When my husband got home, he announced, “It smells good in here.”
Having not cooked or cleaned, I waited until he leaned in for a kiss.
“It’s you,” he realized, looking at me quizzically.
He was picking up on the lasting effects of the facial I had received a few hours prior at Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills — the Eco-Luxury Organic Facial featuring Ayuna skincare products.
This treatment did indeed dole out greater-than-average aromatherapy for a facial. Ayuna products, which are non-toxic and organic, promise both simplicity and results while relying on natural ingredients and scents.
While I’ve opted for non-toxic skincare for years, I am currently nursing, which means I have to continue avoiding certain high-performing ingredients and be extra careful about what I apply to my skin.
For example, the “peel” part of the facial did not rely on retinoids or an alpha-hydroxy acid. Instead, the facial employs Ayuna Oleo Essence, which is a self-proclaimed “first-ever high protein, cream-in-oil peel [that uses] alpha-amino acids instead of traditional alpha-hydroxy acids to deliver results that are as effective as traditional peels, but in a format that is safe and gentle on the skin.”
The combination of pregnancy and the pandemic has meant that not only have I had to keep it simple when it comes to my skincare — but I haven’t had a facial in nearly two years.
My aesthetician, Leah, made it worth my while to sample the six-part facial in her care at the Spa at Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. Small but mighty, the spa only recently resumed its facial program, and Leah was thrilled to be back, revitalizing skin and pampering clients.
Even though I technically could purchase the different Ayuna products and apply them at home, nothing replaces having an expert oversee the application, letting me marinate on the small things that make a facial so relaxing, from scents (such as chamomile essential oil and citrus water) to feelings (the warm towels on my skin, the cushy treatment bed and the various massages — face, foot, hand and neck — I received while the ingredients were working their magic).
Leah also added tech tools to elevate the application, such as an ultrasonic spatula for gentle extractions, followed by a healing LED light. She also veered off script in order to customize the treatment for my skin by adding a second mask which focused on hydration, something my skin desperately needed on that cold-weather day.
At the end of the facial, Leah beamed a smile as she produced a mirror: My skin was bright, glowing and firm — and free of any questionable or off-limit ingredients.
According to Leah, the facial was conceived just prior to the pandemic, but with its focus on pampering through organic, safe ingredients that clients can feel good about, now is a perfect time to give it a try.
The Details
Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills