Well, hello there!
Sorry, I took a hiatus (if you noticed). I felt like weekly blogs were burning me out, and I was quickly running out of ideas. So I've decided to blog every other Monday. Quality over quantity, am I right?
So for the past few days I've been in New York with my boyfriend, who just graduated from his naval officer candidate school (yay!). We walked, we talked, we shopped, we ate. Along the way, however, I also decided to get a facial at Glowbar— the Drybar of skincare.
If you don't know, it's a chain in New York City, with locations in the Upper East Side, Tribeca, Union Square and Williamsburg. For $65 ($55 if you have a membership), you're offered a top-notch, customized 30-minute treatment. And no, it's not a spa facial. According to its website, it's "targeted treatment."
So, as you can imagine, I had to see for myself.
I went to the one in the UES and was assigned to a lovely esthetician Olivia. Here's how it went:
Starting with a cooling, lactic acid peel
Interestingly enough, I started my washing my own face at the adorable wash bar. There were plenty of freshly sanitized face towels and a selection of makeup removing cleansers.
Olivia then took a look at my makeup-free skin to determine I have slightly dehydrated skin. Because it's sensitive, we started with a light, lactic acid peel to address hyperpigmentation and my dead skin. It was only on for a handful of minutes before she gently cleaned it off and massaged my face.
Extracting my pimples— the professional way.
Lucky for me, I had a massive zit right in the middle of my eyebrows. How convenient!
But even better, Olivia was able to extract it— along with some other closed comedones.
So I usually pop my own pimples at home. The difference at these types of professional facilities is that she used a high frequency wand afterwards— with argon gas to reduce inflammation and fight acne-causing bacteria (apparently). It's a great post pimple popping treatment, so that the popped zit won't be as inflamed.
Did it hurt? Not exactly, but it definitely felt like a zap. It kind of tingled, like the lightest shock.
Red light/Blue light LED mask
One issue I constantly battle is hyperpigmentation: After a zit pops or even subsides on its own, I'm left with a red scar, lingering for weeks. That's why Olivia recommended we end our session with a red and blue light LED mask, which is supposed to help with scarring and dark spots.
My final thoughts
Well, I wish Glowbar was everywhere in the U.S., because it was such a therapeutic experience. Would I do this every week? Probably not. But for $65, I think it's definitely worth the occasional splurge for a monthly, self-care day.
It isn't legendary skincare. But the massages, the facials, the treatments — all of it was so relaxing and fun. I wouldn't go just for the products, but rather the experience. It could be a fun, daytime gals activity with your bestie, too!
My favorite part was undoubtedly the high frequency wand. I had never used one before, but Olivia reassured me it's not just a TikTok gimmick: the argon gas in the device actually works to address cystic pimples. It impressed me so much that I actually ended up buying my own on Amazon for $70. I've only used it a handful of times, but I'll provide a more detailed update for you all soon.
Thanks again for reading this far. I've missed blogging about skincare (it's been a busy few weeks)! But I'll see ya next next Monday for a blog about Tretinoin :)
Jenna
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