The morning before – Straight after (a little pink!) – 2 days later
These were all taken on my iPhone, in my bathroom around the same time of day & have not been edited in any way.
Last Saturday Creme Hair & Beauty invited me down to test out their new ESPA Enzyme Facial, as many of you know my skin has been really getting me down lately & I’ve been trying out all kinds of things in an attempt to get it to behave, so I was thrilled to be asked to try this out. The products I mentioned a few months ago in this post have helped a huge amount in getting the acne under control & getting it looking somewhat normal again, so it doesn’t look too bad at all now, but I still had scarring, clogged pores, blackheads, and dull splotchy skin & I was hoping this would help.
The salon is based in the market town of Oakham, in a converted church, and it is absolutely beautiful inside & out, they’ve kept so many of the original features so it feels quite dramatic, especially the huge vaulted ceiling with the heavy wooden beams. I was taken to a private room upstairs, with dim lights, soft music & a table with the fluffiest duvet to get under, it was the perfect environment & I caught myself almost falling asleep a couple of times because I was so relaxed!
My face was first thoroughly cleansed & prepped using a Clarinsonic brush, then examined under a special light to show up exactly what my skins issues were. I was told my skin was actually in pretty decent shape other than a little dehydration around my eyes, and the obvious spots & scars. I was also super pleased to be told I don’t have even a little sun damage or any of the first signs of aging yet either, and that’s all down to my SPF50 obsession. After this the peel was applied all over my face & neck, containing pumpkin enzymes & botanical extracts it gives a through & deep exfoliation, gently removing all traces of dead skin cells. It felt warm & tingly, but not in an uncomfortable way at all – I kind of liked it, you know it’s working! After around 10 minutes the peel was wiped off & I was asked to choose a facial oil from a choice of two by smell, apparently your body is very good at knowing which it needs & I was instantly drawn towards the one containing black pepper. My face was then massaged with cooling rose quartz crystals to calm the skin, stimulating the lymphatic system at the same time to drain away puffiness & toxins from the face. After this, a menthol & ‘devils apron’ seaweed mask was applied to further soothe & moisturise my skin, and I was given a head massage whilst I waited for it to set. The whole thing lasted for around 90 minutes, and I left feeling so pampered, calm & relaxed.
Apologies for my spotty, makeup-less face up there, but I thought it was best to show you the results instead of just talking about them. I just want to mention again, that I’m wearing no makeup (only moisturiser) in the photos & I tried to take them in the same place, at the same time of day so the light didn’t affect the images, they are also completely un-edited. The left photo is my skin before my visit & on the right, 2 days after. In the middle you can see it straight after the peel, looking a little pink & shiny, and with some spots looking a bit worse than before, this soon subsided though. The difference isn’t huge, but I think it’s pretty clear to see that it’s made my skin smoother, brighter, plumper & has helped with the pinkish scarring a little too. Overall I am extremely pleased with the results, it was a lovely experience & I couldn’t recommend Creme more if you’re based in or close to Leicester. I shall definitely be booking myself in for another next time my skin needs a little pick-me-up!
Rebecca says
That place looks so amazing! The exposed ceiling is so cool! The treatment sure made a difference on your skin too!
Rebecca
http://www.winnipegstyle.ca
Julie says
I really love the way you described the treatment in detail. I particularly found the part about your body telling you which essential oils and treatments you need. I’m a big believer in being in tune with your body.
Have you ever tried any of the Lush skin care products? I have oily but sensitive skin and since I started using their products I only ever get hormonal break outs around my lady time, maybe they’d be good for you too.
FAIIINT says
Glad you enjoyed the review! :) I haven’t really tried the skin care products, but I used to buy a lot of their bath & shower things! I keep hearing that their masks are really good, so may have to go pick one up to try out :)
Birdie Liau says
What a great review and your skin improve so much (: I hope it’ll improve and be better soon, do drink up and try sleeping mask I think it’s helpful! I’m so glad I stumbled upon your blog (: , really love the blogpost and everything. x
http://birdiethgirl.blogspot.com
FAIIINT says
Thanks Birdie! Yeah, I’m trying to drink lots of water, it’s definitely helping :)
daniela says
steph this looks amazing! what a great result xx
Laura says
The venue looks amazing and you can really see a difference in your skin from the photos!!
xXx
Blog: http://unspeakablethoughtsunspoken.blogspot.com
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Jenny says
Wow in all honesty your skin looks fine either way :O I have been waiting for this review and really impressed with the results I can see how it brings them out more but soon fades a few days later I might just try this or a similar facial as my skin really is bad :| its red and mostly scarred I don’t have much of a spot problem any more but the scarring can be tough to fade xx
http://www.krystelcouture.com
FAIIINT says
It’s been getting slowly better the past few months, I wish I’d taken a photos when it was at it’s worst because it was really, really awful then, my chin & forehead were covered in big cystic acne! I’m the same, it’s not so much spots now that’s my problem, but more the scars they’ve left behind & the fact all the products I was using really dried my skin out. I would definitely recommend this or something like it, I think the difference it’s made makes it worth the cost & I think the Sanctuary facial oil I’ve been using has really helped with the scarring too!
Tara says
After discussing this with you, I’m totally sold! I think there is a noticeable difference and after hearing all about it, it doesn’t sound scary at all. Such a detailed review. <3
FAIIINT says
Agree, it’s not a dramatic difference, but it’s definitely noticeable & I think that makes it totally worth it. I’d still be scared to try a full chemical peel, but I really like that this one was 100% natural & very gentle :)
Lucinda says
Taking an hour to relax with a beauty therapist can do wonders for the skin, and then there are all the special treatment steps. I’m intrigued by the use of black pepper oil! I rarely indulge but it’s worth it and your skin certainly looks softer and smoother.
FAIIINT says
I had never had a facial before, but I agree 100% that it’s worth it after this. I’m so annoyed I forgot to ask what the oil was called, as I can’t seem to find it online now! It smelled wonderful (I’m a big fan of sprinkling black pepper on everything though!) & felt kind of warm on my skin, the therapist said it was re-balancing & good for clarifying the skin.
steph says
what a great space! enjoyed reading your review though i’m nowhere near this place ;) i love the bit where you mention your body knows what it needs – how true!
from the photos i think the facial really worked on you steph! skin improvement is a slow process, if you had cystic acne before this is such a big difference! i just recently got myself a clarisonic because my girlfriend was raving about it. i’ve only been using it religiously for two weeks and it’s incredible how much more it takes off and on top of that i feel the brush movement physically takes off dead skin cells, too. i would definitely recommend this if you’re thinking about it ;)