This Elusive European Facial is One of the Best in Dallas

The name Louise Franklyn might not ring any beauty world bells, but that sometimes happens when you work solely on word of mouth. The London trained esthetician has over 40 years of experience working in the West End and has even owned a studio in Wimbledon. Franklyn made the move to the States after falling in love with Taos, New Mexico, where she catered to an array of clientele, including a group so discreet she only visited in their at-home spa rooms to provide a facial.

One Taos client we can name, however, is hair stylist Patrick O’Hara, who was so impressed with Franklyn’s facials that he asked her to fly to Dallas once a month to work her skincare magic out of his newly expanded Lovers Lane salon (a grand opening was unfortunately canceled due to the pandemic).

The room O’Hara built for Franklyn is unassuming, tucked away behind the rows of salon chairs filled with masked clientele and stylists (at least that was the scene when I stopped by in June). But the lack of frills doesn’t take away from the soothing environment, defined by New Age spa music, aromatic female-owned Parisian skincare line Yon-Ka, and Franklyn herself, whose soft spoken British accent could relax anyone.

“European facials are much more of a sensual experience — it’s a very different approach. You’re not applying the creams — you’re really working them in. Our philosophy is a holistic approach,” Franklyn says as she preps me for the treatment.

“I start my facials with a little back massage. In the back, I can see how much tension someone is holding. The spine is connected to all of your organs, so you can tell if there’s a blockage in the kidneys, the liver, if you have intestinal problems, or even if it’s your monthly cycle. All of that reflects on the face.”

Having not received a facial or a massage since the pandemic hit Dallas, I was desperately in need of both. And like a mind reader, Franklyn quickly tapped into everything going on: the shoulder tension, the hormonal acne, and even some stomach problems I’d been having — she gathered it all.

The 90-minute facial itself was lovely (Franklyn wore both a mask and a face shield), but the details won’t do much to help a reader, so instead, I gathered some of the experienced esthetician’s most useful words of skincare wisdom — beauty advice that’s both timeless and catered to Dallas faces.

Her Thoughts on Dallas Skin
“I have noticed a huge difference. The fact that people live so much of their lives here in heat or air conditioning — false climates, let’s say. It’s made a massive difference. You’re just getting a quick blast of cold or heat or humidity in the natural environment. It really takes its toll on the skin.

I see so much dehydrated skin here, and more rosacea than I ever have. And it’s totally due to the environment. I think there’s probably more socializing here too. Some of it’s diet, but definitely top of the list is living in the fake environments.”

How to Combat Dehydrated Skin
“Dehydrated skin is lacking water. And if it’s lacking water it’s because that fake environment is taking water away from the skin. You would be looking for hyaluronic acid to put back the water. It needs the right balance of minerals and enzymes for your body to keep all of that water in.

So what’s great here is spritzing and spraying constantly through the day. Yon-Ka does a wonderful spray. You can do it over the top of makeup. Especially now with these masks — that area of the face is becoming very irritated. This kind of spritz is a wonderful, germicidal aromatherapy product, and helps combat bacteria. Keeping it in the fridge is also good, not even because of shelf life, but it just makes it that much more invigorating.”

How to Care for Skin in Dallas’ Extreme Heat
“You should rework your skin routines seasonally. Now, it’s the hyaluronic acids and vitamin C. Peptides are always good because they tighten and tone. You’re working with hydrating — putting water in your skin and keeping it soothed from the heat.”

The One At-Home Device She Stands Behind
“The one machine that’s still going strong is the high frequency machine — it’s a magical wand that kills bacteria and creates an ozone effect between the glass and your skin. It’s been around for about 60 years.”

*The machine is affordable as well. Franklyn suggested checking Amazon for devices, most of which are under $50.

You Can Now Experience Franklyn’s Skills Virtually
Franklyn understands that not everyone feels comfortable leaving their home to get a facial right now, joining local hard-to-book estheticians like Joanna Czech in offering their services virtually.

“The approach I’m having right now: in case we all get shut down, maybe it’s a good idea to have a few products at home. We’re setting up Zoom consultations so for people who are afraid to come in, I can see their skin and say, ‘You need this, this, and this.’ And they can do it themselves. It’s not going to be the same journey, but they’ll still be able to take care of their skin.”

For in-house availability and pricing, call 214-350-9128. Franklyn’s next visit to Dallas will be July 23rd through the 31st.