Introducing: The Louise Gray Skin Care Way

When I made an appointment to see Jasmine at the newly opened Louise Gray Skin Care on Ponsonby Road my skin was in dire need of some TLC. It was immediately post-Christmas holidays and a few long and lazy weeks of a little too much sun, Chardonnay and what I like to call “extreme eating” had most definitely taken its toll. I was determined to start the year on the right foot though, and a 75-minute treatment at the hands of the talented South Afrian-born therapist was destined to be just that. It was also a Sunday, which is my favourite day for a treatment - nowhere to go, no make up to wear! It’s the one day of the week that sees many spas and the like shut for business at a time when many of us can actually spare a few hours to really pamper ourselves, which is a huge shame. Lucky for us then that Louise Gray and her team are there to help.
Louise Gray Skin Care has a unique approach to beauty therapy in that there is no prefabricated selection of services on offer – each treatment is totally customised to your lifestyle and your skin’s needs, using dermalogica products and only after a highly detailed consultation. The treatment you’ll then receive will focus on “ensuring maximum benefits, optimal skin health and complete relaxation”, and mine was no different. The perfect mix of high performance and “feelgood” facial, it included a double cleanse, dermalogica face mapping (a thorough examination of the 14 sections of the face), electronic modalities, a treatment masque and the most deliciously relaxing pressure point face massage that I’ve experienced in a long time. If you have some extra time you can even further customise your treatment with one of their “touch therapies” – a back massage, foot massage etc. - for 15 minutes of extra attention where you want it most.
A factor unique to LGSC is the use of a bt-analyze machine - a hand held, battery operated moisture analysis meter that utilises bioelectric impedance technology with a skin membrane sensor. When placed on the skin, a low level of electrical current is used to measure the conductivity, resistance, and the time in which it takes to obtain the reading. These measurements are calculated against an internal database of statistics to determine the exact final numerical result, which is your skin’s hydration level. This can then be checked before and after your treatment, during which time mine doubled in several key areas. The clever little device means you can actually see whether or not your treatment worked – a factor that is vital when you’re time poor or even when funds are tight and you’ve scrimped and saved in order to give yourself a bit of a treat.
Speaking of time poor, the talented team at LGSC also offer dermalogica’s Microzone “quick fix” treatments that give you skin solutions in 20 minutes. They cost just $50.00 and include flash exfoliation (to resurface, smooth and brighten), hydration (to revitalise dull thirsty skin), age management (a yummy firming vitamin infusion) and spot and blackhead relief for those in need. They also have special treatments targeting men’s skincare concerns.
Educated as well as pampered, I leave with great skin, a fabulous new attitude and a product recommendation that I’m gagging to try – the highly respected skincare brand’s Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque, which is part of their AGE smart range. Jasmine calls it “an ambulance in a tube”, and after a season in the sun that sounds like exactly what the doctor ordered!
*this article first appeared in the fabulous Ponsonby News, you can read it here.