It is believed that the body goes through internal changes every 7 years. I can attest to this, as my skin is completely different than it was just 7 years ago. I only had a few tiny white heads now and then and I could actually get away with little to no makeup.
To anyone that knows me well, knows that I’ve been battling skin issues like adult acne for a while. I tend to mask it well with makeup, but it’s been my biggest insecurity and I won’t be caught without it—even when I’m doing yoga! It’s only been in recent years and you name it, I’ve probably tried it. I noticed that cutting out dairy helps, but I have a weakness for pizza (hello, I’m a New Yorker!). As a result, I’m usually pretty wary of trying a new skin regimen, especially when it’s designed for aging skin. Somehow at my age I’m caught in between using drying products designed for teenagers and oily products targeted for older women.
Deborah, a representative for the Korean skin care line Sulwhasoo, invited me for a facial at Bergdorf Goodman to try out the line the other day. The brand has been around for 60+ years and was the first luxury herbal skincare line, made from natural ingredients from Korea that work from the inside-out, kind of like the philosophy of Eastern medicine like acupuncture. After years of battling with products that were stripping layers of my skin, I loved the idea that this would address the cause of my skin concerns.
She promised that she would find a combination for my skin type and after filling out a questionnaire about my skin and habits, it was concluded that the products would reduce any inflammation from existing breakouts while creating an even tone and targeting fine lines that are just starting to form.
After a recent breakout from trying new products, stress, eating pizza of course, and forgoing my usual juice in the morning for whatever pastry is offered at work, I was excited to try something that sounded so promising, though skeptical at the same time to try something that would aggravate it even more.
My aesthetician offered four scents to choose from, Ginseng, Pine, Apricot and Camellia, that would direct how she would conduct the facial. She told me to go based on instinct from what I smelled and I ended up choosing the one I would have thought I would like least, pine, which which meant I desired a more invigorating experience. She assured it would be relaxing at the same time.
She also offered me some green tea, which I thought had been sitting out too long, but I learned from her that green tea should actually be served at room temperature and only briefly steeped, as you can burn the fragile leaves and it’s more effective this way. I drank up and enjoyed a complimentary delicious macaron.
The facial itself was quite relaxing and while I was nervous that it was different from the facials I was used to (no steam or extractions), it felt incredibly gentle. My skin is extremely sensitive, so it was a bit red after and I asked for some tinted moisturizer after, which covered it all up.
We went over all of the products that are ideal for me and there were quite a few that sounded like they would help my skin in particular, but this is the first time I ever heard of a serum that is universal for all skin that unlocks skin’s protective barrier to help the other products work more effectively. Hey, if it works, I’ll try it.
They sent me home with a regimen of all of these products to try out for a week and Deborah told me to contact her if it wasn’t working out well. A few whiteheads seemed to surface after the facial and I was close to sending an email that I was scared to go further, but I decided to stick with it a bit longer. I’m glad I did because a week later, all signs of breakouts disappeared, my acne scars are fading, my pores actually appear smaller, my fine lines are hardly noticeable, my skin appears softer and glowing (according to the hubby), and overall it’s improved drastically in just a week!
PROS: smaller pores, smoother skin, natural, faded spots and lines, less breakouts
CONS: pricey, lots of products in regimen
Try these products out for yourself and go to Bergdorf to set up a consultation.