I have dull skin and for the longest time, I didn’t know what to do with it. I also have the kind of skin that breaks out cyclically. Despite a dedicated skincare routine, my skin never had that kind of fresh, out-of-shower glow and I struggled to make up for it by covering up with BB creams and facial highlighters. One day, I suffered a horrible breakout and decided that I needed to do something.
Someone suggested a few weekly facials to manage my breakouts. Not that I need to do this on a long-term basis, but think of it as a sprint, or a skin detox or workout.
QUICK 30-MINUTE FACIALS ARE NOW A THING
Facials these days don’t necessarily take forever to finish. Invented to cater to time-strapped individuals, I was really happy to find that these facials are not only light on time, they are also lighter on the wallet! Although less pampering compared to a full-length facial, some do include LED light therapy to address various skin concerns, and I found my gem at SW1 Clinic (OUE Downtown Gallery). Similar to their flagship clinic at Paragon Medical, the SW1 Spa at OUE Downtown Gallery additionally offers bespoke facial cocktails. Starting with your choice of cleansing and exfoliation, you then pick your add-ons. Here’s what I did weekly, for 3 weeks.
WEEK 1: SONIC CLEANSING + RETINOL PEEL + I-CLEAR
Starting off with some acne, the therapist suggested that some unclogging would be ideal. Sonic cleansing uses ultrasonic waves to exfoliate and dislodge impurities from the skin without the need for extraction. Brilliant! I chose the retinol peel, in a bid to really clear up my complexion and ended the facial with I-Clear, a clinical-grade LED Blue light therapy to kill any acne-causing bacteria. My skin was not at all red or raw from the peel, and in fact felt strangely smooth.
WEEK 2: AQUADERMABRASION + OXYGEN + PEARL ECLAT MASQUE
Within a week, my face seemed purged of all evil and started to look calm. I wanted it to look brighter. I opted for aquadermabrasion, which uses a combination of alpha-hydroxy (AHA) and beta-hydroxy acids (BHA) for deep cleansing. Aquadermbrasion is a combination of suction and infusion of these acids ensured that my skin was squeaky clean after. To brighten and help clear up inflammation of the skin, high pressurized, pure (98%) oxygen was applied directly to my skin. Didn’t think much of the Pearl Eclat masque until I saw the pearlescent effect it gave me skin after! Definitely noticed a glow this time.
WEEK 3: FRESH MILK PEEL + Water Infusion Mask + LED Red
By this time, my skin was still clear, I opted for the Fresh Milk Peel, a ultra-light AHA peel to keep my skin’s rate of renewal going. The water infusion mask was a super comfortable wet cold hyaluronic acid mask and my skin soaked up of the hydration goodness after the Milk Peel. This time I opted for LED Red, a 20-minute relaxing treatment that stimulates collagen, improves skin texture and promotes skin healing.
By Week 4, I noticed that my breakouts were gone (I usually get guaranteed breakouts every 3 to 4 weeks), and I now no longer feel compelled to put on so much makeup! Now I have regular facials every 2 to 4 weeks, finally a game plan I can rely on.