I have never played with my skin. My nickname at boarding school was Venus di Milo, thanks to my love affair with cocoa butter. Unfortunately, though, a girl gets busy, and I have not been able to do more than “cleanse, tone, and moisturise” for the last year, which we all know is just not going to cut it.

I have just come out of the other side of a distressing battle with adult acne and all the resulting scarring. As an aside, the evils of what women do to our bodies in the name of birth control is another article. It has taken at least three years for my body to detox, and I will not pretend that all the side effects are reversible.

In summary, it’s brutal and inhumane, and if men had to do the same to their bodies, we would all be running around with 15 children each! This year, my birthday present from my work colleagues was the Gold Package Spa Day at Dermaspace Esthetic and Wellness Centre.

To say I was looking forward to some pampering would be the understatement of the century. I took the day off of work and hied myself off to their Victoria Island location.

My sincere compliments to the owners because their commitment to creating a peaceful, beautiful space was unwavering. They clearly have a loyal following, as the waiting room was busy the whole time I was there.

I was scheduled for a full body scrub, a massage, a facial and a pedicure, so I started with the pore-opening session in the steam room. I was pleasantly surprised to be led into a whole wet room, not the usual poky shower booth, where I ended up hacking up a lung and fleeing. After the steam, it was the full body scrub and a quick shower.

Then it was off to the masseuse, where I opted for a gentle massage. Life is tough enough these days, and I was not in the mood for the deep tissue massage, which the masseuse explained I might find a tad painful.

I was a limp noodle by the time she was done with me, and I must give her five stars for the extra care she took when dealing with my dodgy knee.

Next, a quick transfer to the next room for the facial. I was asked a few questions about my skin and problems, and I wish I could tell you more about what proceeded because, at this point, my body caved, and I fell asleep. I do remember the steam and some contraption that was used for extraction. I know the esthetician had to put her back into that because my skin was CONGESTED! My snoring woke me up, at which point I was led gently downstairs for my pedicure.

Washing my face the next day, it was easy to appreciate the effects of the facial. The results? Baby-smooth skin and a noticeable improvement to the overall texture.

They recommend massages and facials at least once a month. A good massage will help reduce stress, pain, muscle soreness, and circulation. If you are still not convinced, it has been proven to lower blood pressure.

This is, without a doubt, a habit I shall be reinstating.

Odun Ogunbiyi
Website | + posts

Odunayo Ogunbiyi is an ex pharmacist with a passion for food and pampering. Writing about her exploits wherever in the world she may find herself is just her way of staying sane in this zany world.