With the weather changing so quickly over the past few weeks, my usually clear skin was in need of a little help from the Dermalogica-trained therapists at Esthetic Sense.
The salon’s new World Trade Center Mall location is discreet – a small door inside the Dermalogica shop leads you to an area roughly double the store’s size, where hair, face and body treatments are administered.
I started off by filling in a very thorough Face Mapping skin analysis consultation card – a tough task when surrounded by so many undiscovered, beautifully packaged products from the likes of Davines, Jane Iredale and Dermalogica.
Next, I was escorted into a treatment room where I instantly felt relaxed. The dim lighting and quiet atmosphere far from the mall’s hubbub was a welcome treat.
After cleansing my hands and feet with a warm steam towel, my therapist, Lourdes, placed a warm pillow on my stomach – allowing me to further relax.
The Advanced Facial began with an inhalation technique using a customised fragrant oil.
This was followed by Dermalogica’s double cleansing method; Precleanse make-up remover first, followed by Ultracalming cleanser.
Lourdes then went through the classic Face Mapping Skin Analysis process using a well-lit magnifying glass. She quickly identified my sensitive/dehydrated combination skin type and continued with a deep steam exfoliation.
Whiteheads on my forehead and chin and blackheads on my nose were manually extracted from the softened skin and the remnants of a week-old spot examined.
Whatever pain was inflicted from the extractions was soothed by a pressure point massage followed by the application of a prescribed serum-like complex.
Lourdes then combined a calming and hydrating mask in a bowl and applied it to the face, neck and decolletage for 10 minutes. During this time, Lourdes worked through tension in my shoulders and neck and massaged my scalp.
A process called galvanic iontophoresis was administered using what felt like a metallic roller.
This allows better mask absorption and gentle skin stimulation.
The mask was cleaned off with a warm steam towel and Dermalogica’s Ultracalming Mist was spritzed onto my skin. This was followed by a prescribed booster, moisturiser and eye cream from the same brand.
After changing back into my clothes, I went straight to the mirror, expecting a blotchy red face from the exfoliating and extracting. However my skin was far from it – in fact it was more radiant and less inflamed than when I first arrived; a rarity for any facial.
Lourdes talked me through my skin analysis and handed me a sheet with a breakdown of which areas needed attention, along with some product recommendations.
Perhaps the most exceptional part about the entire process is that every cleanser, serum, mask and cream used on my face was also applied to my neck, decolletage and shoulders.
Within a few days, I noticed the long-term effects of the facial. An under-the-skin spot that refused to dry out finally disappeared after almost four weeks.
Marks from an old spot on my chin (usually hormone-related) were gone – my skin looked smooth with no signs of redness and felt velvety and well-moisturised.
The treatment is a bit pricey at just under Dh500, but it’s well-worth it during the summer months, when skin is in dire need of some TLC.
• The Advanced Facial costs Dh495 for 75 minutes at Esthetic Sense, World Trade Center Mall, Abu Dhabi. Call 02 633 1533 for more details
neldasher@thenational.ae