Thanks to Sue Carroll, there’s an exciting new space in Notting Hill answering the specific skincare and beauty needs of millennials and Gen-Zs – but older clients will feel right at home here, too.
What inspired you to create Young LDN?
When my son started to develop acne in his early teens, I realised that there was nowhere age and condition appropriate for me to take him: he’d be waiting for extractions and LED lights alongside older clients who were there for fillers or Botox. Every appointment became a fight: he hated going for treatments where his age and gender made him feel even more self-conscious. I wanted to create a space for millennials and Gen-Z clients, where they’d get the treatments they need in a fun and comfortable environment.
Did you have a background in skincare or aesthetics?
No, I was a speech therapist. I had to learn a lot, but it wasn’t an overnight process – my son is now 17 and Young LDN opened at the end of 2018. I am very knowledgeable now, but of course, I don’t perform any of the treatments – I call myself the tea lady!
The tea menu is quite impressive!
Thank you! They are all organic and brought in from South Africa, where I’m from – we try to do something a little bit more unique than the usual herbals and fresh mint. Delicious coffees or a glass of Prosecco feature on the complimentary drinks menu as well.
So how did you learn everything that you needed to know to open the business?
It took time to come up with the concept, make the right contacts and basically ask a huge number of questions everywhere I went. There was a lot of trial and error!
In what ways have you tried to make the space appealing to a younger generation?
I wanted to avoid that sterile, clinical feeling that you often get in a spa or salon, so the decor is fun and a little zany – each of the treatment rooms has a different theme, with murals and astro-turf covering walls and ceilings. There are charging stations, iPads and Beats headphones – and, of course, the space is WiFi enabled. We have also ensured that our pricing is affordable, both in terms of treatments and the products we stock.
What age are you targeting?
12 and up: we are very much about prevention as well as cure. One of our treatments, the Young Signature facial, combines a cocoa enzyme facial with educating young people about how to clean their skin properly and how to avoid getting bacteria on their face – for example, they need to keep their phones clean if they are going to be constantly by their faces or in hand. We get them to choose the music the want to listen to and make the whole experience really fun and accessible for them.
Will an older client find anything for them here?
Absolutely! One of the things that annoyed me when I was taking my son for his treatments was the waiting around. People have busy lives: I wanted to create a space that catered for all ages, all genders and all skin types, where parents could have a treatment while their child was seen in another area of the clinic. For this reason, every piece of equipment that we’ve invested in performs multiple functions: for example INFINI, which combines fractional radiofrequency technology with micro needling, is hugely effective on acne scarring as well as being incredible for anti-ageing. But we don’t just offer aesthetic treatments – we also do manicures, lash lifts, eyebrow shaping, waxing and makeup.
Sadie Frost is Young LDN’s ambassador; can you tell us a little more about that relationship?
Sadie perfectly represents what we’re about: she is a great advocate of natural and preventative ageing, plus, as a mother of four, she is passionate about teaching her children the importance of cleansing and skincare. Some of her children have had some skin issues and she and the children are all regulars here.
What is Young LDN’s most popular treatment?
Our Peel Bar is very popular – it offers treatments lasting 20, 40 or 60 minutes and is aimed at a price- and time-sensitive clientele – particularly Millennials. Here, clients can enjoy a cleanse and light peel or enzyme, followed by Gua Sha stones or Cryotherapy and LED light treatment, if desired.
228 WESTBOURNE GROVE,
LONDON, W11 2RH