December is my favorite month of the year. There are so many things that it symbolises to me. For starters, it’s my birthday month and secondly, it’s the start of the new year. If you haven’t had a good year, December’s the perfect time to prepare yourself for the next one and shed the old fears and inhibitions you might have had. Out with old and in with the new.
Besides the customary personal reflection, December is also the time of celebration. After all, what better way to ring in and welcome inbound abundance than with a big bang and lots of vintage Krug? All that said, too much celebration can also lead to a not-so-desirable state of skin because when you have year-end work dinners, early Christmas celebrations and New Year’s Eve get-togethers and lumped together in a span of 3 weeks, it’s tough to hold on to that fresh glow you once had.
I sought out to find solutions that will enable you to put your best face forward. I started at Porcelain Face Spa (www.porcelainfacespa.com); one of my trusted go-tos for clear, glowing skin. Their new treatment, Cryotherapy Facial, involves using Cool Stamp Technology to push vitamins and hydrating ingredients deep into the cell membranes. Your skin is first cleansed and massaged to stimulate circulation after which they apply a generous layer of their Pore + Spot Intensive Serum (a clear serum made of Vitamin C, Sodium Hyaluronate and CoQ10) and start stamping your whole face with the cryoprobe (the probe can reach up to -10 degrees). This is a god-send on those humid sticky days because the intense cold helps wake up tired skin by reducing puffiness, pore size and significantly increasing hydration levels. I left the spa gleaming and refreshed.
If all the drinking and lack of sleep has caused your skin to take a turn for the sensitive, a facial at Pure Tincture (www.puretincture.com) would help ease that. Using only certified-organic products, I jumped at their OSEA Anti-Aging Facial where multiple antioxidants are used to revive tired skin. During the massage instead of regular massage cream, a piece of fresh organic brown algae that melts upon contact with water was spread on my face. It was nourishment at its most natural. The part that I was most impressed with was the Manual Lymphatic Drainage massage that came at the end of the facial. It is a specialised technique that uses gentle repetitive pumping movement to stimulate fluid movement in the tissues by increasing the function of the lymph vessel system. It cleanses the tissue and initializes a strengthened immune response. In other words, it is the ideal massage to have after a hard week. I drifted off to sleep twice and I woke up to brighter, firmer skin.
When you have time on your hands, The Remede Spa at The St Regis (www.remedespasingapore.com) is a superb antidote to the hustle and bustle of city life. I checked into the spa for their Definitive Men’s Facial. After the usual cleansing, a gentle peel was applied and I liked how thoroughly they ensured that every part of the face was exfoliated. Clear quartz crystals were used to reduce puffiness from my lack of good sleep. The best thing about checking in for a treatment is their expansive spa facilities like marbled steam room, Finnish sauna, hot and cold pools that you can use before and after your treatment. It felt like I was back in Istanbul; in one of those glorious spacious hammams. I stayed there for 3 hours.
If a home-spa experience is more up your alley, these are the new products that are checking all my boxes: I found Shea Singapore (www.shea.com.sg), this little gem-of-a-store that stocks handmade beautifully crafted soaps that are free from harsh sulphates, parabens and detergents. The Nettle Rosemary and Parsley Shampoo Bar is my new favorite shampoo. It’s perfect for oily scalp like mine and it gets rid of hair products with so much ease and efficiency; all without drying out your hair.
If a home-spa experience is more up your alley, these are the new products that are checking all my boxes: I found Shea Singapore (www.shea.com.sg), this little gem-of-a-store that stocks handmade beautifully crafted soaps that are free from harsh sulphates, parabens and detergents. The Nettle Rosemary and Parsley Shampoo Bar is my new favorite shampoo. It’s perfect for oily scalp like mine and it gets rid of hair products with so much ease and efficiency; all without drying out your hair.
After a shower, when your face is still damp, I like to massage a generous layer of Santaverde Aloe Vera Hydro Repair Gel; this beautiful silky gel is made with pure organic aloe vera juice and essence of elderflower. It hydrates and repairs instantly and can be used on its own or layered under your regular moisturizer.
Here’s to kicking off 2014 with your best skin ever!
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