Dermalogica: A Facial the Modern Way

I recently had the delightful pleasure to experience a facial at the Dermalogica Flagship Concept Store in Santa Monica, California. And I must admit, I was skeptical about this being an impressive facial, because honestly in my mind Dermalogica was a tired brand for skincare neophytes (I’ve always thought of it as a safe skincare intro line for newbies).This savvy beauty maven had limited expectations about the impact of this facial and BOY WAS I WRONG!!

Dermalogica has really reinvented itself over the years, and I stand corrected, this brand definitely competes with the best of ’em in terms of innovative products and state of the art skin changing facials. So let me tell you about my recent experience with Dermalogica and how they have turned me into a fan.

When I entered the Santa Monica location, I noticed that it was clean, white, modern and futuristic looking. In fact, I think the treatment rooms sort of look like high tech pods, already I am already intrigued because it certainly doesn’t look like your typical zen relaxation spa. Upon closer analysis, I think Dermalogica’s modern look is trying to subconsiously tell vistors they mean business, that something is really going to happen here.

I fill out the requisite paperwork so the Dermalogica skin therapist knows my issues and concerns and can properly ‘face map’ my skin (This is Dermalogia’s proprietary way to analyze the zones of the face and properly diagnose problems and recommend products). We then enter the pod-like room with the rotating mood colored lights (which I totally dig), I choose my preferred music (spa/relaxation) and then my modern facial begins.

It starts with an oil pre-cleanse to ensure all make-up and dirt is removed, then a cleanse with a Clarisonic brush, the official skin analysis under the magnifying light (aka Face Mapping) and then my favorite ‘wow’ part of this facial a power peel called EA35. I love peels because you feel them working and they deliver instant results, and this pineapple and papaya enzyme based exfoliating peel was one of the most impressive and active peels I have ever gotten. It zinged a little but was lessened by the skillful massage of my therapist, I could tell it was packed with high tech ingredients that deliver results.

Next came some light extractions, high frequency to kill germs and the AGE Smart Multi-Vitamin Recovery Mask. Another great modern enhancement was the Galvanic Machine, which was used along with my mask to push the actives of the mask more deeply into my skin and pull out impurities, loved this too! While the mask did its thing, I got a lovely arm massage along with the Peltier high tech massage device which got hot as she rubbed it on my pesky neck and shoulder knots (another uber cool techie touch.) The facial commenced with an automated spritz of toner from yet another techie device and an application various products from the AGE Smart line (my fav being the Renewal Lip Complex).

I left the room in a happy daze, my skin felt supple and rejuvenated. The delightful finishing touch was a warm cup of Dermalogica’s Special Un-Tea. For days, I marveled at how smooth and soft my skin felt from this gentle yet powerful facial (I am certain the EA35 peel was reason for these impressive results) and I highly recommend checking out a Dermalogica Facial in your area.

There is nothing like the newly converted, Dermalogica welcome to my world–or is that Romy ‘Welcome to Our World’ (read in a robotic futuristic voice).