Skincare, the Dermalosophy way

The people who know me know that I’m probably one of the least kikay people on the planet. I only use makeup when I need to go into the office and wear contacts only when I’m in costume (as per XO Aids, “Walang Jedi na may glasses“).I finally caved and got my first facial and acne pricking last year – the acne just got so bad – but I had to stop about three months ago because of the expense. I started getting facials again last March because of the Groupon deal for a deep cleansing facial and intense pulsed laser (IPL) underarm treatment at Dermalosophy and I have to say, it was absolutely worth it.

The procedure:

The Dermalosophy facial starts off with a whitening milk facial wash. The wash contains glycerine, milk, vitamin E, and fruit extracts and is perfect for those with sensitive skin (AKA people like me). The facial wash is followed by a facial scrub that contains vitamin E and indigo granules. Third in line is the vanishing cream with fruit extracts that is massaged into your skin. The facial scrub and vanishing cream work together to slough off dead skin. Both also come straight from the fridge so they’re pleasantly refreshing on the skin. Last up is the kiwi and green apple whitening mask with kaolin that stays on your face for 15 minutes. The kaolin removes excess oil and dirt, leaving your skin soft and glowing (yes, glowing). The soft hands of Ms. Apple (my therapist for the session) felt so soothing that I almost fell asleep. After the mask is washed off, your face is steamed with distilled water to open up your pores.

Dr. Luna Mendoza took over after the steaming. Dr. Luna is the assistant of Dr. Shae Raymundo, the dermatologist behind Dermalosophy. Both graduated from the University of the East-Ramon Magsaysay College of Medicine. Her firm hands dug up all the existing and soon-to-be pimples on my face (thankfully there weren’t that many). Make no mistake – digging up the pimples hurt like hell but I kept telling myself that it would all be worth it in the end. Dr. Luna also reminded me that sunblock was absolutely essential this summer.

The final treatment was the permanent underarm hair reduction via IPL. Dr. Luna stressed the permanent hair reduction part. She says that the main misconception people have of IPL is that it results in permanent hair removal when that’s not the case. Most people need around six sessions of IPL to see a permanent reduction, with the hair coming back only after a year. IPL targets the hair bulb during the hair’s growth phase, so plucking during the full course of the treatment is a big no-no. If you need to wear sleeveless shirts while you’re undergoing treatment, Dr. Luna recommends trimming the hair instead of shaving as shaving bruises the sensitive skin and results in dark underarms and “chicken skin” (lots of bumps on the underarms).

The facilities:

The treatment rooms are on the small side but the beds are comfortable.

The IPL machine Dermalosophy uses comes from Italy and needs only one horizontal pass across each underarm per session, compared to other machines that need repeated passes across your skin (horizontal, vertical, and diagonal).

The people:

I got to meet both Dr. Luna and Dr. Shae during my visit. They were both very friendly and gamely answered the million and one questions I had about their clinic and services. They decided to do the Groupon promotion in lieu of traditional marketing because they believed that word-of-mouth recommendations would be more effective. Well, their service was so good that it got me to write this blog entry so they’re definitely doing something right 🙂

More information:

Dermalosophy

L0wer Ground Floor, Eton Corinthian Cyperpod (across from Robinsons Galleria), Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City

(632) 570-0803

(63) 915-823-1435

Their full menu of services