Dermalogica ~Eminence Organic 1 hr Classic Facial starting at $60

Yesterday I went to the Salon/Spa and had my 1 hour facial. It started off with me checking in and being offered something to drink. I declined. I love the fact that they offer, but i have a personal hang up with accepting complimentary food or drinks when i am working. even though this facial was going to be a treat for me, i know if i were to accept the drink, the moment i started to take a sip, the Facial Therapist would come around the corner and greet me, and i would be "treating myself" rather than being "ready". i know, it's weird. i'm the same way at weddings. i have only shot one wedding that i wasn't offered to take a break and eat. one time i did accept, after having my arm twisted, (and i have to explain) i had been shooting all day, 8+ hours and forgot to bring a snack, so i took them up on it. no kidding the minute i put food in my mouth, a guest pipes up "wheres the photographer? She should get a shot of THAT!". ugh. dreadfully embarrassing. so i always decline and say "no thank you, i'm perfectly content", even though you and i both know the food looks so incredibly tasty! i will confess at the last wedding i shot, it was a Southern wedding, and after being asked over and over "pleaaase try some of the food, we insist", i did grab a plate and sampled the amazing goods catered by T. Maccarone's, but i did feel overly awkward.

At my facial yesterday, Megan came and led me to the facial room where a tube top style terry cloth robe and Eminence chocolate awaited me. I put the chocolate in my purse for later. I slipped into the robe and climbed up on the bed and got under the covers. shortly after, megan came in and we laughed about how awkward i felt laying there half dressed, vulnerable. she made me feel so very comfortable and assured me my feelings were common.

After pulling my hair back with a terry cloth band, she started off with a pre-cleanse, tri-active derm cleanser. it definitely left my skin feeling less taught then the Jergen's soap bar i had used that morning. when i told her i used the bar of soap, she gasped. i know better. she followed up the cleanse with a Mimosa Champagne Tonique. (i KNEW it...when she spritzed me, i thought "that smelled like wine"). next came the Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant Detox. I think it was then that she used a Sonic type handheld on my face. she said it would cleanse and stimulate my pores. then came the Pro Blueberry Firming Detox, the Wild Plum eye cream and Raspberry Eye Masque for hydrating my skin. Then another masque. the Stone Crop Masque with Licorice booster and Eight Greens Phyto Masque, all mixed together. while she put the masque on, she was doing these Hungarian hand movements on my face and neck, which she said would also stimulate my cells. (correct me if i am wrong, Megan). the masque felt so silky and wonderful.

At sometime during all that, she looked at my skin with a special head lamp. then she asked me if i use sun screen daily or wear hats in the sun. she explained that she could see lots of sun damage. i told her about my summers consisting of sun blisters all over my body, and my nose looking like a scab by the end of the summer. she also told me that spf in moisturizer lasts for only several hours, and that i should be using a face makeup that has spf that works as a blocker. i do not wear face makeup, but i am going to invest in that. i thought i was doing all i could by wearing spf in my moisturizer.

I also got a Firm Skin Acai Masque with a booster. during one of the masques, she gave me a full arm, hand, chest and back massage with Apricot Body Oil and Stone Crop Body Lotion. i almost fell asleep during that! she finished the facial with a hot cloth, a spritz, a Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum, a Grean Tea & Guava Fortifying Serum, Eight Green Youth Serum and finally a Guava Bamboo Age-Defying Moisturizer.

WoW. i felt like a princess. the facial was so relaxing and interesting. i'm sure most people just lay there and relax, but i was full of questions! i was also trying to take photos of several of the stages. since i had my eyes closed, i really had no idea if i was aiming at my face or not. hence, only a few photos turned out. this was definitely a time where i wished i had a full time assistant that could have come along and captured some photos of the facial.

Megan recommended i come every 3 weeks for a while, start LED facial treatments (6) for the sun spot damage and then taper off to 1 facial every month for the rest of my life. oooooh, wouldn't that be a treat.

When i stood up and looked in the mirror, i was caught off guard by the puffiness in my face. Megan said that was from all the blood stimulation, and products, and that it would go away. she also said that the next day is when i will notice the most. the redness will be gone and the puffiness subsided.

Something else i learned. Schedule your facial near the end of the day, and on a day that you don't have to have lovely hair. included in that incredible facial was a neck and head massage, which felt so wonderful, having bad hair all day was worth it. i had this facial on a day i was a guest at a women's luncheon at the country club and it wasn't until i got home that i realized i still had green masque on my jawbone, some sort of fruit extract in my ear and little clumps of masque on my neck. but the truth of the matter was, the facial felt so good, that i would do it all over again!

I just remembered. one of the products that Megan put on me had Blueberry and Paprika, which made my face, neck and chest warm and tingly. she also did this hot/cold facial where one of her hands was hot, the other was icy cold and she manipulated my skin interchanging the hot/cold. what a cool (no pun intended) experience!

I've included photos from my experience, including a shot of what my hair looked like afterwards.

Last night i did the routine that was recommended and my skin definitely looks more hydrated and less crepey today.

Next week i am starting the LED treatments. i think those are to help reduce the age spots due to sun damage.

More next week!