i got BELOfied!

i went back to Manila around late second week of July to get my 3rd ESWL. but before that, i went to Belo at The Residences @ Greenbelt with my youngest sister to get a facial and advice on how to improve our skin. i've never had facial EVER before so i didn't know what to expect.

when we arrived, the ladies at the reception greeted us promptly and asked our names to know our appointment. the ambiance of the clinic is very serene, inviting and pleasant. immediately after getting in, i inhaled this clean, jasmine(?) aroma - uhm, very soothing.

one of the ladies at the reception received us, then ushered us into available seats and shortly thereafter were offered drinks then asked to fill up a form (since it's our first time there). after a little while, we were assisted to our respective treatment rooms for the facial.

my facialist that day was Matet. she was pretty (her skin was radiant!), professional and very accomodating with my queries. she also made me feel at ease and even kept saying sorry whenever she senses i feel pain during the session hehe. i received a glycolic peel, which she says is recommended for my oily skin. my memory is failing me now (probably because of too many GAs!) but from what i can recall it started with me lying face up (duh! :P), put on eye mask on my peepers then she applied glycolic on my entire face - she even warned me that i may feel a slight burn (hapdi) or itchiness. after it was applied though, i didn't feel anything like that so i thought that was ok. afterwards i think she put on something else to supposedly sooth my skin then i felt there is already a steamer blowing on my face, which is used to open up the pores i think. when all of that was done, i knew the pricking will follow. and during the session my belief that i have high pain threshold was shattered - when the pricking got nasty tears almost fell from my eyes! as this was all happening, she kept on apologizing whenever i moan a little louder than usual hehe. you'd think that would be annoying but i actually thought it was sweet and considerate of her. :) when it was finally over, i really expected my face to look seriously red but it wasn't. i was very happy with the service Matet has given me and i told her i would want to go back for a facial after one month. i was just happy at the moment that my first facial experience went very well. i read horror stories of facial gone wrong and am glad i didn't have that especially on my first try.

after the facial, she ushered me back to the seats outside the treatment room and asked to wait for a while to see the derma for consultation. after a little while, i was called to see the derma (i forgot to get her name @_@) for the consult. she asked me of my skin concerns and told her about the bumps around my eyelids and forehead as well as the pigmentation around my cheeks. for the bumps, they were diagnosed as syringomas. syringomas are harmless sweat duct tumors, typically found clustered on eyelids, although they may also be found in the armpits, umbilicus, or vulva. they are skin-colored or yellowish firm rounded bumps, 1-3 mm in diameter and may be removed with erbium or carbon dioxide lasers. i've actually known for over 2 years now that the bumps around my eyelids are syringomas and that even if i opt to have them taken out, they will highly likely to reappear around after 3 months. she also told me that if i will continually have it removed each time they appear, scars are a possibility as lasers will take its toll on skin especially when done several times repeatedly. she advised that they are best to be left alone to my dismay. :( the derma i consulted a couple of years ago told me the same but i just thought i'd try with Belo, hoping they have another way with getting rid of it but sadly i got the same advice. moving on, i asked her what can we do about the pigmentation on my cheeks to even out my skintone. she advised two systems that i can use - the Belo Acne Control Kit or Obagi. she said if i want faster results i can use Obagi but if am not in a hurry i could try the Belo acne control kit. she actually said the acne control kit could benefit me already as i don't have acne to start with, just a few pimples from time to time due to menstural periods and uneven skintone. i was convinced to get it and so i did. i paid a total of PhP3,500.00+ for my visit (PhP1,100.00+ for the glycolic facial and PhP2,400.00+ for the kit).

my sister was another story though. she has intermediate acne and was advised to take either the Obagi or a modified version. she was actually pondering on getting Obagi but i asked her to reassess her budget (Obagi costs PhP19,000.00). she ended up getting the modified version which totalled to about PhP9,000.00+. we went home feeling and looking better. ;)

read my skincare routine and thoughts after the jump



if you are curious how i go about my skincare routine, it's like this:

Morning:
i wash my face with the Glycolic Soap 5%
after rinsing the soap off and toweling excess water, i apply ample amount of Pore Minimizer on a cotton and apply all over my face
i put in ample amount of CHAT 2% (combination of Clyndamicin, Hydroquinone, Alum and Tretinoin) on a cotton and apply all over my face (without rubbing it in)
i apply generous amount of Sunblock Gel all over my face

Evening:
if i have makeup on, i remove it with makeup remover first then i wash my face with the Glycolic Soap 5%
after rinsing the soap off and toweling excess water, i apply ample amount of Pore Minimizer on a cotton and apply all over my face
i put in ample amount of CHAT 2% (combination of Clyndamicin, Hydroquinone, Alum and Tretinoin) on a cotton and apply all over my face (without rubbing it in)
i put in ample amount of Daily Peel Solution on a cotton and apply all over my face (without rubbing it in) except in the upper lip area and under the eyes.

washing my face with the glycolic soap feels a little itchy while lathering but it's neglibile it's really tolerable. i can feel a bit of sting using the toners but they go away in a jiffy so no big deal. i noticed a pasty smell with the sunblock gel that gets to me a little although when already spread and absorbed also goes away immediately.

i've been using this system for close to two weeks now and am actually happy with the results. my face is a lot less oily and firmer. my face looks a little red especially when applying the Daily Peel Solution but after a while it goes away so it doesn't bother me. i've also noticed that even though i still put on makeup from time to time, there is no serious build-up of whiteheads/blackheads on the sides of my nose, which was the case before i had a facial much to my annoyance. i still am expecting more positive results in relation to my pigmentation marks, probably after 2 months i will see improvements. :)

will i recommend going to Belo to others? yes, in a heartbeat, without thinking twice. :) their services/products may not be that cheap but they're not ridiculously high either and were definitely worth it. am actually excited to return there and already i have other things in mind to ask the derma for my next visit - armpit hair removal and whitening.

have you been Belofied?