After slogging through winter’s cold, harsh, and windy weather, your skin deserves some pampering. Try as you might to protect yourself, your skin is most likely a little worse for wear, so spring clean your face with these green beauty products, facials, and treatments to start spring with a fresh, radiant complexion.
Laser Genesis Treatment at Vitahl Medical Aesthetics
Chicago’s new skincare secret, Vitahl Medical Aesthetics, opened in the West Loop last May. Their comprehensive skincare menu offers more than 20 different treatments customized for any skincare concerns. Compassionate aestheticians assess your skin and discuss your goals before suggesting the best course of action. The non-invasive Laser Genesis treatment helps minimize fine lines, wrinkles, pore size, and uneven texture after the winter season. There’s no downtime and you’re sure to get compliments that same day about your smooth skin and rosy glow. The laser feels like a gentle warming sensation and doesn’t hurt at all. It can get a little hot while going over hyperpigmented areas or problem spots, but there’s a cool tip to counteract the heat if you need it. Lead aesthetician Michelina Quaranta recommends it as a collagen booster for all skin types. “Our collagen starts breaking down in our 30s so Laser Genesis is a great anti-aging and preventative treatment,” she says.
Laser & Light Facial at Skin Laundry
With 15 national and international locations, including on Michigan Avenue inside Ulta, Skin Laundry offers quick, painless, and effective Laser & Light facials. The treatment takes just 15 minutes and is great regular maintenance for vaporizing dirt and bacteria while tightening and brightening. For spring cleaning, take this facial to the next level with a new activated charcoal peel enhancement. The 30-minute treatment deep cleans and exfoliates even more thoroughly than the traditional laser and light facial with the help of a carbon mask applied in a thin layer over the face. The carbon acts like a magnet to attract the YAG Laser to shatter and lift carbon particles, along with dead skin, dirt, and debris.
Sodashi Samadara Ultimate Age-Defying Facial at Naupaka Spa & Wellness Centre
At the expansive Naupaka Spa & Wellness Centre at Four Seasons Resort O’ahu at Ko Olina, the most luxurious skin treatment is the Sodashi Samadara Ultimate Age-Defying facial. “Transitioning between seasons is always hard, especially for people on the go,” says Shawn Hallum, director of spa and wellness. “The plant-based products in this facial bring out what your body needs most.” The 110-minute treatment embraces elements of Ayurveda and aromatherapy to create an experience that’s both relaxing and naturally powerful with pure botanical extracts. Sodashi’s holistic approach to skincare believes not only in treating skin topically, but also healing from within. Rose quartz, a crystal of compassion and love, is used in a gentle facial massage followed by a heated thermal mask that helps the cocktail of potent products penetrate more deeply into the skin.
Kiehl’s Face Masks
Celeb favorite Kiehl’s has just launched two new face masks, including its first sheet mask, a blend of three cold-pressed oils from the Brazilian Amazon. The Instant Renewal Concentrate Mask promises brighter, softer skin in just 10 minutes with these lightweight oils. Face masks are a great way to heal skin and give your cells a boost between seasons. Kiehl’s second new mask is an overnight mask that can be used up to five times a week for intense hydration without clogging pores. For a product that gives back, the Ginger Leaf & Hibiscus Firming Mask also benefits female farmers of Hoa Binh, Vietnam, where the ginger leaf is sourced. Kiehl’s is providing the 14 women who collect the ginger leaves with education and new tools for safer, more efficient farming.
Primally Pure Geranium Complexion Mist and Blue Tansy Beauty Cream
Primally Pure is committed to producing skincare products with a short list of organic and 100 percent natural ingredients including tallow from grass-fed cows (sorry vegans!), therapeutic-grade essential oils, and locally sourced hydrosols. After several cold, dry winter months, the uplifting Geranium Complexion Mist is a hydrating favorite to spritz on throughout the day. “Geranium has powerful regenerative properties and increases skin cell turnover to reveal brighter, more hydrated skin,” says founder Bethany McDaniel. A fruity and floral Blue Tansy Beauty Cream is another unique product, with just five ingredients, that’s practically spring in a bottle. The bright blue hue is thanks to high concentrations of azulene, which combats inflammation, calms irritations, and soothes skin conditions.
AVYA Skincare Signature Line
Another great botanic formula that keeps it simple, AVYA offers one signature line that works for all skin tones and types. “Your skin tends to hibernate and stress in winter,” founder Deepika Vyas says. “So spring is the perfect time to wake it up with products that provide structural hydration at the molecular level.” In addition to fighting aging and wrinkles, AVYA focuses on stabilizing melanin to even out skin tone, while hydrating, protecting, and accelerating cell turnover. An exclusive peony, turmeric, and neem complex delivers ample antioxidants to boost radiance. “Peony has brightening properties, turmeric stimulates the body’s own antioxidant enzymes, and neem provides exfoliation and anti-bacterial protection.”
Feature photo by Savs on Unsplash.
Amber Gibson spends 340 nights a year in hotels searching for the latest and greatest in the travel industry. Her writing and photographs have appeared in print, online, and on the radio for outlets including Four Seasons Magazine, NPR, Saveur, Departures, Rhapsody, Hemispheres, American Way, Private Air, Wine Folly, Plate, Chicago Magazine, Tasting Table, and Serious Eats. She graduated as valedictorian from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and received a fellowship to attend the 2017 Wine Writers Symposium at Meadowood Napa Valley. Champagne, dark chocolate, and gelato are her biggest weaknesses. She also admires and supports CAASE in Chicago. Follow her adventures on Instagram and Twitter.
