammation that dulls the complexion. A single day in the city is enough to deposit them on the face, between the metro, an open-air lunch and journeys on foot. There is no need to be in full sun: pollution marks the skin all on its own.

2. Antioxidants, your shield (on the plate and in the bottle)

Against oxidative stress, the countermeasure has a name, antioxidants, and it plays out on two fronts. On the plate, go for colour, from red berries to green vegetables and cooked tomatoes, without forgetting green tea and omega-3s, which arm the skin from within. As for skincare, apply one or two drops of an antioxidant serum in the morning, under your moisturiser. Vitamin C remains the benchmark, with the C E Ferulic from SkinCeuticals or The Ordinary Vitamin C, and niacinamide complements it beautifully by regulating sebum.

3. The right cleanse: simple in the evening, and what the treatment adds

There is no need to overcomplicate things. In the evening, a good cleanser removes the pollution, the sebum and the SPF of the day, and that is the essential part. On heavily exposed days, after public transport, sport or a thick SPF, add a cleansing balm or oil just before: this is the double cleanse, nothing more complicated. Among the brands, simple men's ranges do the job very well, such as Horace (French) or Lab Series (premium). In the studio, my approach is different: I do not strip the epidermis, I work the muscle, the lymphatic drainage and the microcirculation. The drainage helps the skin clear what the city deposits on it, while the massage re-oxygenates the complexion, and skin that is better irrigated defends itself better and looks clearer.

The city marks the face in silence. In sixty minutes, a protocol of drainage and massage revives the microcirculation: the skin breathes, and the complexion is clear and rested.
→ Book your ritual.

2026-07-212026-08-06

Recovery mode: repair, nourish, de-puff

Beach, sport, evenings out: summer is an active season, and the skin takes the hit. Salt, perspiration, sun, a few too many drinks, and the face soon shows it. Three ways to recover: repairing the surface, nourishing from within, and easing the puffiness from the features.

1. Repairing after the beach and the gym

The combination of sun, salt, sweat and towel dehydrates the skin and weakens its barrier, which brings tightness, redness and a dull complexion the next day. The instinct should not be to strip the skin, but to repair it quickly. On your return, rinse with cool water, then repair. Panthenol soothes and rebuilds the barrier, which is the whole point of the Cicaplast Baume B5 from La Roche-Posay. Niacinamide, for its part, strengthens that same barrier and calms redness, and you will find it concentrated in the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc serum from The Ordinary. To rehydrate and refresh after the sun, nothing beats a pure aloe vera gel, such as the Aloe Vera 92% from Nature Republic. In the morning, finally, one or two drops of vitamin C revive radiance and neutralise the sun's damage: the benchmark remains the C E Ferulic from SkinCeuticals, or The Ordinary Vitamin C for a gentler budget. One golden rule above all: you never exfoliate skin that is already stressed, you wait until it has calmed.

2. Kefir and kombucha: summer in a glass

Fermented drinks support the gut microbiome, that second brain which converses with the skin and to which we will return this winter. Put plainly, what happens in the gut is often written on the face. Kefir and kombucha make excellent substitutes for sodas when you are out in the sun, provided you choose well. The honest caveat is that many shop-bought kombuchas are very sweet. The right way to read a label is to aim for less than two grams of sugar per hundred millilitres. For kombucha, two names to keep in mind: Remedy, which contains no sugar at all, and the small, lightly sweetened artisanal brands such as Karma Kombucha. For kefir, favour a plain, unflavoured one, bearing in mind that water kefir is lighter than the milk kind, and steer clear of the fruity versions loaded with sugar.

3. Lymphatic drainage: easing the puffiness

Heat, salt, alcohol and short nights: summer tends to swell the face, leaving heavier features, a tired gaze and a less defined jaw on waking. This is fluid retention, and it can be worked on. Lymphatic drainage, through precise manual massage or with a gua sha, revives the circulation, clears the excess water and redraws the contours. At home, give yourself a few minutes of slow movements, from the centre of the face towards the ears and then the neck. In the studio, the result is immediate and visible: a sharper jaw, an open gaze, a revived complexion, ideal before an occasion that matters.

Recovery is part of performance. In sixty minutes, a protocol of drainage and repair erases the fatigue of summer: redrawn features, a rested gaze.
→ Book your ritual.

2026-07-202026-08-06

The beard: what a well-groomed man should know

A beard says a great deal about a man. Worn well, it structures the face and sharpens the whole look; left neglected, it ages and tires the features. And beneath the hair lies a skin that is almost always forgotten. Here are the essentials, from the sun to the silhouette.

Does it really protect against the sun?

Yes, in part. Measurements from the University of Queensland show that a beard blocks fifty to ninety-five percent of UV rays*, depending on its thickness, its length and the angle of the sun. The effect is real but uneven: the exposed areas, from the cheekbones to the nose and on to the forehead and the area around the eyes, remain unprotected, and a thin beard lets the rays through. On the uncovered skin, then, you apply a facial SPF, like the men's options we covered in our SPF issue. And to protect the beard and the hair from the sun, a hair mist such as the René Furterer Fluide d'Été Protecteur SPF50 does the job, in a light spray, never a greasy cream on the hair. The beard helps, but it does not replace protection.

Caring for it day to day

A fine beard is washed and nourished, just like the hair. You cleanse it with a beard shampoo, since shower gel dries it out, two to three times a week. You nourish it with a beard oil or balm, which softens the hair, calms the itching and tames the unruly ones, like the beard oil from Horace, natural and affordable. You then keep it in line with a boar-bristle brush, such as those from Plisson 1808, a French house, handmade and shipped within France. There remains the point everyone forgets: the skin underneath. Deprived of care, it itches, flakes and produces that notorious beard dandruff. The fix is to cleanse and hydrate it like the rest of the face, and a good beard oil, rich in jojoba and argan, in fact nourishes the hair as much as the skin. It is the skin that makes a beard healthy.

The shape: the outline is everything

A full beard that is poorly defined looks untidy. Everything comes down to two lines: that of the neck, at the height of the Adam's apple, neither too high nor too low, and that of the cheeks, clean, following the natural growth. You maintain them every two or three days, and for the first shaping, nothing beats a good barber. In Paris, there is no shortage of high-end names, from Le Cercle Delacre to La Barbière de Paris and Gentlemen 1919. One visit sets the line, which you then keep up at home.

Filling the gaps: transplant and dermopigmentation

For a sparse or uneven beard, two medical options exist. The beard transplant, by the FUE technique, implants real hairs to add lasting density, with specialists such as Dr Ralph Abbou or the Centre Racine Carrée. Dermopigmentation, for its part, recreates the look of density without surgery, through micro-pigmentation, offered notably at CMCC Paris. These are serious procedures, to be weighed carefully and entrusted to expert hands: you do your research, you compare, and you do not rush.

A beard is seen, while the skin beneath is neglected. In sixty minutes, I care for the skin of the whole face, beard included: clear, soothed, free of itching and redness.
→ Book your ritual.

* Parisi AV et al., "Dosimetric investigation of the solar erythemal UV radiation protection provided by beards and moustaches", Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 2012.

2026-07-142026-08-06

Coffee, sun and sweat: summer under control

Homme tenant une tasse de café, lumière chaude derrière une vitre

Coffee, sun and sweat: keeping a clear complexion in summer

Summer does not forgive carelessness. A coffee gulped down at the corner of a desk, the sun, the heat that leaves the skin shining: three forces that mark the face if you let them. Here is how to keep the upper hand.

1. Coffee and skin: friend or foe?

Good news to begin with: coffee is not your skin's enemy. It is even rich in antioxidants. The problem does not lie in the coffee itself, but in everything we add around it. There are three traps, in truth: sugar, which dulls the complexion, excess, since caffeine is a diuretic and dehydrates, and timing, when a coffee stands in for a real glass of water. Using it well comes down to a few simple rules: one to three coffees a day, with little or no sugar, always alongside water, and preferably in the morning, since the skin repairs itself at night and it would be a shame to cut your sleep short. Fancy a change? Matcha offers antioxidants with a steadier energy, without the spike or the crash.

2. Sun protection: the number one mistake men make

If you remember only one thing, let it be this: sun protection is the most rewarding step in your entire routine. The sun is responsible for the great majority of visible ageing, whether wrinkles, dark spots, sagging or a dull complexion. And not in ten years' time, but now, with every exposure. The mistake men make is to believe that SPF is for the beach. Yet UV rays pass through clouds and glass, so the commute, the lunch outdoors and the coffee in the sun all count. The right reflex is simple: an SPF 30 to 50 every morning, summer and winter alike. Look for a fluid, matte and non-greasy texture. Three safe choices for this: La Roche-Posay Anthelios (an invisible fluid), Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun (a natural finish, with no white cast) and Biotherm Homme UV Defense. Fifteen seconds to apply, and it is the best anti-ageing investment there is, the one no one ever regrets.

3. Sweat: a clear complexion all day long

Heat makes you sweat: the skin shines, the pores become visible, and the complexion turns dull by the middle of the day. There is no need for a complicated routine, only the right steps at the right moment. In the morning: a gentle cleanser, a light moisturiser, SPF. In the middle of the day, after exertion or a journey, a pass of facial mist works wonders (see last week), or failing that a rinse with cool water, patted rather than rubbed. In the evening, you cleanse to remove sweat, sebum and pollution, and this is not up for negotiation. Three minutes in the morning, three at night: that is all it takes to move through summer with a clear face.

The sun and fatigue mark the face in silence. In sixty minutes, a precision protocol erases the traces of summer and reveals a clear, rested complexion.
→ Book your ritual.

2026-07-072026-08-06

Heatwave: three reflexes for a clear, rested face

Homme se rafraîchissant le visage à l eau

When the thermometer climbs, your skin stands on the front line. Between perspiration, sunshine and air that turns dry then air-conditioned, a few hours are enough for the complexion to grow muddy, for the skin to feel tight or to shine, and for the face to betray its fatigue. The good news is that three simple reflexes are enough to keep your face clear and rested, even at the height of summer.

1. Why your skin feels tight in the heat

It seems counterintuitive, yet the hotter it gets, the more the skin dehydrates at its surface. Perspiration draws out water, while the sun and the surrounding air wear down the skin barrier, that precious layer which holds moisture in place. The result shows almost at once: skin that feels tight, that sometimes shines because it compensates with sebum, and a dull complexion. Even oily skin can be starved of water. The classic mistake is to strip it back. Multiplying harsh cleansers or alcohol-based products only weakens the barrier further. The right reflex is the very opposite: to lighten the routine. A gentle cleanser morning and evening, lightweight hydration, a gel or a fluid rather than a heavy cream, and above all, sun protection. It is the step most men overlook, even though it remains the most decisive of all against dullness and ageing. In summer, two or three good products will always serve you better than a crowded shelf.

2. Beyond water: which drinks truly hydrate, without the sugar

Drinking water remains the foundation. Yet when you perspire, you also lose minerals such as sodium and potassium, and water alone is not always enough. This is where electrolytes come in, with no gadget required: a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon in your glass already do the work.

What to avoid at all costs: sodas and energy drinks. An excess of sugar triggers glycation, the process that dulls the complexion and hastens sagging. Be wary, too, of the wellness marketing. Many of the detox waters sold as miraculous are, at heart, little more than sugar in disguise, so take the time to read the labels. The good choices come down to a few names: water enriched with electrolytes, coconut water for its potassium, and unsweetened iced green tea for its antioxidants. Coffee and alcohol, for their part, are dehydrating. A morning coffee is perfectly fine, as long as you pair it with a glass of water. Your skin drinks, in the end, whatever you drink.

3. The anti-heat gesture: the hypochlorous acid mist

One product alone truly earns its place in your summer bag: a hypochlorous acid mist. Behind this technical name lies a molecule that your body produces quite naturally. Sprayed as a fine mist, it cools, soothes redness and purifies the skin. It becomes ideal after perspiration, sport or shaving, those moments when blemishes and razor burn lie in wait. Among the brands, the Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue sets the standard, the hypochlorous acid spray by Mario Badescu proves more affordable, and the Purito Hypochlorous Acid Rescue Spray offers a clean alternative.

The habit is simple: keep it cool and spray after exertion or in the middle of the day. Five seconds are enough, and the skin turns clear, calm and ready again. It is the kind of discreet detail that makes all the difference over time.

Heat puts your skin to the test. In sixty minutes, a precision protocol restores its freshness, clarity and glow, just before a meeting, a dinner or a moment that matters.
→ Book your ritual.

2026-07-062026-08-06

Scalp massage: switching off, for real

Scalp massage to switch off and revive the complexion

We massage the face, the shoulders, the back. The scalp, almost never. And yet the scalp is one of the most densely innervated areas of the body, in direct conversation with the brain. That is what makes a scalp massage so powerful, on stress as much as on the complexion. Here is what truly happens beneath the fingers.

Why the scalp, of all places

Like the face, the scalp is studded with nerve endings, among the densest in the body. They connect to the brain through major nerves: the trigeminal at the front, the occipital nerves at the back. When this area is massaged, these sensors send an almost immediate signal to the brain, which shifts into a state of release as the parasympathetic nervous system takes over. To this you must add the small muscles that contract endlessly without our noticing: we frown, we clench the jaw, we knit the brow in front of a screen. These tensions settle in, pull at the features and lend that closed, weary look. The massage undoes the knot and restores movement where everything had stiffened. It is this double action, both nervous and muscular, that explains why a few minutes are enough to transform the way you feel.

What the science says

You cannot fake a massage, which makes a double-blind trial impossible. Researchers therefore measure objective markers, and they all point the same way. Massage lowers cortisol, the stress hormone, along with blood pressure, and it increases local blood flow, which re-oxygenates the skin and revives the complexion. A Japanese study even measured that a daily scalp massage thickens the hair over a few months*. This renewed microcirculation also nourishes the follicle, which makes it the ideal moment to apply a targeted treatment. A peptide hair serum, such as the Anti-Hair-Loss Peptides and Pea Extract Serum from Aroma-Zone, makes the most of that circulation to penetrate more deeply just before the massage. And to massage effortlessly every day, the small round silicone scalp brushes do the job beautifully, in the shower or on dry hair, in only a few minutes. You will find excellent ones at Cava Barber or Trendy Barber, two French men's brands.

What it actually does

Beyond the figures lies the feeling, and this is where the scalp massage takes you by surprise. Many of my clients leave telling me the very same thing: a sense of complete disconnection, almost as though they were floating. The mind goes on pause, the body grows heavy, and you lose a little of your sense of time. There is nothing esoteric about it: it is the nervous system tipping into a state of rest, the one we almost never reach in an ordinary day. You leave with a light head and open features.

A head under pressure shows on the face. Scalp massage sits at the heart of my Recovery: sixty minutes to truly switch off, release the tension and revive the complexion.
→ Book your ritual.

* Koyama T. et al., "Standardized scalp massage results in increased hair thickness by inducing stretching forces to dermal papilla cells", Eplasty, 2016.

2026-06-292026-08-06

Heatwave: should you drink iced, hot, or lukewarm?

When the thermometer climbs past thirty-five degrees, the instinct is to reach for an ice-cold drink. A poor choice? Not quite so simple. Here is a quick look, with the science to back it up.

1. Iced drinks: a false friend

A very cold drink is refreshing in the moment, there is no denying it. Yet there is a catch: on receiving that signal of cold, the body cuts down its perspiration. And it is precisely sweat, as it evaporates, that truly cools you down. The result is immediate relief, but body heat that is released less efficiently over time. Not to mention the thermal shock, which can be hard on the digestion.

2. Hot drinks: a paradox that holds up

It seems counterintuitive, yet the work of the thermoregulation researcher Ollie Jay, at the University of Sydney*, has shown it: a hot drink can actually help you cool down. By raising your temperature slightly, it makes you sweat a little more, and it is that evaporation which brings the body's temperature down. A word on the conditions, though: it only works if the sweat can evaporate, which means dry air and uncovered skin. In full humidity, or buttoned into a suit, all you gain is the heat. The mint tea of hot countries, then, is no accident.

3. The right compromise: cool, not iced

Between the two extremes, practical sense wins out. Health authorities recommend neither: their message is to hydrate regularly, with cool rather than iced water, and to steer clear of alcohol and excess sugar. Temperate water has one concrete advantage, namely that it is better tolerated, so you drink more of it and hydrate more effectively. And what of the skin in all this? Good internal hydration means a less dull complexion and a barrier that holds firm. In a heatwave, your face is every bit as thirsty as you are.

Heat puts your skin to the test. In sixty minutes, a ritual of freshness and drainage for a clear, rested complexion, even at the height of summer.
→ Book your ritual.

* Bain AR, Lesperance NC, Jay O., "Body heat storage during physical activity is lower with hot fluid ingestion under conditions that permit full sweat evaporation", Acta Physiologica, 2012.