Kick Off 2021 With Some TLC With These Relaxing Beauty Treatments
Consider these a well-deserved treat after a tough year.
By Amanda Chai,
It has been an exhausting year, and no one can be blamed for wanting to bid 2020 adieu with a little pampering. From maskne facials to luxurious shaves, here are some relaxing treatments to indulge in. Go on, you have earned it.
Home-grown beauty group Spa Esprit has launched a new facial to tackle a Covid-19 side-effect no one ever saw coming: Maskne.
Mask-induced acne has plagued many since masking up was made mandatory. The new Mask Avenger anti-maskne facial aims to clean out clogged pores from mask-wearing and eradicate blackheads and whiteheads while soothing and repairing the skin.
It uses a non-invasive skincare device called Smartline, which comes with seven handheld applicators that use microcurrents to help stimulate the facial muscles and lymphatic detoxification.
The different applicators have different functions. The Electroporation applicator uses ultrasonic and microcurrent therapies to create temporary pores in the cell membranes to help the skincare product permeate deeper. The Skin Scrubber uses ultrasound therapy to remove dead skin cells and sebum waste in the pores.
It comes at a trial price of $190 (usual price $390) for 90 minutes and is available at all Spa Esprit outlets.
Use promo code SEMA190 and book at spa-esprit.com/booking
Best for tired tresses, overly frizzy or damaged hair, the Korean Cinderella Treatment will take you from pumpkin to princess in an hour.
Offered at popular cafe-salon Walking On Sunshine, the form of keratin treatment uses organic Korean brand Naturia to tame frizziness. The eco-friendly formula is packed with organic ingredients such as aloe vera and collagen, minimising the use of harsh chemicals.
Unlike regular hair treatments, the Cinderella Treatment requires the use of a hair iron to “seal” the product into the hair. It has a slight rebonding or straightening effect and leaves the hair smooth, silky and glossy for up to two months.
The salon alone – opened in 2018 by beauty and lifestyle group Initia, which also owns Korean beauty salon Leekaja here – is worth a visit for its exuberant vibes.
Cubbies teem with plants and every nook is niftily outfitted with Dyson hair tools and Bose speakers piping pop hits. It has been dubbed a millennial favourite for its Instagram potential, but is popular with people of all ages.
Get an all-in-one pampering fix there too – basic manicures or finger mask and hand massage are free while you have your hair dressed, subject to manicurists’ availability.
The salon also offers a full menu of nail- and foot-care services, including for kids ($15 a manicure). Customers can order food and drinks from the salon’s adjoining cafe.
Starting at $300 for short hair, the Cinderella Treatment is a splurge (a bottle of Naturia shampoo costs $85.60) but could be the trick to starting the new year fresh.
#03-07 Orchard Central; call 8877-8800 or go to walkingonsunshine.sg for appointments
Fancy a luxury treatment in a cave of salt? For an unusual upgrade to your usual facial, local spa Pablo Blau might be worth a trip.
The spa, which opened in October last year, offers treatments in a salt room environment said to mimic salt mines and caves in Eastern Europe. Salt therapy or halotherapy, though lesser-known here, dates back to the 12th century and banks on urban myths of salt miners in Poland emerging with younger and clearer skin.
Other supposed benefits of inhaling fine salt particles include improved respiratory and allergy issues, improved blood circulation and better sleep. Halotherapy is an unproven treatment but favoured within the wellness industry.
Contrary to what it may sound like, salt therapy has nothing to do with rubbing salt into the skin.
At Pablo Blau, facial treatments take place in rooms coated with pharmaceutical-grade dry salt crystals.
A salt generator grinds and produces atmospheric salt particles that fill the air – these are said to clear congestion and calm inflammation.
Facials range from anti-ageing to purifying treatments, and the spa offers eye, neck and body treatments as well. A 60-minute Signature Salt Room Customised Facial tailored to your skin costs up to $390.
For those hungry for travel, 90 minutes in the signature salt rooms can feel like a brief, but fulfilling escape to another land.
#02-26A Raffles City Shopping Centre; call 6261-6885 or go to pabloblau.com to book
Toss your dinky bathroom razor and indulge in a pampering shave at grooming stalwart Sultans of Shave.
The local brand offers a selection of haircuts, shaves, and packages administered by a team of gentlemen’s barbers.
The crowd favourite, Sultan’s Shave, is priced at $65 for a five-step shave comprising facial scrub, hot and cold towel, post-shave balm, and moisturiser.
Or spring for the full works with The Sultan’s Experience ($130) that combines the Sultan’s Shave with a Sultan’s Haircut (usually $75).
Treating dad as well? The store offers a Father & Son package at $180, comprising a Deluxe Shave and Deluxe Haircut for two.
For an extra novel experience, take a seat at the brand’s newest outlet, which opened in the middle of last year in Jewel Changi Airport, with domed ceilings and hues of blue and gold that make you feel like true royalty.
#04-240 Jewel Changi Airport; call 6388-0201 for bookings
Want a quick skin fix? Clarins has tailored express facial treatments for the time-strapped, condensing the benefits of the French brand’s professional treatments into half-hour sessions.
Available at Clarins boutiques at #01-26 Westgate, #B1-05 Plaza Singapura and BHG Bugis, the sessions comprise a 10-minute skin consultation, followed by a 20-minute treatment using Clarins products. The counter at BHG Bugis is the brand’s first to offer its Open Spa services.
Choose from a range of brightening, purifying, and rejuvenating treatments – such as Bye Dry Skin, SOS Detox (to help skin regain radiance), SOS V-Shape (to lift and firm facial contours), and Skin Energizer for Men (a targeted treatment for guys to restore vitality and tone the skin). Treatments are $38 each.
A version of this article first appeared in The Straits Times