Spending time with: Romy Grbic of redox Facials + Beauty
Last month I was lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Romy
Grbic of Jervois Road’s redox Facials + Beauty, one of the most enthusiastic
and passionate therapists I have met in a long time. She absolutely exudes a
love for what she does, and her passion is definitely infectious.
The self described “beauty alchemist" qualified as a
beauty therapist in 2007 and since then has worked in many areas of the beauty
industry including managing a spa on Waiheke Island, contributing to many
magazines with articles on beauty and health and working in clinic in both
Auckland and Melbourne. She is also a Clinical Nutritionist, graduating with
top in her class from Wellpark College in 2014 after completing a two-year
diploma in Clinical Nutrition.
The redox holistic facials are her specialty, always bespoke
and designed for what your skin, body and mind need on the day. “I believe that
beauty shines through and shows on the outside only when we have a healthy
inside,” says Grbic. “Stress, improper diet and skincare regime, and lifestyle
choices all show through your skin, and some choices dull our beauty where
others nourish it.”
She uses a range of organic, biodynamic and natural skincare
products on clients depending on their needs, including Tailor
skincare, The Beauty Elixir and A.E.O.S (pictured above). She also makes her own facemasks
using clays and superfood powders chosen to suit your skin conditions. “I’ve
been using essential oils and oil blends on my own skin for some time now,” she
says, “the idea of alchemy, alchemical skincare really resonates with me. I can
get some amazing results just using hemp seed oil blends to treat acne and
rosehip oils blends to alleviate dehydration, the possibilities are endless.”
“I’ve always loved the facial and skincare side of things,” adds
the radiant brunette, “and since studying nutrition have found that’s where my
passion lies.” She hasn’t given up on the more traditional side of beauty
therapy however, “as I still have loyal clients that come for waxing or gel polish
nails and I don’t want to let them down. I have the skills so why not offer to
help people out in that area too if I can?”
She was raised by a yoga teacher mum and says that a
holistic, earth friendly lifestyle was always around her as she was growing up.
It wasn’t til 2012 however that she decided to embark on qualifications as a
nutritionist, “and now I realise how entwined the two are. The condition of the
skin is directly informed by what is going on inside your body, and treating it
topically – even with amazing skincare – can only do so much.”
She offers a 90 minute Skin-Nutrition Consultation ($160) on
her treatment menu, but says that the majority of her consults begin with a
casual conversation. “Someone will be having their nails done and suddenly say
‘so I heard this thing about dairy…’ or ‘I’ve suddenly started getting
breakouts…’ and inevitably I’ll give them some advice. Sometimes that will lead
to them booking in for a proper consult and full nutrition programme, as well
an introduction to holistic and natural skincare.”
She talks about clients who have ongoing skin problems like
inflammation and rosacea who she had been giving facials to for some time, “and
I just had to stop them and say ‘look, we need to talk about why this is
happening to you’, because usually there is a deeply rooted problem that is
causing it. So much of what is happening to your skin begins in the gut, and
that’s always the best place to start.”
We talk about the guided meditation aspect that she offers
along with her facials, which she says has seen the number of bookings increase
exponentially. It is clearly something that people want and need more of in
their lives, and I love the fact that she offers a physical, relationship or
financial abundance option. I can highly recommend a combo of all three! The
Meditation Facial is a delicious 90 minutes long, and costs $150. Romy
describes it as “combining all aspects of inner and outer skincare, skin health
and wellness to instil a sense of true relaxation, calm and peace and leave you
floating out the door on a cloud of true bliss”. The Meditation Facial starts
with a 20-minute back massage, to ground you and allow you to truly relax from
the very start. Every aspect is bespoke, from the choice of products (from all
natural clays and oils to cosmeceutical Medik8) to the guided meditation,
which brings stillness to even the busiest of minds. “So many skin conditions
involve inflammation,” says Romy, “which can be largely caused by stress. Just
the act of having a facial will bring those stress levels down so you’re on the
right track already.”
She also offers the A.E.O.S Facial, which is 75 minutes long
and uses a brand I previously had no knowledge of. A.E.O.S stands for Active
Energised Organic Skincare and it’s a biodynamic skincare range aimed at
bringing balance to your skin by balancing your body’s energy. It also includes
a beautiful guided meditation that you can choose on the day, dependent on how
you are feeling and what you feel like you want to focus on at the time.
37 Jervois Road, Ponsonby
021 0224 9039
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