Checking smartphones countless times, we don't want to miss a thing on social media. Similarly, we can't refrain from chatting and instagramming.
On the verge of digital addiction, we need to log off or shut down, take a break from the busy world, and reconnect with ourselves.
French beauty house Clarins encourages a digital detox through a new treatment, Ultra Relaxing Aroma Facial, available at Clarins Skin Spas, in various locations in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
The new facial features a combination of colour and music therapies as well as Ayurveda-inspired treatments, to achieve deep relaxation during the one-hour session (3,200 baht).
A treatment room at Clarins Skin Spa, Central Embassy.
A consultation will first identify special needs and the mood of the day, which will determine the colour therapy. Spa-goers will be asked to choose a colour -- energising yellow, orange or red; or relaxing green, blue or purple -- as the preferred lighting in the treatment room.
Customisation also looks at skin condition, to select a 100% natural face oil for Clarins' signature Aromaphytocare.
Dehydrated skin, for instance, will be revitalised by a blend of blue orchid extract, patchouli essential oil and hazelnut oil.
This Blue Orchid Treatment Oil pairs with a melting emulsion in the novel Plant Gold, another Aromaphytocare product used in the Ultra Relaxing Aroma Facial.
Founder Jacques Courtin-Clarins created the Aromaphytocare concept, which synergises aromatic essential oils with plant extracts to care for the skin and enhance well-being.
Courtin-Clarins actually studied medicine, but his education was halted by World War II. He changed paths by opening a beauty institute in Paris in 1954, and using his medical background to invent professional manual-massage techniques that became known as the "Clarins Touch".
The massage heritage merges with ancestral Ayurvedic principles for the "Ayuroma Touch" delivered by Clarins' therapist in the indulging digital detox facial.
In one of the key steps, three drops of the treatment oil is applied on the forehead, just above and between brows, followed by a facial massage.
The Ayuroma Touch targets the third-eye chakra and thymus.
This ritual is inspired by Shirodhara Therapy, whereby warm oil or other liquid is poured in a continuous stream over the third-eye chakra for a profoundly relaxing yet awakening treatment that stimulates a self-healing process.
Besides the forehead, the therapist also focuses on the thymus gland, located high in the chest, behind the breastbone and between lungs. An Ayurvedic hot stone is placed on the thymus, which is immediately affected by stress and negative thoughts. The "Ayuroma Touch" and the warm-oil massage will help release accumulated tension and balance vital energies.
The tension is associated with daily emotions, which over time leaves marks on the face. Thus the soothing massage with the skin-nourishing treatment oil also aims to promote a calm and relaxed face.
In the following step, the Plant Gold oil-emulsion is applied to revitalise the skin, before applying a detoxifying green clay mask. Another facial massage above the mask, using a hot stone, further targets tension.
The relaxation is amplified by scalp as well as neck and shoulder massages that also stimulate Ayurvedic marma energy points, believed to be a switch that reboots the body.
Tension in the wrists and hands, from using smartphones and computer keyboards, are also relieved through giving these body parts a massage along with acupressure.
All in all, the Ultra Relaxing Aroma Facial refreshes the body through engaging the five senses: smell, touch, hearing, sight and the taste of the herbal tea provided at the end of the pampering.
Clarins Skin Spas are located in Emporium, Paragon, Iconsiam, Central Embassy and CentralFestival Chiang Mai as well as Central Chidlom, Pinklao, Bangna and Lardprao.
