Shine this Christmas: the new Aveda facial

Zara Baker finds out about the new Aveda facial at Shine Hair & Beauty

What’s on your Christmas wish list? One of my winter wishes is always for a healthy and glowing complexion. While there are no big secrets that the most flawless celebrities know about (fact: it really is a healthy, balanced diet and plenty of water!), a helping hand in the quest for perfect skin doesn’t hurt. Enter Shine – not the oily T-zone version, but the go to-salon in Brighton’s North Laine, where Aveda natural products reign.

On a blustery and wet winter evening, I was invited along to Shine Hair & Beauty to find out about Aveda’s newly launched facial: the Aveda Dual Exfoliation Power Peel Treatment. It does what the name suggests – and is Aveda’s latest advancement in non-invasive, skin-renewing treatments. After a bad experience with IPL treatment in the past, I am cautious of what I put my skin through now. At one point, four years ago, I couldn’t take the heat of a warming facial. At Shine, Lydia gives a thorough consultation prior to treatment. Plus, as an Aveda facial where products are nearly all natural, it’s going to be gentle. The great results from the power peel were not only from the ingredients, but from the application process itself, which Lydia was going to show me…

Cleansing & fragrance
The Dual Exfoliation Power Peel differs to other Aveda facials in that it is more ‘active’. The experience begins with a personal choice of essential oil. The ‘sensory journey’ aspect tailors the facial to each individual client. There is a choice of three, and you choose by smell alone. The idea is that you choose what your body needs, whether it’s re-energising or relaxing. It was a close call, with all my health needs piled high after recovering from an early winter cold. Oddly, for me, I chose rose, but it was wonderful in this environment.

The treatment results in improved skin texture, clarity and radiance; smoothed appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and refined pores, revealing fresher, hydrated, younger-looking skin

Exfoliation
Exfoliating is essential for improved skin texture and radiance, but at the other end of the scale is over-exfoliated skin, something I have been guilty of in the past. Depending on your skin type, exfoliation is only required once or twice a week, tops. The ‘gritty’ beads work away dead skin, revealing a brighter, smoother complexion. However, over exfoliation is tough on the skin and can do the opposite to its intended effect, leaving skin looking lacklustre. The tourmaline charged radiant skin refiner, which is a natural botanical alternative to micro-dermabrasion without the high levels of redness and irritation is still wonderfully intense. The beads are buffed onto the skin in a firm, repetitive and thorough motion. You can really feel it is working – something I love. I first came across ‘tourmaline’ in health and beauty terms back in 2000, with the purchase of my first ‘kind to hair’ set of hair straighteners. Tourmaline is an ionic mineral, making it gentle and effective in promoting healthy, energised hair and skin. It’s a natural boost we could all try.

The peel
Wonderfully warming, but never uncomfortable, the peel is applied after a through cleansing and exfoliation process. The heat allows it to work into the skin and provides a deep exfoliation. It improves the skin’s own natural shedding system using new-generation ingredients like ‘glucosamine’. This dissolves dead skin cells and the proteins that bond them to the skin, leaving a smoother, brighter complexion. It also helps attract moisture to the skin, plumping it and giving a more youthful look. Once removed, the Aveda Outer Peace cooling masque is applied, designed to help sooth and reduce any surface redness on the skin, massaged with cooled marble stones. A refreshing salt mask is applied after the peel, designed to hydrate and cool skin. A relaxing shoulder massage completes the experience.

The end
After this facial, there is no need to exfoliate for five days. Skin is left glowing and refreshed. Forty-eight hours later, skin was noticeably softer. Depending on your skin type, this can be a seasonal treat or a more regular indulgence. For many, with the busy lifestyles we have today, this is a welcome break and the chance to put yourself first for a change. For this reason, it makes a wonderful Christmas gift idea to those in need of some TLC. The entire experience is wonderful, the Shine team are polite and courteous, and the setting is ideal. Best of all, this new treat from Aveda is great for winter-stressed skin, when you don’t want harsh chemicals and products.

The Aveda Dual Exfoliation Power Peel Treatment is one hour with an added 15 minutes consultation time. £51, available at Shine Hair Beauty, 111 Gloucester Rd, Brighton,BN1 4AF, 01273 604404, www.shinehairgroup.com