Kate Middleton's beauty secret, the buccal facial, offered in Houston

Katia Moreno, owner of Katia's European Spa, 2343 University Blvd., demonstrates a buccal facial on Yuliia Kablia, a staff maderoterapia therapist.

Spa owner Katia Moreno is ready to spill Kate Middleton's beauty secret. The hands-on, intraoral treatment reportedly preferred by the Princess of Cambridge and Duchess of Sussex is hard to explain. Moreno would rather show you.

She slicks on glittery, purple Latex gloves and begins to stroke maderotherapist Yuliia Kabia's face to warm up the muscles. A few minutes pass, and Moreno inserts her thumb into Kabia's mouth, gently pulling and stretching cheek skin like dough.

This is what a buccal facial looks like.

The scene inside Katia's European Spa is what you'd expect: a white massage table, low lighting and rows of Eminence Organic Skin Care products in the background. The procedure, however, feels more like a trip to the dentist at times. Or the gym. That's because the buccal massage is kind of a workout.

"Kate Middleton says she doesn't do any injections; buccal (massage) is all she does. And now Meghan (Markle), too," Moreno says. "That's how most American people started to know about it. Clients would say that Kate Middleton talks about it."

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Katia Moreno, owner of Katia's European Spa, 2343 University Blvd., demonstrates a buccal facial on Yuliia Kablia, a staff maderoterapia therapist.

Katia Moreno, owner of Katia's European Spa, 2343 University Blvd., demonstrates a buccal facial on Yuliia Kablia, a staff maderoterapia therapist.

Katia Moreno, owner of Katia's European Spa, 2343 University Blvd., demonstrates a buccal facial on Yuliia Kablia, a staff maderoterapia therapist.

Moreno, who is from Ukraine, credits a French woman with popularizing the now-viral technique. After royals took note, word spread across the pond to New York, Miami and Los Angeles. Jennifer Lopez is also a fan. The treatment offers a zero recovery time alternative to going under the knife.

"It's a substitute for plastic surgery and helps with puffiness and excessive fluids," Moreno says. "The face is the highest point on our body, so it collects pollution which trickles down. Buccal massage increases blood flow and lympathic drainage."

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Last year, buccal fat removal surgery dominated the beauty zeitgeist. Rumors swirled whether this supermodel or that actress had cheek tissue surgically removed. This year, the buzzword is Ozempic. The anti-diabetic medication has recently become the speculated wonder drug fueling the lightning-fast weight loss of celebrities. Its off-label use as a weight loss drug has also prompted shortages of the medication around the country.

Moreno says that buccal massage achieves a similar result with no downside. Her clients are trading their Botox and filler for a more holistic approach on the spa table. And addressing their temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), too.

"I went to Katia because my dentist told me I needed a night guard. My teeth grinding was really bad and I had TMJ," explains Whitney Kuhn Lawson. "My dentist said, 'Have you ever heard of buccal massage? It's pretty popular, but people here don't know about it. This one lady in Houston is kind of by where you live.'"

Katia Moreno, owner of Katia's European Spa, 2343 University Blvd., demonstrates a buccal facial on Yuliia Kablia, a staff maderoterapia therapist.

So Lawson, who lives in West U, made an appointment at Katia's European Spa near Rice Village. Moreno moved into the bi-level space in November 2022 after outgrowing her previous one-room setup.

Lawson went in with no expectations and left with results. And then there's the other perk. "One thing for sure is your jawline, which is definitely more defined," she says.

She cautions the experience is a bit unconventional.

"It's been a game-changer for TMJ; my muscles aren't as tight," she says. "Buccal massage isn't exactly a pleasant experience. Swedish massage is relaxing. This is pretty intense. Having gloves in your mouth is a little awkward at first, but the tension release is pretty immediate. I'm going to try and go monthly."

Moreno sees the buccal massage experience as part of the differences between American and European spa ethos. In the U.S., relaxation and indulgence are key, she says. In Europe, there's a greater emphasis placed on full anatomy, understanding every little connection in the mind and body, blood circulation and working the muscles. She tries to strike a healthy balance.

Running her own shop is a dream job. Before becoming a licensed esthetician, Moreno earned a master's degree in political science and took a government job, but that career track wasn't for her. She took a leap of faith after seeing a TV commercial for esthetician training and enrolled in classes. She trained for another five years under a dermatologist.

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Then Moreno met her husband, an American who previously lived all over Texas and decided Houston was the best city to put down some roots.

"He thought Houston would be the best option because it's very diverse. There are lots of Russian-speaking people that I could use to help promote my business," Moreno recalls.

They moved to Houston in July 2008. Though Moreno earned an international accreditation from the Institute of Cosmetology & Esthetics near Asiatown, another five years passed before she became a business owner.

"I was super scared. It's a big step. My English isn't as good, and I worried I wouldn't know all of the rules," she says. "Clients told me they would go wherever I go. So I opened a little room, and they followed me."

Once her appointment slots were consistently booked, it was time to upgrade. Now, she employs four young women from Ukraine and Russia. Katia's European Spa offers maderothereapy, massage with different size wood utensils, and lymphatic massage among other services. However, the No. 1 most requested treatment is the buccal massage.

"It's very good for TMJ and creates a certain bone structure," Moreno says. "To get to that area, it's pretty much impossible from just the outside. You have to get inside the mouth. People have less pain and wake up with a much better quality of sleep."

Buccal massage at Katia's European Spa is mostly offered as an add-on; for TMJ relief she recommends a five-treatment package spread out over two weeks because muscles have memory and can only be corrected after repeat application, she says. Services start at $125 and up.

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