Tried and tested: Skin Laundry Abu Dhabi

Stunning skin has a new address…

The skincare fiends of Dubai most definitely know about Skin Laundry, an American-born brand of skin science and technology that is one of the best in the game. Skin Laundry in Dubai has been the resident choice of skin clinic for many for many years, and now, dwellers of the capital can also avail their state-of-the-art services for there is now a Skin Laundry Abu Dhabi.

The space

Located on the Al Qana waterfront, the clinic has a prime, peaceful location, somewhere you would go to switch off and get pampered. Keeping up with the theme and the messaging, the space itself is clean, bright, minimalist and airy, filled with white, wood and sunny corners. It sets the tone of your visit right away – you’re here to recharge, revitalise and transform your skin. That is the promise.

I arrived for my appointment on a hot morning, and instantly felt relaxed as soon as I stepped inside. Of course, the air conditioning is a little bit of that, but the interiors are light and easy on the eyes and that makes all the difference.

The face

I was booked in for the Ultimate Glow Facial, which consists of their signature YAG Laser and a HydraFacial to follow, priced at Dhs1,450. Before we began the treatment, I had a quick consultation with the dermatologist, who advised a course of action post my facial today. This is an exclusive service at the Abu Dhabi outpost called Skin Laundry+ – in addition to lasers and facials, two aesthetic dermatologists offer a variety of treatments such as HIFU, RF microneedling, skin boosters, botox, and fillers – essentially more invasive aesthetic treatments. Then we took some vitals and we were off to the facial room.

The whole process is quite relaxing – you can lie down and fall asleep, if you want, but my aesthetician walked me through all the steps and explained each bit carefully. The laser pen was painful, but not unbearable. More like tiny needle pricks than anything. That lasted for about 10 minutes, with about five rounds and then we went on the HydraFacial.

The HydraFacial has five steps – lymphatic drainage, exfoliation, extraction, hydration and calming LED blue & red light therapy. Every step makes use of high-end tools, including the extraction, which I liked very much. Manual extractors are almost always tear-inducing, but the machine made it mush easier and pain free. Generally, there is no or minimal pain, so if you’re looking for something easy and laidback with great results, this is the one for you.

The after

Essentially, no downtime is expected after the facial and you just have to take the usual precautions – don’t wash your face for three hours, stay out of direct sunlight and wear sun protection (very important). Results are almost instant and you’re left with a healthy glow that develops over time.

Overall, my experience was very pleasant, very welcoming and I’d definitely go back – the staff is wonderful and courteous, and quick to answer any questions you might have about the processes, and of course, the services themselves are properly scientific and based on the anatomy of skin.

Skin Laundry, Al Qana, Abu Dhabi, daily, 10am to 10pm, Tel: (0) 52 420 1557, @skinlaundrymena