Spotlight on Spas – Fantastic Facials at Glow with Ceri Silk

October 15th 2013 In our final Spotlight on Spas, Crystal Wilde takes a look at prescriptive facials, proving that, in many cases, beauty is only skin deep. I’ve always been a bit self-conscious about my skin ever since the pimple-plagued years of my teens. I still get the odd outbreak, but at the age of 28 I’ve largely grown out of acne, although its memory lives on through oversized pores and untameable shiny skin. I’ve never really been one to bother with facials – perhaps my first mistake – but after living in Hong Kong for only a few months, I noticed the negative effects that the sun, pollution and fast-living city lifestyle were having on my skin. Always sceptical about the magical claims of beauticians and their products, I thought I’d try a more scientific approach to skincare at Central’s Glow with Ceri Silk. Having been in the industry for 28 years, Welsh-born beautician Ceri Silk (yes, that is apparently her real name!) is now sought after the world-over as a skincare expert. As she regularly travels to share her wisdom on scientifically-proven beauty and slimming techniques, you’ll be lucky to catch her at the spa. She has, however, installed her staff with all her knowledge about different skin types, common ailments and the best results-based treatments on the market. “Throughout my many years working in the industry, I've learnt a lot about how different skin types react in different environments,” said Ceri. “People moving to Hong Kong usually notice a negative effect on their skin, such as redness, accelerated aging, pimples and blackheads. These problems are exacerbated by stress, heat, high UV, alcohol and spicy food. Basically the Hong Kong lifestyle.” The facials at Ceri Silk are prescriptive, so the first step of my visit to the very clean and clinical feeling spa was to fill out a questionnaire about my skin type and lifestyle. After a quick cleanse and some close up skin scrutiny under a bright light and magnifying glass, which eerily reminded me of the dentists, Ceri picked out a programme designed to strengthen and rebalance the hydra-lipid layer of my skin, promoting healthy oil balance and clear pores. The Skeyndor ‘cosmeceutical’ products that Ceri uses contain more active ingredients than regular beauty products and claim to work with tiny ‘nano’ particles that penetrate deeper to a cell level and actually fix, rather than mask, problems. Sensing my scepticism, Ceri told me, “If you think how much phones have moved on technology-wise in the last 25 years, it’s the same for skincare. The problem is people getting their heads around it; a jar of cream still looks like a jar of cream, but actually the ingredients are very different.” The facial involved some serious extraction, followed by toning, facial massage and finally a cooling mask. The way Ceri was going to town on my blackheads, I was convinced I’d come out looking like I fell face-first into a strawberry patch, but the mask clearly did the trick as there was no sign of the squeezing and teasing on leaving the spa. My skin looked visibly clearer and refreshed, and the armload of free product samples elongated the effect for weeks. “Your skin is really your most important asset beauty-wise”, said Ceri. “If you see a 70-year-old with good skin they look great despite their age. Things like Botox, filler and surgery have their place, but the frozen face look isn't so fashionable any more. A lot of people forget about their skin, but that's the canvas really, no matter how old you are.” Glow with Ceri Silk is located at 9/F Parker House, 72 Queen's Road, Central. To make an appointment, call 2525 5198 or email via their Localiiz profile page.

Read the Series Spotlight on Spas – Nail it at Iyara Spotlight on Spas - Massage Magic at Sparadise Spotlight on Spas - Get Your Face On at Flawless Spotlight on Spas - Luscious Locks at Freedas Spotlight on Spas - All-Off Hair Removal at Nude Beautique

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