What is it?
Osmosis Infusion Facial, $150 allow 45 minutes.
What to expect?
It's a well-being destination, a vibe that is evident the moment you walk through the door - a place of rejuvenation, yoga emersion, and clean eating - I am talking about True Food and Yoga on Auckland's Tamaki Drive. Also a destination for an amazing facial under the healing hands of facialist Charlotte Harrison from The Beauty Bar. A new addition to the True Food and Yoga offering, The Beauty Bar has been open for just six months, and owner Harrison describes her beauty room as a skin boutique, which focuses on skin healing. "I like to keep it simple with the products I use, I use Osmosis skin care, and I find I can treat any skin concern," says Harrison, who also enjoys the freedom this skin care line offers a therapist. "I can customise each treatment, from a skin infusion with skin correcting in mind to a super relaxing, hydrating medi-facial". I booked in for the facial infusion using vitamin A and asked Harrison if she could tackle my pigmentation, a source of constant concern. "This facial not only addresses the look of ageing it also helps boost circulation as it works at the deepest layer of the skin". Harrison works silently, with pressing and sweeping movements from my decollete to my scalp, taking her time around the eye area. After double cleansing next comes the layering of hot towels (an Osmosis treatment trademark), the idea behind the series of hot towels is to help push the ingredients deep into the skin; I like that there is a hot towel for my face and also decollete an area that I often overlook. After a swift exfoliation with Polish (a product I use at home) and then a cocktail of Renew, (which contains Retinaldehyde (2.5%), vitamin C power active and Catalyst AC11 is massaged into my skin, for around five minutes. One word of caution this bespoke facial does turn the skin a subtle shade of turmeric yellow, and you do leave with a slight ochre cast on the skin that stays for an hour or so.
What we like about it?
What strikes me as a sip my Storm & India mango passion tea, is that the days of pampering skin treatments are over, no one has time for fluffy facials. And this is one facial that delivers. The blend of kick-butt natural ingredients and hard-working vitamins including willow herb (super brightening) and niacinamide (vitamin B3) calm, strengthen and brighten skin while the vitamin A helps blur the look of pigmentation. Combined these ingredients work towards my wish - healthy-looking glowing skin.
Take home: Make sure apply an SPF post treatment for the trip home. There's no need to use vitamin A at home for five days after this treatment. Known as the 30-day facial this treatment helps speed up your natural skin turnover and is ideal to have every month if you can.