Hot & Cold: Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Facial

A Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance facial relaxes, invigorates

A daily skincare routine is essential for maintaining healthy-looking, fresh skin, but every once in awhile, we need to leave it to the professionals and get a facial treatment, as I have found.

With the arrival of the brisk winter weather, I went in search of a service that would not only promote hydration and anti-aging benefits but also exfoliate, brighten and even out my complexion. I found a facial that checked all of those boxes but with a slight twist: The Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Facial now includes hot and cold stone treatment.

Yes, it might sound bizarre, rubbing stones all over your face. But when you’re in the hands of Mylene Nine, an esthetician who has worked at About Faces Day Spa and Salon for more than 15 years, you let her do her thing. And believe me, I was happy that I did because this rejuvenating form of massage is, even more, calming on tense jaws than it is on the shoulders or back.  When I arrived for my treatment, I was immediately led to a clean, dimly lit room with calming meditative music quietly playing in the background.

After my skin was gently cleansed with a Caudalie foaming face wash and cleansing milk, Nine performed a deep exfoliation followed by a steam session.  The steam machine is used because it opens up the pores and helps loosen any buildup of dirt for a deeper cleanse as well as soften blackheads, making them easier to extract, she says.

After the extraction, Nine applied a detox oil to my face as well as a hydrating hand masque. Then she began expertly massaging small hot and cold stones across my jawline, cheeks, temples, brow bones, under-eye and chest. Generally, estheticians use stone treatments across the skin because they can drain excess fluids from the face, help skincare products better absorb into the skin and even combat wrinkles.

As for why Nine used both hot and cold stones? Hot stone massage expands blood vessels and, in doing so, helps to draw blood through the body and rid it of waste, she says, adding that the cold stones reduce inflammation and swelling, easing muscular injury and reinvigorating the body.

The facial ended with dual masks, one a glycolic peel and one an instant detox, that made my skin glow for days, along with a hydrating face and eye cream and just a few spritzes of a Caudalie beauty elixir.

While the stone treatment provided ultimate relaxation, Nine says the real beauty behind the facial is the powerful ingredients found in all Caudalie products, sourced directly from the Bordeaux vineyards in France.

The main ingredients include youth-protector elements such as Vine Resveratrol, an anti-aging product derived directly from the grapevine stalks that naturally intensifies the skin’s firmness, and Vine Viniferine, which has natural molecules to combat dark spots and act on skin radiance.

“They realized the sap on the grapevine had proven brightening effects when the people who were picking the grapes suddenly had good pigmentation on their hands and face. From there, a whole product line was created,” she says.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
All I can say is: After the treatment, my skin felt fantastic. I didn’t even realize how much tension I carried in my jaw until she ran the stones over it. The therapy also hydrated my skin intensely and helped with my discoloration and dark spots. I left feeling rested and radiant, and I would add this facial into my beauty routine in the future. $130, aboutfacesdayspa.com