Rayana cold stone facial
We’re rather wary of expensive facials but here’s one which comes close to being worth every penny you’ll pay. Rayana Spa’s cold stone facial is ideal for sensitive skin that’s prone to breaking out in hives and it’s also great for the summer.
The treatment decreases inflammation and muscle spasm while increasing muscle tone. And it employs the use of June Jacobs cooling facial products and a couple of rocks.
The treatment step by step
As with all good facials, this one starts with the usual process of make-up removal, cleanse, exfoliate and tone. Our cleanser was made of cooling cucumber, followed by exfoliation with mandarin polishing beads with granules. The toner was green tea and mandarin-infused. Noticing a pattern here? Our therapist, Nasreen smoothed a mandarin moisture mask onto our face, which was so delicate she was even able to use it around our eyes. When mixed with arnica complex serum and applied to the skin, the mask decreases your skin’s temperature, which makes it ideal for faces exposed to excessive sun. They will also soothe skin
which is prone to flare-ups and allergic reactions.
With our skin being the diva-tantrum throwing type, Nasreen was nice enough to mix in a little extra arnica serum. And while our face reaped the benefits of the mask, she gave us a delicious head massage which nearly had us dozing off.
Nasreen removed the mask with warm wet towels and then got right in there with the cucumber massage cream. She started with her hands and fingers, using sliding movements to stimulate circulation and enable drainage. This, we were told later, was the Rayana signature face massage which also targets the 14 shiatsu pressure points. Then the rocks came out.
These were green marble stones which had been stored in cold water since the dawn of time (so we’d like to believe). Nasreen prepared us for the worst before she put them against our face, but what followed was an anti-climax. We’d been anticipating an instant brain freeze which turned out not to be as cold after all. This anti-climax wasn’t necessarily a bad one, though.
The cold stones still felt great on our face as Nasreen used them to revisit every area she’d worked with her hands. The same muscles and pressure points were targeted and the movements were sliding and sweeping as, again, Nasreen worked on circulation, lifting and drainage.
After the massage, Nasreen prepared us for the road with some more products. She first used a neroli toner spray, which smelled fantastic, and then dabbed some cellular collagen eye serum around our peepers. This, we were told, was good for elasticity and it was followed by a brightening eye cream for the dark circles – of which we have many. These were followed by a protective moisturiser with SPF and, finally,
a lip renewal balm finished us off.
Pros
Rayana is always spot on with the little details that make your visit special. So even if you’re getting a facial, they’ll still give you that relaxing, welcome foot-wash which is a good opportunity to bond with your therapist while you begin the great unwind.
Cons
The price seems a little steep for a 90-minute facial, though UAE divas and frequent spa-goers will tell you this is standard considering the quality of products being used. Having said that, we’ve had treatments which cost a great deal more and amounted merely to an hour of getting a bit of cream slapped on. These had us feeling bored on the massage table and thoroughly swindled, which wasn’t the case at Rayana. In our opinion it was the signature massage and the indulgent way those products were applied which made Rayana’s treatment worthwhile.
The verdict
The session as a whole did wonders for our heat rashes and blotchy breakouts and it sent us home looking, refreshed, relaxed and baby-faced. We’ll definitely be going back to try this one again.
The 90-minute cold stone facial costs Dhs700 at Rayana Spa, Hyatt Capital Gate (02 596 1100).
