It’s no secret the holiday season is one of the most stressful times of the year. While you’re checking gifts off your list, why not treat yourself to a spa visit?
Located off Route 92 in Fayetteville, La Fleur de Beauté opened in October 1993. Sandra Rabe, part-owner and esthetician, says their most popular services are full body massages, manicures, pedicures, microdermabrasions, waxing and the European facial. I opted for the facial.
The benefits are numerous. I was initially drawn to the relaxation aspect, but Rabe says getting a facial every four to six weeks can help clean, hydrate and exfoliate your skin, and is much like going to the dentist to get your teeth cleaned.
“The dermis is made up of multiple layers and the top layer does exfoliate, so you do need to exfoliate some of the layers to get your moisturizer and your products to penetrate your skin,” she says. “To help maintain your skin, facials keep you very healthy because you’re turning the cells over.”
“Your skin is your largest organ,” she adds, “So it’s important that you take care of it.”
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m the kind of person who thinks a face mask from Target is luxurious, so this was a new experience for me. Going into my appointment, I had images dancing through my head of face masks and cucumbers over my eyes, but my experience was nothing like that. It was better.
Rabe says the La Fleur de Beauté facial was designed around experiences the owners had at other spas. The esthetician began by massaging my hands and feet with moisturizer and placing them into heated mitts, instantly putting my body and mind at ease. That was followed by a skin cleansing (with a brush) and analysis, where the esthetician identified my skin type and asked me questions about my skincare routine (I learned that I have been using the wrong kind of facial cleanser). The products used during the rest of the facial were based on my skin type.
Next, the esthetician gave me a facial massage under steam – Rabe says this helps stimulate the skin. After a few minutes relaxing in the steam that was followed by extractions and a neck, shoulder and face massage. The final step was a custom mask. I had two different kinds: The lower half of my face had a clay mask designed to draw out impurities, while the upper half had a nutrient mask which reduces redness. There was acoustic music and nature sounds playing in the background throughout, making it impossible not to relax.
Rabe also recommends a peel for those who are new to facials (there are several options available as add-ons at La Fleur de Beauté). I had an enzyme peel during the steaming process. The entire thing took less than an hour and I left feeling relaxed.
I’ll be honest: my skin was a little irritated for a few days, but about a week post-facial, it looked the best it has in years. Who knows, I may have found a new skin care routine.
La Fleur de Beauté
A Day Spa
Location
6900 Highbridge Rd., Fayetteville.
Hours
Tues. – Thurs. 10:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Fri. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sat. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
More information
lafleurdayspa.com
