You might be surprised to find that as much as I write about about beauty, I’m horrible about getting myself to the spa. When I first moved to NY, I was regular about monthly facials…that is, until my lady moved away and I never made time to find someone to replace her. Enter Cecilia Wong, an NYC-based skin care expert whose focus is holistic and natural treatments. And if there’s anyone who believes about the strong connection between food and beauty, it’s her.
I was invited to get a facial at her spa in Union Square, and after 12 hours on a plane from Argentina back to New York, it couldn’t have been a more perfect time. I was set on trying out her Omega and Vitamin C treatment, a hydrating lymphatic facial designed to brighten and soften skin. When I got there though, I first had a quick consultation with Cecilia and we discussed some of my other issues, including dreaded breakouts.
She asked me about my skincare routine and I told her about my love for argan oil (she had no issue with that); but otherwise my biggest problem is that I’m not very consistent with a regimen and can find myself dealing with random breakouts. Cecilia (who by the way, also happens to have pretty large base of South Asian clients and is quite familiar with our skin concerns) suggested we try the Awakening Peel instead — an exfoliating treatment that uses organic fruit peel and LED Light Therapy (a mix of red for anti aging and blue for congest skin), and Black Currant-infused serums. Hey, she’s the expert, so I listened.
While she was doing my facial, she told me she herself had severe acne issues from the age of 15, which, sidenote was pretty shocking because I dare you to even find a blemish on her face. Her mother recommended she change her diet, focusing more on fruits and vegetables, and she began experimenting with DIY-face scrubs and masks made of papaya and blueberries. Slowly but surely, her skin started getting better.
From then, she was inspired to experiment with different ingredients for skin care. “Your skin instantly absorbs anything you put on it, so you want to limit the chemicals and irritants as much as possible, and replace it with natural and antioxidant rich ingredients,” she explained while I was getting my facial. She’s a big believer in also starting from the inside-out to alleviate skin issues — drinking plenty of water and non-processed foods. Til this day she says she juices daily! She believes it helps her skin majorly. In fact, her whole product line is inspired by her love for juicing. She designed her products to benefit the skin the same way juicing does the body (goodness in, toxins out).
After some light extractions and a few minutes under the LED lights, my skin was seriously glowing and felt so soft. She wanted to make sure I kept up the maintenance and asked me if I was exfoliating at home, to which I fessed up and said “not really.” She told me wash my face only with water in the morning and to do some light exfoliating at night. She sent me off with a sample of her Exfoliating Milk Cleanser. I’ve been following the regimen religiously, and now, after as little as a week, I feel such a difference in my skin. For once, it’s behaving…scars have lightened and I’ve experienced no breakouts since. The mixture of exfoliating and the cold weather has left my skin a little dry, but I’ve re-implemented some argan oil to smooth out those issues.
I love the holistic approach Cecilia uses: natural-based skincare coupled with updated technology (LED lights, micocurrent facials, ultrasonic therapy). Trust I’ll be back to the spa for more of Cecilia’s magic.
I highly recommend trying one of her treatments if you’re in NYC. To make an appointment, you can call (917) 596-5206. If you don’t live here though and can’t get to Cecilia yourself (sadness), I asked the skincare guru for her best DIY acne treatments. Luckily, she obliged! Check these out (and believe me, she knows her stuff!):
CECILIA’S HYDRATING MASK FOR ACNE PRONE SKIN
1/2 teaspoon raw honey
handful crushed blueberries
handful crushed red raspberries
1 scoop papaya
a few drops fresh lemon juice
*Mix ingredients together and apply to skin for 5 minutes, before rinsing with lukewarm water.
CECILIA’S BODY SCRUB FOR ACNE PRONE SKIN
1/4 cup raw organic cane sugar or fine brown sugar
1 cup grapeseed oil or sunflower seed oil
1/4 cup grated lemon peel (or the juice of half of a fresh lemon)
1-2 gel capsules of Vitamin E
2-3 drops of an essential oil of your choice (lavender or rosemary for calming, peppermint for invigorating, cinnamon for circulation, eucalyptus to kill bacteria/acne)
*Mix ingredients together, apply to skin and rub lightly in a circular motion. Rinse with water.
Are you big on facials? What are your biggest skin concerns?
Salon Info:
Cecilia Wong
215 Park Avenue South
Between 17th & 18th St
Suite 1304 (13th floor)
New York, NY 10003
(917) 596-5206
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Shy
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