Lady LUX

A gemstone facial. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Powdered gems in my pores? The rose quartz facial at Spa Gregorie’s, though, turned out to be a great, quick way to pamper my face and rejuvenate my skin. The 30-minute facial harnesses the natural healing power of rose quartz stones, and includes cleanser, scrub, mineral mask and aromatherapy. By the end, I was very impressed.

I entered the salon hesitantly. With the exception of a manicure, I’ve never had a true spa experience. Wandering through the maze of fancy rooms to the “Quiet Room,” I was surrounded by elegance. The plethora of candles and serenading soft music made me want to drift off to sleep. As I feasted on free trail mix and knocked back lemon-cucumber water, my expectations began to rise. A friendly blonde introduced herself as Sophia Parmenter, my esthetician, and led me to a private room where a bed was waiting. I crawled on top and waited for the experience to begin.

Rose quartz, Sophia informed me, is known as the love stone. Spa owner Angela Cortwright is always on the lookout for the new modalities, and discovered that this stone is known for its healing and energizing powers. When beauty product company Epicuren released its aromatherapy line, Sophia and Angela seized the chance to pair the aromatherapy with the quartz stone. The gemstone facial, offered exclusively at Spa Gregorie's Southern California locations, was born.

The facial begins with a deep cleaning using an apricot cream cleanser, followed by exfoliating with a scrub of apricot and walnut shells, which contain spherical cells that gently lift away dead skin cells.

Next Sophia sprayed an aromatherapy mist in the air, full of invigorating hibiscus and coconut fragrances, and explained that aromatherapy is the use of a plant or flower’s natural aromas to enhance the mind, body and spirit. The pleasant scent washed over me and I deeply breathed it in, utterly refreshed.

“There’s something about scent, and it has the power to affect people on so many levels,” Sophia, who has been at Spa Gregorie's for 10 years, explained. “Aromatherapy takes this one step further and is applied topically and this immediately is good for physical and psychological benefits.”

Finally it was time for the rose quartz stones. As Sophia gently moved the stones up and down my face and neck, they felt like ice cubes. Covered in olive leaf and jojoba oils, both high in antioxidants, the cold stones glided soothingly across my skin in a harmonic pattern while Sophia explained their purpose.

“The rose quartz stone is the stone of unconditional love that opens up the heart chakra to all forms of love,” she related, noting that it helps balance emotions and lower stress. “It can be romantic, self love, family love, and it is a very high-energy quartz, very soothing and happy.”

In gemstone philosophy, each stone has a meaning. Rose quartz has been used for thousands of years to attract love by being placed on the body, which opens up the chakras – our centers of spiritual energy. The facial, therefore, restores not just the skin, but also the mind and body.

Then it was time to hydrate. Sophia whipped out a paintbrush and spread a thick layer of hydrating mineral mask – containing copper, magnesium, zinc and aloe vera – to restore moisture to my skin. I could feel the moisture exploding in my pores. As the mask worked its magic, Sophia massaged my arms and hands. I was drifting away.

The final touch was an emulsion full of antioxidants, infused with cranberry and evening primrose oil to leave the skin soft.

Customers can also try the full-body Aroma Steam therapy, which involves lying in a capsule that feels like the inside of a steam room. I was too claustrophobic to try this out, but it did look enticing.

“When you are hydrated, your signs of aging are much less,” Sophia maintained. “If you are all dry and cracked in the snow and really cold and dehydrated, you really see your wrinkles, whereas if we keep everything moisturized and dewy and fresh, it appears better.”

Sophia recommends the facial once every four to six weeks. For those concerned about the price tag, Spa Gregorie's offers a skincredible skin facial club. Based on the concept of a gym membership, it costs $99 per month and includes one facial each month, plus two complete kits of products for home care annually.

“I think facials are last sometimes,” Sophia asserted. “People get their hair, their nails, but they always had to (struggle) to get that facial.”

Good quality ingredients, said Sophia, will guarantee results.

“Nowadays, there are products out there that have really been proven to really change the skin,” she said. “Ingredients are key. You can put things on your skin (but) if you are not using quality ingredients, you’re not going to see results.”

Well, she promised a difference and I personally saw one – for days. The gemstone facial seemed a bit far out, but I loved that my skin glowed on end!

Serving the community for more than a decade, Spa Gregorie’s is a luxury day spa with locations in Newport Beach, Rancho Santa Margarita and Del Mar that offers services such as massage, facials, waxing, manicures and pedicures, and body treatments. For more information, visit spagregories.com.

Would you ever try a rose quartz facial?

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