Whole Body

Beauty by Science

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Saying that all facials are the same is a bit like saying all wines are the same. Yes, on a fundamental level, they all treat you (and your mind) to some pampering and relaxing, with the added bonus that your face looks great afterwards. But just like there’s a world of difference between a box of Franzia and a bottle of Dom, there are facials and then there are facials. I had one of the latter just before the holidays at Breathing Space Spa on the East Side.

When spa owner Abby Backlund told me about the OxyGeneo facial, I knew I was in for something special. First, I had never heard of it which, when you’ve been writing about skin care for over a decade, is rare. Second, she told me, it delivered dermatologist-quality skin care without the dermatologist. And third, her Waterman Street spa is the only one offering the service in the whole state.

So I had high expectations when my holiday-frazzled self walked into Breathing Space, complete with the evidence of stress eating erupting all over my face. Once I was on the table, everything started to melt away: my stress, my muscle knots, my clogged pores. For me, what made this facial so different was that Backlund used a wand with a scrubbing pad attached to it, which felt like it was dissolving everything that I didn’t want stored in my face. She had a slightly more scientific explanation: “It manipulates below the epidermis. The deep physical, enzyme, and acid exfoliation increases oxygen within the dermal layer, increasing blood flow, which can have an amazing impact on the overall health of the skin.” A series of six facials can have the same result as Botox or fillers, subtly smoothing out lines and plumping the skin, but without injectables.

When we were done, the difference I saw in the mirror was remarkable: my skin was so clean that it looked like it was lit from within, and the hyperpigmentation from my healing breakouts was barely visible. Then Backlund added the ultimate finishing touch: an Ellebana Lash Lift. The quick procedure put a permanent curl in my lashes, with a lash tint afterwards. The effect, especially with my glowing skin, was so striking that I woke up every morning for weeks afterwards looking like I was already made up and ready to go. Let me tell you, it’s a lot more pleasant than what I’m used to.

Breathing Space Spa
154 Waterman Street • 400-9776

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