A Collection of Exceptional Stories, Tips, Recipes, and Memorable Moments from the Ladies and Gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton
There are plenty of anti-aging treatments offered at spas, but about 95 percent of them are for the sun-damaged spots and fine lines on the face. An Anti-Aging Body Treatment offered at The Ritz-Carlton, Doha suggests that skin from the neck down should get the same opportunity. That’s a reasonable enough conceit, considering how much our hands, as well as shoulders, arms and décolleté, are exposed to the sun — and how little time we (OK, I) dedicate to applying antioxidants and anti-agers all over. And while I’m pretty diligent about putting on sunscreen every day now, I wasn’t for the first 30 years of my life.
This treatment is meant for someone like me, confirms Kristin Leib, assistant spa director at The Ritz-Carlton, Doha. “It’s for those who have lost elasticity and firmness and would like to revitalize their skin.” Check. “It helps lighten hyper-pigmentation.” Check. “It reduces fine lines.” Not necessary yet, but it can’t hurt.
To get results, the spa employs what strikes me as a pretty unorthodox practice — it uses products made for the face to do the work usually handed off to body-care products, which typically cost less.
In this case, cost is no object. (That’s Doha for you.) Your body is coated with Natura Bissé powerhouse skin-care products, including the GlycoPeel exfoliant and the anti-aging serum Natura Bissé Inhibit-Dermafill that targets and fills in lines and wrinkles (and retails for about $400 an ounce). Dermafill has been a best-selling Botox-like substitute at department-store counters. I don’t know if I looked any younger for having this off-label use of quality skin care, but my skin looked more even (pinkish-red tones gone; chicken skin on the back of my arms less chicken-like) and the glycolic gave it a supple smoothness that I’d like to hold onto. Plus I like the idea that a creamy topical emulsion, instead of a needle, is working hard to forestall my wrinkling.
In between these two stages are a marine algae body wrap, which has the pull-push action of drawing out impurities while infusing and firming the skin with nourishing vitamins and minerals, and a walk-to shower (it’s not in the treatment room). The treatment ends with a short, light massage using a firming cream. (You’re getting the firming theme?)
“Most guests see immediate results of the treatment, with firmer skin and reduced fine lines in a matter of an hour,” says Leib, who cautions them to refrain from direct sunlight right away and to layer on the SPF, since newly revealed skin is susceptible to burning and, of course, sun damage. No worries on my part. From now on I’m coating myself in my face cream.