Winter, not drinking enough water, not going to bed when I should (Netflix, I blame you!) and also, being in my mid30s, have all been playing major havoc with my skin lately.
Dry, itchy, lack-lustre, you name it, my face has been doing it – and it does not make me feel like my best self, trust me. And this despite my best efforts to eat healthy, and being a non-smoker and hardly ever drinker too. Yikes. That’s ageing for you, I guess. That and weather that can’t seem to descide what season we are meant to be having.
Doing what I do for work, and having written about beauty and wellness for years, I would like to believe that when it comes to taking care of my skin, I am pretty darn good at it. As in; I never go to bed with makeup on (like NEVER). I never sunbathe (on the beach, you’ll reckognize me by the enourmous hat I am wearing to shade my face). I wear SPF 50 on my face all year round and I opt for clean, green products that are kind to my skin (and health). But still, despite my best efforts, I found that this winter season has really taken its toll on my complexion.
Time to call in the big guns. As in – I needed some expert help.
And for the record, I don’t think we are great at that here on our shores – getting expert help with our skin the same way we would when something isn’t feeling right with our bodies. French women, on the other hand, start regularly visiting a facialist or skin therapist from a young age – and continue to do so for the rest of their days. They see this not so much as vanity and unnessacary spending, but rather as an investment in themselves, their wellbeing and their skin – which has to last them a lifestime.
And why shouldn’t we do the same?
Being a big fan of naural beauty products, I am a long-term fan of Dublin-based French facialist Virginie Vuillaume – who uses only certified organic and natural beauty products in her Rathgar salon, V. Claire. Her signature facials, using products from French brand, Phyt’s, are based on botanical science, drainage and stimulating techniques that achieve skin perfection – and my skin was in dire need of this right now.
Also – I was dying to try the new facial the salon was offering, the Delux Faciallobal Anti-Ageing, a 90 minute delux facial, using the brand new Panacée range from Phyt’s alongside a sclpting machine and manual techniques, which were, Virginie informed me, designed to “smooth, regenerate and tone the skin.”
Yes, please.
So in I went – and let me just say this; if you have the time and money to treat yourself to something just for yourself this spring, let this be it.
Panacée, which, by the way, means ‘cure all’, really did just what it said on the box – and both the facial massage and treatment with the vibratory machine felt nothing short of luxurious and so, so good – this was me-time on a whole other level.
As well as the in-house facial, you can purchase a box of the Panaée cream to take home (it can be used as both a day- and night cream, and a little really goes a long way, meaning you’ll get ages out of it).
The cream really deeply nourishes the skin, and I love how it is choc-a-block with natural ingredients like edelweiss, rosemary, brown seaweed and rye, all packing a punch when it comes to fighting signs of skin ageing, reducing wrinkles, firming the skin, as well as treating pigmentation spots by regulating melanin synthesis thus brightening the complexion.
Sounds good? I know. Imagine all that while also still being natural, organic and certified.
I have been using the cream now these past few weeks since my facial, and I swar, my skin looks so much more glowing, even and awake. I have stopped using foundation completely, and only dab on some BB cream on those mornings when I genuinely need it. What more; I now properly look forward to my little morning and evening ritual, when I clean my face, and then take a few moments to massage the Panacée cream into my face and neck – often rolling it in properly with my jade roller for some extra skin TLC.
And remember, our skin is often the first thing people see and notice about us, and having your skin feel and look good makes such a difference to your overall feeling of wellbeing. Investing in yourself isn’t indulgent, it’s making sure you are feeling your best so can keep being your best to everyone else around you.
