1. THERESA BEAUTY
Reviewer: Vivian
As someone with sensitive, acne-prone skin, I’m always very particular about the type of products I use and the treatments I go for. On the other hand, I am always eager to try something that can help me to clear up my persistent acne, so I was really happy to try out this facial targeted at acne-prone skin.
Theresa Beauty has a few branches islandwide, and the one I went to was in Tampines 1 Mall. It is easily located within the mall, and very accessible for those who stay in the east. It looks very cozy and relaxing, especially with the faux leafy backdrop.
I was first asked to fill up a customer consultation form to declare any medical history, and then had a short consultation with a therapist where I had my skin examined to better understand what my concerns were. I was told that my pores were quite clogged, and the prime suspect was both my makeup and my late sleeping habits.
Following that, I was briefed that I would be undergoing a Medi Peel treatment, which is suitable for all skin types but is particularly targeted at people who have acne and sensitive skin. The peel is from Juliette Armand, a Greek brand founded by husband and wife team Ioulia Armagou and Michalis Papaefstratiou based in Athens.
I first had my makeup washed off through a double cleansing process, and then waited some time for the actual facial to start. However during the wait, I was given a thorough head and shoulders massage in order to make me feel more relaxed.
After the massage, the facial began properly.
The therapist applied a cream mask to protect my eyes, side of nose and lips area as these areas are more sensitive. She then applied the Salicylic and Azelaic peel for five minutes. These peeling agents are targeted at treating oily-acne skins by reducing oiliness and sebum secretion, and I was told that it has antibacterial and anti- inflammatory properties to combat acne bacteria and reduce acne marks.
Salicylic acid was then applied for five minutes. This was given in a higher concentration to act as peeling agent for treating acne, acne scars, sun damage, and so on. I felt a hot, tingly sensation on my face during this step, which can feel very uncomfortable for people with very sensitive skin. However, this is a normal sensation, and is part of the acid doing its job.
Comedolytic: It normalizes the disturbed follicular keratinization which leads to the formation of comedones, inflamed papules and pustules.
Antibacterial: It reduces the endo-follicular density of Propionibacterium acnes within 8 weeks.
Anti-inflammatory: It reduces the free fatty acids on the epidermis. This anti inflammatory action is considered to be the base for the clinical influence on inflammatory acne.
Azelaic acid helps bringing skin colour back to normal in cases of persistent spots usually resulting from acne.
My therapist mentioned that if I felt a burning sensation that was bordering on painful, I could stop the acid treatment after three minutes, but it felt okay for me so we went ahead with the stipulated five minutes. After exactly five minutes, a neutralizer was applied to stop the acid, and the tingly sensation immediately stopped. I quickly checked on my skin – it looked a bit flush, but there’s definitely no sign of a bad skin reaction. This is how it looks like:
This is normal and no need to get alarmed 🙂
The next step was to apply a Vitamin B Complex Serum to prevent inflammation and increase skin hydration. This felt very cooling, as though my skin was recovering from the intense peeling done earlier. This was followed by a Clarifying mask to remove excess sebum, followed by an Cryolifting Calming Mask.
I liked the masking step so much so that I nearly fell asleep because it was so comfortable in the room, with light music in the background and a cool air temperature.
The last step was to apply hyaluronic acid serum for hydration and firming, followed by sunscreen, and the facial was complete!
The whole process was supposed to take between 45 minutes to 1 hour, but it took me longer because of the waiting time before and even during the facial process itself, as they were tight on manpower that day. Nonetheless, I did notice that my skin instantly became brighter and clearer after the facial. There were also no signs of redness from skin irritation, which I was very satisfied with.
Of course, my acne didn’t instantly disappear, but about one week after the facial my acne started clearing up, even those stubborn bumps on my T-zone that never seemed to disappear! My skin also produced much less excess sebum than before, so I no longer have to use blotting sheets even after a long day out in the hot weather.
The results from the facial are very impressive, considering that no extraction was done and yet my skin (and my pores!) looked so clear immediately after the facial.
I recommend that you check if there are many appointments booked that day to make sure that you will not have to wait too long, or that you let the therapist know that you’re running on a tight schedule if you need to. Be sure to constantly let the therapist know how you feel throughout the facial, especially if your skin is very sensitive and cannot take certain acids well.
Theresa Beauty
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