AesthetiQ Wellness and Spa, a brand that was launched in December last year, currently has 11 clinics all over Luzon and claims to offer an “unparalleled wellness experience.” The spa says that it’s especially proudto have seasoned dermatologistson staff,and for using technologies developed in South Korea, Spain, and Israel.
Here’s the thing, though — skin clinics and spas in Manila are almost as ubiquitous as Jollibee in this city,and it becomeshard to differentiate one spa’s services from the other.
What makes this one different or worthschleppingto?
We were invited for a media preview recently, though — and so, schlepped I did, over to their clinic in Visayas Ave., Quezon City, to check out the space and the services.
The modestly-sized clinic was located on the first floor of a buildingthat was quiteeasy to find, although its exterior was pretty plain. Inside, it was mostly a palette of browns and off-white shades, which isn’t particularly posh, but does give off a sense of calm.
There was a comfy couchplaced near the entrance for guests to idle. Inside, the clinic was subdivided into several treatment rooms. Some of the rooms had two beds, meaning two customers can have treatments at the same time. Lying down in close contact with a stranger may not be ideal for some people, but it’s a common practice in Manila where clinics want to maximize their space and cater to as many customers as possible.
Wehad been given a menu of skin treatments prior to the visit, and in making my choice, I had to consider that this would be my second facial that month(I’d had adiamond peel two weeks prior). However, once inside the clinic, I was told that I’d need to have my skin analyzed by an esthetician first to see what was appropriate for the condition it was in.
Why would you ask peoplewhat treatment they want,if you won’t necessarily give it to them?, I wondered.
Later, I learned from co-founder Ronald Guerrero, that the spa doesn’t believe in simply doing whatever’s needed for them tomake a buck.A lot of people come in with preferences without really understanding what’s best for their skin, but the specialists on staff can help with that andmake sure that the treatment they get is what the customer’s skin really needs.
Fair enough.
During the analysis, the facialist said there were some small congestions in different parts of my face, with many of them on the forehead, near the scalp. There were a few lines underneath my eyes, but she said that generally, my skin looked young and well-hydrated for my age (win!). But, my nose was dotted with tiny blackheads, which has been a recurring problem since Iwas atween.
The consultant said that because my skin was in pretty good condition, all I needed were the “Peel and Protect” (PHP300/ US$ 5.77) and “Cryo Eye” (PHP4,500/US$86.53) treatments. She explained that thefirst is a Korean-made technology that removes dead skin cells and lightens one’s complexion. According to AesthetiQ’s brochure, it improves “the laxity and texture” of the skin, while minimizing fine lines and wrinkles.
I’minto a lot of anti-aging treatments, butfelta bit iffy about lightening my skin. But, OK, it took over an hour to get here, I’m feeling a bit low on energy, and she seems to know what she’s talking about.
So I surrenderedmyselfto the hands of the facialist, and to a masseuse who ended up giving me the best foot massage (PHP680/US$13.08) I’d ever experienced. She was the best part of the treatment, hands down. She was so intuitive. The lady knew which points to press hard on myweary feet, and which areas to simply just massage gently. It was thanks to her work that I fell asleep 30 minutes into the treatment and only woke up when comedones werebeing removed from my face.
Unlike other facials, AesthetiQ’s treatment is gentle and I give them major props for that. There was some light pain from the pricking, but otherwise, the pain was manageable. I’ve had facials before where I ended up crying from the facialists’ heavy-handed treatment, but AesthetiQ’s staff treated my skin with a lot of kindness.
After the facialist was done with Peel and Protect, she gently pressed two cold metal instruments underneath my eyes. It was the Cryo Eye, and it felt really good. It was like having two ice cubes applied on your face, which made the treatment even more relaxing.
When the treatment was done, the staff told me that the dark circles underneath my eyes had lightened. I think it did,too, but the change might have been so minimal that I couldn’t really tell.
But that was OK. What I was most concerned about was that despite the treatment — again, the second facial I had in less than a month — there were still numerous blackheads on my nose.
My skin was soft, and the comedones near my scalp were gone, but Iwas really counting on them to remove the impurities from my nose since they pointed out that there were a lot. Perhaps multiple sessions with them would remove these pesky blackheads, but it’s really hard to say unless I do that.
Generally, though, I found the facial enjoyable— it’s the kind of combo skin treatment and spa relaxation session that harried Filipinos looking to decompress and forget their worries — if only for an hour — would definitely appreciate. I also like how professional, knowledgeable, and patient their staff is and how calm the environment is. I’ve previously been in one facial clinic were the staff were listening to the radio at an ear-splitting volume but at AesthetiQ patients could barely hear the busy Quezon City traffic outside its doors.
If you have the time and cash to burn, it’s definitely worth checking out their branches to experience some pampering and skin-enhancing treatments, too.
FIND IT:
AesthetiQ Wellness and Spa
Quezon City
33 Visayas Ave., Jade Place, Quezon City
Open from Monday to Saturday, 10am–9pm; Sunday, 10 am–7pm
Phone: +63 29205766, +63 2882579, or +639985936201
Marilao, Bulacan
2nd floor SM City Marilao, Bulacan
Open from Monday to Sunday,10am–9pm
Phone: +6344 7113273, +6344 9139315, or +639985936202
Malolos, Bulacan
3rd floor Robinsons Place Malolos, Bulacan
Open Monday to Sunday, 10am– 9pm
Phone: +6344 7949090, +63 9985936203
