Beauty: Hydropeptide facial Abu Dhabi
Late last year I wrote about my one of a kind experience at the newly opened Rossano Ferretti Hair Spa in Abu Dhabi, and on hearing that they were launching a facial first for Abu Dhabi with the Hydropeptide facial, I was keen to go along and try it out.
It's easy to fall in love with this place, it's just so beautiful and far beyond appearances, they've really thought of everything to make sure the service is just about perfect. The treatment rooms are stylish and simple but luxurious in their feel, and the beds are very comfortable - a detail that is often overlooked outside of the five star hotels, I've found.
Every facial (and massage) at Rossano Ferretti Hair Spa also starts with a relaxing foot scrub, something that is just unbelievably relaxing. The warm water and delicate scent of lavender really helps to set the tone for the treatment, and I found myself melting into the chair and able to switch off without really thinking about it. And I'm really not exaggerating here - the foot scrub is a bit of a magical moment, you'll just have to take my word for it! It's such a seemingly small detail, but one that really makes a noticeable difference to the quality of the treatment, and this attention to detail probably sums up the ethos of Rossano Ferretti Hair Spa. It really is the small things that make a big difference.
The Hydropeptide brand itself is a multi-award winner and celebrity favourite and has been developed with anti-ageing in mind, where each product uses peptides to plump the skin and combat individual concerns. Peptides, in case you're wondering as I was, are made up of amino acids and when these are combined in certain formations they create peptides and when peptides are formed, they make proteins. Of course proteins are vital for healthy skin, so without peptides the usual skin degradation occurs over time with wrinkles, loss of firmness and so on. And that's where Hydropeptide products come in, each product from the range (even cleanser!) is packed with peptides to help maintain (or resurrect!) needy skin.
The facial itself was a fabulous experience - gentle, relaxing and luxurious, it was certainly a wonderful way to spend an hour! I had chosen the Deep Clean Facial as my skin was suffering a bit from the overindulgence of the festive period, and although there was no steam or extraction, the process simply involved a series of cleanse, scrubs, masks and serum applications, my skin felt very soft afterwards and certainly appeared noticeably less clogged, along with being much brighter and less tired looking (so that's a win!).
I was told that the after-facial glow effect lasts up to 10 days, though it can be extended for longer by continuing to use the Hydropeptide products at home. These kind of claims always make me a little uncomfortable as they usually involve a substantial overhaul of your current beauty products and routine, but armed with a number of samples from the range I was keen to try it out and see what happened.
Firstly, I was surprised at how long the samples lasted and how little of the product I actually needed to use, with many of the tiny 1ml sachets lasting several days. The fragrance of the products is fresh and citrussy which was pleasant enough and using them did seem to keep my skin brighter for longer. If I'm really honest I can't say I noticed much difference in the appearance of any fine lines, but my skin was definitely glowing and much healthier looking than normal, an effect in itself which made me feel more spritely and youthful!
Hydropeptide facials are recommended every two weeks which does seem a little high maintenance for my liking, but I'd definitely go back again just for the experience in itself (you've really go to try it!), and I'd also certainly think about grabbing one in advance of a special event to get that impressive glow back!