PopSugar San Francisco

Skincare by Pearl

Nancy Einhart — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:00:43 PDT

Gather new pearls of skin care wisdom. Pearl Dworkin, the owner of Skincare by Pearl, isn't just an esthetician, she's also an educator who's always seeking to expand her skin knowledge. When she travels to exotic locales, Pearl is constantly on the hunt for new techniques to incorporate into her treatments; on a recent trip to Thailand, she picked up some rose crystal quartz wands, perfect for massaging facial treatments. Another recent discovery: organic raw honey to treat acne, rosacea, and fine lines around the eyes. Since she's also a licensed nutritionist, Pearl prefers to use all-natural products whenever possible, while educating her clients about beauty from the inside out. Get started with a visit to her Union Street digs for a personalized facial with your choice of add-ons, including hyper-pigmentation or antiaging European collagen blankets, an antirosacea treatment, or a glycolic peel. Then polish things off with lash tinting, brow design, or a two-month supply of eye cream custom-blended by Pearl to suit your needs. Throughout your visit, this 14-year veteran of the skin biz can recommend healthy habits to keep your skin looking fresh even after the facial fades. Says Pearl: "A facial will clean your skin and exfoliate, but it's what people are doing at home that makes the biggest difference."

Blush Skin Care

Larkin Clark — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:16:03 PDT

Good old Ivory Soap might have worked for Grandma, but let's face it: times are changing, and so is your skin. Ditch your bar soap for Blush Skin Care, and you'll be sporting your freshest face yet. This Bush Street retreat offers everything from waxing to facials to peels and more. Devoted to top-grade body care in a calm, soothing environment, it uses only the best products available, like those from Jan Marini Skin Research, and offers a wide range of preventative and corrective skin therapies. Opt for a pampering facial to treat your particular skin issues; some of Blush's most popular include the deep cleansing and brightening facials. We're also big fans of the glycolic acid peel, perfect for sun-damaged, acne-prone, scarred, discolored, or aging skin. After a gentle cleansing, the face is covered in a resurfacing gel to promote new skin growth, and a customized mask is applied to uncover the radiant complexion you've always hoped for. If it's just a maintenance moment you're after, Blush is also renowned for its waxing, whether it's your brows or a Brazilian. Get ready to Blush.

SkinSpirit

Larkin Clark — Sun, 02 May 2010 11:28:51 PDT

Your skin deserves the best, and the Bay Area's SkinSpirit skin care clinic and spa delivers with the accolades to prove it. Founded by Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Dean Vistnes, SkinSpirit offers deluxe medical skincare treatments in a luxurious spa setting. With locations in Palo Alto, Walnut Creek (1647 N. California Blvd., 925-952-9200), and Mill Valley (800 Redwood Highway, Strawberry Village, Ste. 610, 415-383-3100), its nonsurgical cosmetic procedures are highly effective and safe and leave clients with the healthy, resilient skin they've always hoped for. Ready to reclaim your youth? Get into the spirit with one of the clinic's diverse facials, which range from oxygen facials to firming, collagen-stimulating, and clarifying treatments. Also on the menu: microdermabrasion, glycolic peels, and filler treatments, which are injected just under the skin to temporarily fill wrinkles for a smooth and healthy appearance. What's more, SkinSpirit also offers waxing, tweezing, seaweed wraps, and a whole host of noninvasive med-spa treatments, so you're bound to find a thing or two (or five) to treat yourself to. Sweet skin of youth? Coming right up.

ModVellum

Larkin Clark — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:31:51 PDT

What's modern about ModVellum? Pretty much everything. Hand-selected by owner Rachel Tolve and her expert staff, all of the products ModVellum uses are organic, vegetarian, and Chiral correct (meaning they're free of molecules that can cause skin irritation), and most have no artificial preservatives or fragrances, dyes, talc, or buffers. As a result, your skin is getting just what it deserves: the purest and gentlest treatment possible. Stop into ModVellum's Union Street digs and take one of the facial or peels for a spin. The signature Vespa facial ($90) cleanses skin two to four times before exfoliation, impurity extraction, and application of a cherry shea butter mask that promises radiance for days. Or one up it with a Super Golden Hottie Facial ($100), which seals The Vespa with bronzer oil and gives you a glow even Gisele would be jealous of. In addition, all ModVellum facials are done on the BioMat, a revolutionary detox treatment that includes infrared, negative ions and heat that penetrates six inches into the body. Detox and a facial? Done and done. If a deeper connection is what you need, turn to one of ModVellum's famous chemical peels. Our pick: the Defibrillator Peel, which first removes dead skin with blue cornmeal, then revives the skin underneath with an antioxidant-loaded ascorbic acid peel that's "safe enough to sleep in." With great stuff like that, we can’t wait to get glowing.