Spa Review: We Tried the Cult Worship Facial at Beauty Cult
Beauty Cult opened in February 2019 and is located in Redondo Beach, California.
Recently I visited Beauty Cult in Redondo Beach, California, which offers an array of skin care and aesthetic services in a chic and stylish atmosphere. Founded by Dr. Clara Yu, an industry expert with an impressive professional background (which includes the distinguished title of Galderma Trainer, certifying her to train doctors and nurses in advanced injection techniques), the aesthetics bar features a model similar to The Drybar—but for facials, chemical peels, micro-needling, injectables, and more.
Beauty Cult Makes Skin Care Accessible in a Comfortable and Supportive Environment
I was greeted by medical assistant Rachel, who helped me prepare for my appointment.
Here’s what you’ll love about Beauty Cult:
The chic and stylish medical aesthetics bar provides guests with a relaxing and comfortable environment where they can enjoy their treatments while feeling supported and beautiful.
Founder Dr. Clara Yu is board-certified in Family Medicine, specializes in Aesthetic Medicine, and has worked in the aesthetics field for many years.
Beauty Cult strives to make skin care more accessible by offering a variety of different beauty services such as facials, micro-needling, and injectables.
They also offer chemical peels, PDO threads to lift and tighten the skin around the face and neck, as well as the Plasma Lift (aka Vampire Facial), which harnesses the body’s plasma to tighten and rejuvenate skin for immediate and dramatic results.
Due to the express services offered, guests can fit in a treatment before or after work, or even during their lunch break.
It also retails an amazing line of skin care products and tools that are used in the treatments and can be purchased online or in-store.
The friendly staff and positive energy makes Beauty Cult a fun place—and first-time guests always end up returning.
One of Beauty Cult’s retail areas, which also has a refreshments corner.
The cute refreshments corner.
The stylish and comfortable lounge where guests can hang out before getting their treatments.
There is a free parking lot that Beauty Cult shares with neighboring businesses, and parking is abundant—which is always a nice bonus, especially in Los Angeles!
Upon my arrival, I was greeted by Dr. Yu and her friendly staff, who promptly seated me in the stylish waiting area where I proceeded to fill out a questionnaire and sign a few digital forms on an iPad. I was offered water (although they do serve rosé upon request). After I finished completing all necessary forms, I was given a tour of the place, which is total #stylegoals.
I filled out several digital forms prior to my facial.
If you’re obsessed with the ‘Gram, Beauty Cult is definitely the place for you. From the So Cal-inspired palm tree prints on the walls to the light pink and white color scheme, along with super cute details such as wall foliage and a swing where guests can take pictures before or after their services, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to photo-taking opportunities.
The main area for facials.
Another view of the facial treatment area.
The decor and attention to detail throughout Beauty Cult is simply stunning.
Facials are offered by certified estheticians in the central part of the room, and there are several treatment rooms as well where guests can receive other services such as fillers, Botox, and injectables. Dr. Yu explained that she wanted to create a space where beauty lovers could feel comfortable getting Botox and fillers without having to be secretive about it, since they’re just as essential as facials in preventing the aging process. The atmosphere at Beauty Cult is open, warm, and inviting—it’s a supportive and fun environment where clients can interact and bond with each other while receiving treatments.
One of the treatment rooms for Botox, fillers, and other services.
A cute corner where many happy clients take photos after their treatments.
As I relaxed in my treatment chair, my esthetician Leah draped a light blanket over me so that I would be warm and comfortable during my service. I was receiving the Cult Worship—one of Beauty Cult’s most popular facials—which is a medical-grade treatment that includes a bunch of different services. The 45-minute facial costs $129 and has no downtime, so you can go straight to an event or back to work right after. It’s recommended as a monthly treatment to reset skin and help maintain its youthful appearance.
Other facials offered include the Cult Persuasion ($79/30 min) which is ideal for those that want to enhance their glow, boost skin’s hydration, and/or help skin recover from time spent under the sun; as well as the Cult Devotion ($179/60 min), which focuses on correction and spends more time treating specific skin concerns.
My facial began with a skin analysis, where Leah examined my skin and asked what my main areas of concern were (which for me are dry skin and enlarged pores) so that she could customize the treatment according to my needs. She began with a sonic cleansing, where she used Beauty Cult’s Clara-fied Sonic Cleanser (which is named after Dr. Yu and retails for $45). It felt amazing and helped the cleanser penetrate deeper into the skin for a more thorough cleanse.
The facial started with a deep cleansing using the Clara-fied Sonic Cleanser ($45) named after Dr. Clara Yu.
Next, she performed a double exfoliation before putting me under the steam and doing extractions using a special ultrasonic scrub device that vibrates at 24,000 Hz (high frequency sound waves) to “wiggle out” any impurities that are lurking underneath skin. It’s great for clogged pores, excess oil, blackheads, and dull skin tone. It’s also a less painful alternative to the traditional method of extractions that are performed in most facial studios. Afterwards, my skin looked cleaner and clearer without the redness—which is great when you have to be somewhere afterwards!
The special device used to perform painless extractions.
Liquid nitrogen might sound scary, but in terms of facials, it’s amazing. Also known as cryotherapy, this service involves the application of extremely cold air to the face, and helps reduce inflammation, promotes collagen production, boosts cell rejuvenation, and gives skin a plumper appearance.
I loved the cool feeling on my face—it felt similar to spritzing my skin with toner that’s been kept in the fridge. I imagined it would feel especially good after being out in the sun all day, and Leah even demonstrated on herself by lightly rolling the small wand across her face, proving that liquid nitrogen is our friend, not our foe—when used correctly, of course!
Cryotherapy boosts cell rejuvenation, collagen, and plumps skin.
My amazing esthetician Leah gave me a cryotherapy demo and says that it’s a great way to refresh skin.
LED light therapy has become an extremely popular treatment in facials, and offers a host of benefits such as promoting collagen and killing bacteria. The device she used emitted multiple LED lights of different wavelengths and functions, including red to reduce inflammation and promote circulation, blue to destroy bacteria, and infrared to accelerate skin recovery.
LED lights kill bacteria and promote collagen.
If that already sounds like a pretty extensive facial, just wait—there’s more. Next, Leah brought out the Gua Sha tools to perform a facial massage. For those not familiar with Gua Sha, it’s a technique in traditional East Asian medicine that uses a tool (often made from jade or crystals) to apply pressure and scrape the skin to relieve pain and tension. It helps access deeper muscle layers, removes toxins, and improves circulation for the ultimate glow.
Gua Sha uses different tools to apply pressure and scrape the skin to relieve pain and tension.
The facial also included the application of a hydrating sheet mask and a softening/exfoliating lip mask, which I got to keep afterwards. Leah told me that the lip mask is good for multiple uses, and can be kept in the fridge for an extra-refreshing feel. Beauty Cult retails these lip masks for $1.99—I recommend stocking up!
To finish off my service, she applied a custom mixture of serums, moisturizers, eye cream, and SPF to protect my skin—and all of the amazing products used in the facials are available for purchase in Beauty Cult’s retail area and online—which is great for guests that want to maintain their results at home until their next appointment!
The Beauty Cult Lip Mask can be reused multiple times—I got to take mine home after my service!
Some of the key products that were used in the Cult Worship Facial.
I popped into the restroom (which is totally Instagrammable as well, no surprise there) and was pleasantly surprised by how great my skin looked. My complexion looked clear and radiant, and felt soft and hydrated. There was no redness whatsoever—I looked ready for a night out on the town!
Beauty Cult’s super cute bathroom.
Beauty Cult retails its own line of skin care and products.
More cute finds in the retail area.
As I headed towards the front door, I couldn’t resist leaving without one of Beauty Cult’s adorable cosmetic bags, which are available in two different designs and retail for $40. They’re perfect for travel, storage for makeup and skin care on a daily basis, and can even double as a clutch.
I can definitely say that I’m a newfound fan of Beauty Cult—I love the vibe, the convenience, and the service. It’s a great place to go on your own or with a friend, and would make for a fun girls’ afternoon/weekend, bridal shower, or bachelorette party activity. I’m already looking forward to my next visit!
At the end of my treatment, I walked away with a gorgeous Beauty Cult Cosmetic Bag ($40) and a Lip Mask ($1.99), available online and in-store.
Insider Tip: Arrive 10 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. Tips are paid in cash only. For those who like to get facials on a regular basis, Beauty Cult offers several different memberships that include a monthly facial at a discounted rate: Cult Persuasion ($69/month), Cult Worship ($99/month), and Cult Devotion ($146/month). They also offer a Botox membership and a Filler membership. Click here for more details on memberships and to sign up.
Hours:
10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Tues - Sat)
10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (Sun)
Closed Mondays
Phone: 310-464-1379
Email: info@joinbeautycult.com
Address: Beauty Cult, 1312 Aviation Blvd, Suite 108, Redondo Beach, CA 90287
For more information and to book a service, visit joinbeautycult.com and follow them on Instagram: @joinbeautycult
[Photos by Kamala Kirk]
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk
[Images by Kamala Kirk]