Despite my obsession with skincare, I've only had two actual facial treatments complete with pricking in my entire life. The first time was way back in high school, before I had any appreciation for the kind of effort you actually need to make for achieving and maintaining good skin.
It was pricey for my student budget and I didn't see any improvements after, so I didn't feel encouraged to try it again. As images of Korean actors and pop stars flooded my head, I wondered how different the procedure would be from the usual treatments you can get at mall facial centers. Would it give me that coveted chok chok complexion? I took a before photo right before I headed to their clinic so I could make a comparison afterwards. Originally based in Makati, the clinic has actually been around since but it's something of a well-kept secret in the expat community.
The resident dermatologist, Dr. Cherry Ann Co, tells me that their client base are primarily Korean and Japanese but more locals are finding out about their services as well because of the growing interest in K-beauty. Apart from using Korean skincare treatments and machines in the procedure, I guess I didn't feel too surprised that a Korean facial takes 8 steps and almost 2 hours to complete! Co gamely explained each step and how it contributes to deep-cleansing, rejuvenating and rehydrating skin.
The first step was to cleanse my skin and prepare it for the treatment. Apart from drawing on my brows and applying some lipstick, I didn't wear any other makeup but it's important to remove all traces of dirt and oil. They use a Cleansing Milk and a Cleansing Gel for this, both Korean products that are also available for purchase in their clinic.
I particularly liked the Milk because unlike similar products I've tried, the formula is light, watery, and doesn't leave a greasy residue. After a quick wipe off, my facialist showed me the flat, wide metal scrubber tip that would be used to deep-cleanse my pores. It looks a little intimidating but actually feels really pleasant! From what I understand, it uses water and ultrasonic technology to gently exfoliate your skin. The facialist would stop every so often to wipe off the dead skin layers from the metal tip but I didn't experience any redness or irritation.
