Growing up, it is a girl’s instinct to obsess over skincare and beauty. It’s a popular topic of conversation among girls as well. Most of my friends have been getting facials regularly ever since they can afford to. But I was the only one who have yet to experience a facial. I often wonder what it would be like to get a facial and have flawless skin. So one day, I thought to myself, why not go ahead and get a facial?
Source: Image by rhythmuswege from Pixabay
After doing what seems like tons of research, and also upon the recommendation of a friend, I finally made up my mind and made an appointment. I was literally counting down the days until the facial appointment. For some reason, it felt as though the doctor will be examining my skin condition. Due to some inexplicable reason, prior to the facial, I found myself taking extra care of my skin (probably my mind’s way to tell my body not to embarrass myself). I made sure to use a clay mask to draw out the impurities from my pores and put on a hydrating face mask before the appointment.
Experiencing A Facial For The First Time
On the day of the appointment, I eagerly left home earlier for my two o’clock facial appointment. As I walked in, the owner of the beauty salon, Winnie Lee greeted me. The atmosphere was as relaxing and soothing as could be, with soft music playing in the background and the smell of essential oils wafting from a nearby diffuser.
To start off, Winnie cleansed my face to remove impurities in order to properly examine my skin condition. Next, she performed a peeling procedure on my face to exfoliate and remove the dead skin cells. I secretly enjoyed this step, because I haven’t been exfoliating my face as regularly as I should have.
After the peeling, she did an extraction to get rid of the whiteheads and blackheads present on my face. She told me that I might feel a slight discomfort during the process. It did hurt quite a bit, especially when she was extracting the ones on my nose. Despite the pain, I soldiered on while picturing the end results in my mind. But it was slightly more bearable because she worked skillfully and swiftly, thus minimising the amount of pain. Ever since puberty, blackheads and whiteheads have plagued my nose. I was curious to see if it can really make my nose blackhead-free.
Source: Image from Fashion Vectors, Freepik
Not Just An Ordinary Facial Massage…
I felt more than relieved after the extraction, when toner was applied to soothe and prepare my skin. Next, to restore the radiance in my skin, Winnie applied a booster ampoule, followed by a facial cream called the Dragon’s Blood cream. She applied the cream liberally on my face, followed by a facial massage. This aids the absorption into my skin, and increase blood circulation to my face. The massage focused on Traditional Chinese acupressure points which has the ability to promote unobstructed chi flow for health and well-being. Within a few minutes, I felt a warm tingling sensation all over my face.
After the very enjoyable facial massage, Winnie applied a layer of cooling firming facial mask. She left it on for about ten minutes in order to hydrate, lift and revitalise my face. Lastly, she applied a little bit more of the Dragon’s Blood cream on my face, along with some BB cream. BB cream is a tinted moisturiser, and it provides coverage and added skincare benefits such as SPF. The whole facial lasted about an hour and a half.
As this was my first time ever getting a facial, I didn’t have any previous facial experience to compare it to. But as a firm believer in traditional Chinese medicine, the pressure points massage included during the facial really impressed me. When she revealed my skin post-facial, I was genuinely amazed. For the first time ever, my nose was clear of blackheads and whiteheads. Besides, my pores were tighter and my overall complexion was brighter. Overall, the level of service during my facial treatment was satisfying, upon seeing the results, I was really over the moon.
Customised Skincare Advice
After the facial, Winnie made me a cup of hot tea to enjoy while we chatted. Based on her previous examination, she gave me a thorough diagnosis of my skin condition, along with tips on how to improve it and bad habits to avoid. I have a normal to oily skin condition which is slightly sensitive. There is also some freckling and I have an oily T-zone area.
To improve my skin condition, she recommended me to balance out my oiliness and soothe my sensitive skin accordingly. I have always struggled with an oily T-zone. So she further explained how blackheads develop, and what I can do to prevent that from happening. Excess sebum secretion and oxidation cause blackheads, thus it is crucial that I cleanse my face thoroughly.
As for the bad habits to kick, Winnie advised against using blotting paper to absorb the excess oil on face, as it has the opposite effect of curbing excess sebum on skin. It is important to re-apply sunscreen regularly throughout the day, preferably every few hours. At the end of the day, make sure to cleanse the face thoroughly to remove any makeup and impurities.
The Mysterious Skincare Ingredient
I wanted to hear more about this mysterious plant-derived cream that she applied on my face earlier, the Dragon’s Blood cream. The Dragon’s Blood tree (Croton lechleri), is a flowering plant found in the Amazonian rainforest. The tree produces a red-coloured resin from wounded tree trunks. The resin is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Due to its richness in these compounds, it aids in the protection of skin cells, reduces redness and repairs the collagen in our skin.
Source: Utsukusy Cosmetics carried by Cur Skin De Beauty
Winnie also introduced some of the skincare brands that she carries such as Utsukusy, Alissi Brontë, Dr med. Schrammek, etc. It opened my eyes to the advancement of technology in the skincare field.
Skincare Customisation According To Skin Types
After hearing Winnie share her knowledge in skincare, it occurred to me that skincare is more or less similar to the medical field. This is because it will take an experienced beautician’s advice to improve and maintain great skin. A beautician will be monitoring and recommending the usage of certain skincare products.
Everyone has different skin types and conditions. One’s lifestyle, diet, environment and medication intake are some of the many factors that affect one’s skin condition. Unlike some clothing items that offer a one-size-fits-all solution, the key to great skin is much more complex. Skincare treatments and products usage have to be customised according to each and every type of skin. The key to improving skin conditions is a suitable skincare treatment coupled with the use of personalised products. Customised skincare will be effective in meeting your skin’s condition from time to time.
Wondering How You Can Improve Your Skin Conditions?
A customised facial treatment is the best way to ensure your skin gets what it needs and when it needs.
For facial appointments and further inquiries on the products and services available at Cur Skin De Beauty, you may contact Winnie Lee at +6016 202 5298.
Cur Skin De Beauty is located in The Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur (Lot G-02, Ground floor).
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