Photo: MELISSA OSTROW
We may not be skincare experts quite yet, but we have gotten to the point where we expect more from a facial than just a pretty-smelling skin massage - and we're game to try just about anything. We love a good rubdown and absolutely require at least some semblance of pampering, but we'll take the satisfaction of, say, a face-numbing extraction session over the predictability of rose petals and aromatherapy mists any day. So when we heard that Jacquelyn's Waterfront Day Spa (107 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, 617.367.1389) was testing two new facial treatments that promised to blend elements of Eastern medicine with the level of service we've come to expect from the spa, we had to dig deeper.
The De-Stressing Acupuncture Facial ($135/75 minutes) and the Reiki Facial ($145/75 minutes), both available now, off-menu, are due to hit Jacquelyn's "official" list of spa services this July. The result of owner Jacquelyn Ezzell's partnership with Swiss-born holistic healer Barbara Dummermuth, the treatments speak to Ezzell's longtime interest in an Eastern approach to beauty and wellness, which was heightened after she was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year. "I immediately turned to alternative methods of treatment such as acupuncture and reiki," Ezzell explains. "And after experiencing such amazing results - not just to treat the cancer, but throughout my entire body - I was inspired to offer our clients the same opportunity in an environment they are already comfortable in."
Both treatments incorporate Jacquelyn's Hydration Facial, which preps skin with exfoliation, massage, and a moisture-rich mask, all of which are customized to the client's specific skin type. Once the esthetician begins the process, Dummermuth joins the treatment, integrating her skills in either acupuncture or reiki. Coupling traditional skincare with the alternative therapy makes for a unique experience: Dummermuth explains, "The focus with our facial is Jacquelyn or any of the practitioners here giving [the client] massages and cleaning from the outside in, and I work from the inside out."
Acupuncture is well suited for specific skin ailments, Dummermuth says. Targeted treatment comes via the insertion of needles into corresponding points on the body - but before you picture a face full of pins, keep in mind that Dummermuth doesn't have to treat the face directly in order to affect the facial skin. Acupuncture, she explains, works with the body's network of microsystems: "I treat the face from distal points.... I work from a distance, which will influence the body as much as when I would with work on a face." After Dummermuth determines which areas need work and inserts the needles, the Hydration Facial continues above the shoulders.
Reiki, however, is a more holistic treatment. Dummermuth likens the causes of symptoms within the body to stones that sit atop a garden hose, hampering its water flow. "What you do with reiki," she clarifies, "is you find those blockages." By putting her hands on the client, she says she's able to break up and move the blockage, which could be manifesting itself on the face. The goal of the treatment is to achieve harmony within the body as a whole; additional effects are said to include increased blood circulation - which, in turn, shows its effects on the skin.
While the two treatments' effects on the face may not be as evident right out of the treatment room as a shot of Botox would be, Dummermuth is confident in her ability to treat problems as diverse as oily skin, acne, dry or peeling skin, rosacea, and even just a lack of healthy glow. (Hell, we aren't quite ready to go under that kind of needle, anyway.) Acupuncture and reiki may also help alleviate ailments in other parts of the body - aches and pains, digestive issues, cramps, heartburn, and more.
And healing comes from all angles: both acupuncture and reiki affect many clients on an emotional level, too. The touch of the two practitioners can increase the treatments' soothing nature, and the sense of relaxation with which most guests return to "real life" can contribute to that overall sense of well-being. "When you feel mentally better," Dummermuth asserts, "it will show physically." Sounds like 75 minutes well spent to us.
