Dermalogically tested
Abu Dhabi Week gets some damage control for our skin
The daily toll on our skin can have a long-lasting effect. With the scorching heat and air con at the max, prevention is certainly better than the cure.
Thankfully a little spot in downtown Abu Dhabi has the answer to all our skin sins. The Scientific Healthcare Skin Centre in Abu Dhabi is no salon or spa, but rather a tiny health haven with a team of skincare experts on hand to solve skin dilemmas and work towards a brighter, healthier complexion for you.
SHSC uses Dermalogica, a line of products and treatments that is probably the brand most respected by beauty experts worldwide. Created 25 years ago, the developers of Dermalogica had a clear vision – a product line which would improve skin health, that would be free of the common irritants and ingredients which can cause breakouts, and which is available only from qualified skin therapy professionals.
This sounds promising. Facial treatments at the SHSC start with a basic consultation – a sheet of tick-the box questions to assess your skin goals and find out your average skin care regime. Then it’s off to a small, candlelit room for the treatment.
A good 15 minutes is spent prepping the skin; make-up is removed and an assortment of various soft and luxurious creams are applied over the skin in a soft sweeping motion, then removed with gentle exfoliating sponges. The products are  all natural and smell fantastic – from a soft, cool cream that reminds us (rather oddly) of Mr Kipling cakes, to a mud-textured granule-laden cream that smells of nutmeg.
With a relaxing introduction into the treatment, it’s time to get to the nitty-gritty: identifying the problem areas. Unlike a regular facial, the Dermalogica approach means the therapist picks out the most suitable treatment for you. Under the scrutiny of the spotlight, errant pigmentation is identified as well as some rather dry and dehydrated areas; an Environmental Control treatment is in order.
SPF-rich products are soothed into the skin, as well as redness-reducing lotions and eye and lip creams to rehydrate dry skin. The most interesting part of the treatment involves a rather peculiar sensation; a flat metal spoon is rubbed over the face, sending a slight electric current through your skin. This is meant to help the creams sink deep into your skin – and also to lower the amount of sebum, a factor in causing spots.
A relaxing shoulder and neck massage help calm the mind and then the face mask is gently cleansed off. A final few moisturising creams are massaged in and left to absorb – and the treatment is complete, in the room at least.
Over a cup of green tea, the results are explained and solutions are advised. The tailor-made service is completed using Dermalogica’s skin mapping technique, a breakdown of specific facial zones to explain your skin’s condition.
A session at the Scientific Healthcare Skin Centre is the perfect way to kick-start a new good, caring skin care routine. With expert staff and a wealth of professional skin knowledge, you know that you – and your skin – are in very good hands. And for a whole 75 minutes of completely custom-made service, it’s really rather good value for money. Sometimes beauty is most definitely skin deep ...
What? Scientific Healthcare Skin Centre
Where? Hamdan Street, Tourist Club Area (behind Capital Hotel)
How much? AED 350 (face treatment plus neck and shoulder massage)
Why? Personalised, professional treatment using arguably the best-inclass products
Why not? It can turn into an expensive session; after a thorough and really rather good skin analysis, you’ll want to recreate the treatment with all the Dermalogica products at home
Rating:
Contact: 02 676 8740

[Caption] Personalised treatment

[Writer] Charlie Kennedy

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