My skin, while good on most days, has never been great. No, I am not one of those who demands celebrity-grade “glass skin”. In fact, all I need is my skin to stop all its erratic redness and reactions once and for all. Change of weather, dust, stress, unfamiliar skincare ingredients have caused upheavals for my skin before. I have sensitive skin.
WHAT IS SENSITIVE SKIN?
Sensitive skin appears to be caused by the top layer of skin becoming irritated, due to weakening of the natural barrier function of the skin due to a trigger. When I get a flare-up, my skin turns red, uncomfortable and occasionally I get blemishes and flakiness.
WHAT I HAVE LEARNT
Being out and about without sunscreen irritates my skin. So does harsh exfoliation such as scrubs or peels. So that means there are hardly any facials out there which do not cause my skin agony. Until I tried The Deep Red Facial at SW1 Spa.
THE DEEP RED FACIAL
The Deep Red Facial from SW1 Spa was probably the only facial that left my face feeling clean but not abraded. Part of this was due to the Ultrasonic Cleansing, a cleansing procedure which utilizes high frequency vibrational sound waves and micro-jets of cleansing fluid that jostles away surface dead skin cells and even stubborn debris trapped in the pores. This mild yet effective exfoliation step prepped my skin for absorption of the cocktail of skin vitamins and anti-oxidants. I told my therapist that I have sensitive before the facial started, and she was very gentle and avoided using vitamins which could potentially trigger more redness.
My favourite was actually the LED Red light therapy. This is a form of photobiomodulation treatment which enhances cellular regeneration and skin healing. Originally developed by NASA for plant growth experiments on shuttle missions, it was later found to have wound treatment benefits. Now used by aesthetic clinics for cosmetic treatments, it can help with skin conditions such as rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, and also has a slew of anti-aging benefits.
I definitely see some promise. My skin appeared more calm after a single session of the facial. I am definitely booking myself in for this facial again in a few weeks’ time!