There are few things that bring on a more relaxed feeling than walking into a day spa. The calming music and the fragrant air let you know you’ve come to be looked after, be pampered and unwind.
La Bella Medispa in Kingston did not disappoint in any of these salon necessities when I visited for an advanced skin assessment, followed by a Dermaviduals signature facial.
Founded in 2008 in Parkes by Rebecca Miller, the Medispas have since popped up in Orange and most recently Kingston in 2017.
La Bella Medispas follow Rebecca’s vision to take clients on a journey of discovery, empowering and educating them in caring for their skin. She also wants the spas to deliver on offering customised advice and products for clients to ensure their skin receives exactly what it needs.
As I entered the spa I was greeted by the owner Rebecca and her lifelong friend – and owner of the Orange instalment – Carla Poole. You immediately know you are in good hands with their welcoming smiles and, of course, beautiful skin (as the saying goes never trust a skinny chef).
First thing for a client at La Bella is filling out some paperwork, akin to what you might do at a doctor’s office. This was when I received my first inkling that this was no regular day spa. I knew I was in for some serious skincare.
Carla explained to me they use the term Medispa to set themselves apart from your average day spa or salon. Clients are drawn to La Bella to be pampered, but many come to pinpoint what’s causing their skin problems and start the curing process.
The questions aren’t intrusive and are based on all the factors that affect your skin- think alcohol consumption, water intake and sun exposure. There are also items you might not have known had an impact, such as your gym routine, vitamin consumption and sleep pattern.
After the form was filled, Rebecca took me into a room which had a box that reminded me of what old school photographers stuck their heads in. Before using the box, Rebecca gave me a lesson about what can go wrong with skin and further, what a healthy skin looks like at a cellular level.
I’ve always felt good about my skin, though as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to notice a few extra lines and wrinkles. With so many products and services out there it’s hard to decide what you need. Are your late twenties too early to start applying anti-aging? What skin type do I even have?
Rebecca‘s passion for skincare and huge wealth of knowledge helped dispel these concerns I had, schooling me in the epidermis and other layers of your skin, the importance of vitamins and what to look out for in a skin care product (if it has preservatives or smells heavenly, walk away).
After the lesson you’re ready to start the skin analysis and stick your head in the shadow box to have some up close and personal photos taken of your skin.
The whole process takes less than five minutes and lets the beauty therapists at La Bella determine what type of skin you have and how best to fix any problems. After the analysis, Rebecca showed me the results in the form of different sets of photos; normal, UV, and finally a photo depicting what my skin may look like if the problems aren’t corrected.
After analysing the photos Rebecca informed me I had diffused redness and sun damage around my nose and cheeks. She also advised me I had slightly raised skin caused by inflammation.
Rebecca told me that we need to forget about the familiar classifications we are used to when it comes to skin care. Current research shows that terms such as ’oily’, ‘dry’ and ‘combination’ may not adequately describe problematic skin.
After seeing and discussing the damage, it was time to enjoy the fun part; the healing process.
I had a Dermaviduals specialised facial starting off with an enzyme treatment and finished with a soothing algae mask. As the name suggests the mixture of lotions and oils were personalised to my specific needs and skin type determined from the analysis.
Overall, it was an incredibly relaxing experience, and one I will be coming back for in a month’s time with the addition of “Max + LED Light therapy”.
I walked away from my first La Bella experience with increased knowledge of how to look after my skin, an individual treatment and product plan, as well as a cleansing milk and a face cream customised to my skins needs.
La Bella Medispas also offer a range of beauty services for both men and women including massage, waxing, makeup application and tanning.
If you really want to spoil someone (or yourself), La Bella has an assortment of luxurious body treatments including a delicious honey body wrap and indulgence and tranquility spa packages.
