Blame it on the Oscars, but we couldn't resist trying a trendy 'red carpet' facial
Our beauty editor shares her verdict on the iS Clinical Fire & Ice Facial, which is said to be a fave with Hollywood celebs
The iS Clinical Fire & Ice Facial has been dubbed the "red carpet" facial as it's said to be the go-to treatment for celebs wanting to attain an instant glow before big events.
iS Clinical is a brand known for using botanically based and pharmaceutical-grade ingredients in its products. This includes the Intensive Resurfacing and Rejuvenating Masques, which are the stars of this treatment. The first creates a warming sensation when applied to the skin, the latter a cooling one, hence the name Fire & Ice Facial.
Intrigued, I headed to Lueur House in Sandton, Joburg, to try it myself:
Why try a ‘red carpet’ facial?
The main aim of this treatment is to rejuvenate, resurface and refine the skin with a chemical exfoliation, and to provide it with a boost of intense hydration. The treatment requires little-to-no downtime, and what’s even better, is that it's meant to give you an instant glow.
It is safe to use on darker skin tones and does not produce any post-inflammatory pigmentation.
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Repeat treatments promise to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, even out skin tone and gradually fade away blemishes.
How much does it cost?
A 45-minute iS Clinical Fire & Ice Facial costs R890.
What happened during my treatment?
First, the skin is cleansed using a Cleansing Complex. The therapist may use a steaming machine over the skin while cleansing as an optional add-on.
Next is the Fire part of the facial. An Intensive Resurfacing Masque is used to resurface the skin; it contains active ingredients such as green tea extract, glycolic acid from sugar cane extract, vitamin A and B3.
This masque is left on for 3-5 minutes and you can expect to feel a slight warmth or tingling, as it is naturally heat-inducing to boost blood circulation. You’ll also smell a cinnamon scent reminiscent of a fireball sweet.
Your therapist will ask you to rate this tingling sensation on a scale of 1-10. It’s very important to be honest when you do so, as this allows them to gauge whether what you’re feeling is normal, or if you might be having an adverse sensitive reaction, in which case it’ll be removed immediately.
During my experience, the tingling built up to an intensity of about 3/10 and remained consistent for the rest of the time.
The skin is cleansed again to remove the Resurfacing Masque and neutralise it. There’s a feeling of relief, but expect the tingling to spike in intensity as it’s being washed off — this is completely normal, but I did experience a little discomfort momentarily.
Next comes the Ice part of the facial. A soothing, antioxidant-rich cooling gel Rejuvenating Masque containing hyaluronic acid, aloe leaf juice, grapeseed, liquorice and green tea leaf extract is applied for 5-10 minutes.
This calming masque feels glorious on the skin as it immediately stops all that tingling and warmth. You’ll also smell a very light menthol-like peppermint scent as it’s applied, but it’s not overwhelming at all.
The therapist will then apply a Pro-Heal Serum, Hydra-cool Serum, Youth Eye Complex and an SPF to finish.
Is any aftercare required?
Even though it’s not mandatory, it is advised to avoid cleansing your face after having this treatment to allow the skin to reap the full benefits of all the products that have been applied.
You can cleanse your skin the next day with your normal skincare products. Make sure to apply SPF daily to ensure your skin is protected from UV exposure.
What are the results like?
The glow you'll have after this facial is unreal. My skin looked brighter, and the texture felt softer, more refined and plumper.
As you can apply make-up immediately after this facial, it’s the perfect treat to have before big events or a special occasion.
On that note, it also made applying make-up a dream; I found the instant glow it provided made my foundation look more luminous and smoother.
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