The Beauty Treatments I’d Spend Money On Again and the Ones I Wouldn’t

There always is, and always will be, yet another new beauty treatment doing the viral rounds. And it probably answers the very concern you probably didn’t know you had before you read about it (kudos to their marketing team). 

Most will give you a post-treatment glow. Few will be life-changing. But some will have long-enough lasting results that the cost per wear adage (or girl math, if you’re Gen Z) starts to make sense. 

As I climbed the ranks from intern to extremely junior writer on the Marie Claire beauty desk, I was frequently dispatched to try the Next Big Thing. Some treatments have become genuine staples. Others were a one-time experiment that I have absolutely no desire to repeat.

Here are the beauty treatments I’d happily pay for again - and the ones I probably wouldn’t.

The ones I’d spend money on again

1. Hydrafacials

If I have an event coming up and want my skin to look immediately fresher, this is one of the treatments I keep coming back to. The combination of exfoliation, extraction and hydration leaves my skin looking smoother, cleaner and noticeably more luminous.

It is not a miracle treatment and I wouldn’t expect it to transform long-term skin concerns, but for that “why does your skin look so good?” effect, it earns its place.

Verdict: Yes - particularly before an event.

2. LED light therapy

This is one of the less glamorous treatments, but potentially one of the most useful.

LED is non-invasive, requires virtually no downtime and is easy to incorporate into a regular skincare routine. With consistent use, red and near-infrared light may support skin health and collagen production. But please note the use of the word consistent. One session is unlikely to dramatically change your skin. But as part of a longer-term routine? It’s a winner. 

Verdict: Yes - if you’re willing to be consistent.

3. Botox

There is no pretending Botox is a wellness treatment (the clue is in the name), but when it is used conservatively and strategically, it is an incredible treatment. 

For me, the appeal is less about freezing facial movement and more about softening specific areas while still looking like myself. Well-placed Botox brings a subtle light to my face, reduces my pore size, and I find my make-up applies more smoothly.

The key is finding a practitioner who understands that less can be more.

Verdict: Yes - when done conservatively.

4. Laser treatments

I love a good laser treatment. 

Depending on the type of laser and what you are treating, professional laser treatments can target concerns like pigmentation, redness, texture and signs of sun damage.

However, They can also require more downtime and aren’t suitable for everyone, so this is very much a treatment where professional assessment matters. Personally, I’m a fan of MOXI because it’s gentle and non-ablative, but seriously helps boost collagen production. Also worth a mention is BBL, although this is more intense and very much designed to target surface damage already present. 

Verdict: Yes - but for a specific skin concern, rather than simply because a laser is trending.

5. Professional peels

A good chemical peel can make skin look remarkably fresh.

But there are rules: it has to be the right peel, at the right strength, for the right duration. Note: stronger does not automatically mean better.

That’s why this is another treatment where I would much rather have a qualified professional choose the appropriate treatment than chase the most dramatic-looking peel.

Verdict: Yes - when tailored to your skin.

The ones I probably wouldn’t spend money on again

1. Treatments that promise an instant facelift

Anything that tells you it will give you a dramatic facelift effect without surgery gets my scepticism activated.

Some non-invasive treatments can absolutely improve the appearance of firmness or temporarily reduce puffiness. But there is a big difference between looking more lifted and actually lifting and tightening significant amounts of tissue.

If the marketing sounds too good to be true, it probably deserves a little more investigation before you hand over your card.

Verdict: Probably not - manage expectations.

2. Fads that rely more on hype than evidence

Beauty trends move incredibly quickly.

One month it is a new facial technique. The next is an unusual ingredient, device or treatment being described as revolutionary.

That doesn’t automatically make something ineffective. But I no longer want to pay hundreds of pounds simply because something has gone viral.

Before booking, I want to know: What does it actually do? What evidence supports it? How long do the results last? And is there a more established treatment that achieves the same thing?

Verdict: Usually no - I’ll wait for the evidence.

3. Treatments where the downtime outweighs the result

There is nothing inherently wrong with downtime if the result is worth it.

But if I am spending a week peeling, swollen or hiding from everyone only to end up thinking “…is that it?”, I am probably not doing it again.

The treatment doesn’t necessarily have to be gentle. It just has to deliver a result that justifies the recovery.

Verdict: It depends - results need to justify the downtime.

4. Anything I’m doing because I’ve been convinced I need fixing

This is perhaps the biggest one.

There is a difference between choosing a treatment because you want to address something that genuinely bothers you and booking something because you’ve been made to feel that a completely normal feature is a problem.

Beauty treatments should ideally be about enhancing something you already like about yourself, not creating an endless list of things you feel you need to correct.

Verdict: No - not if insecurity is the sales pitch.

So, what is actually worth spending your money on?

My approach now is fairly simple.

I would rather spend more money on fewer treatments with a clear purpose than constantly jump between whatever happens to be trending on TikTok or Instagram. For me, the best treatments tend to fall into one of three categories: They improve a specific skin concern. They have a reasonable evidence base behind them. Or they make me look and feel noticeably better without trying to make me look like a completely different person.

And I’d like to caveat this entire post with the underlying truth that beauty treatments alone aren’t enough for good skin - you gotta get the basics right. SPF. Good skincare. Enough sleep. Eating properly. Exercising. Managing stress. And accepting that your face is allowed to look like it belongs to an actual human being.