Peel away the years

Second visits to spas are sometimes letdowns after the initial exhilaration, but a return trip to Bangkok’s Peninsula Spa by Espa was just the opposite, thanks in particular to the newest treatment, the Enzyme Peel Facial.

The Enzyme Peel and Anti-Ageing Enzyme Peel facials use natural ingredients to regenerate and smooth the skin for a more youthful complexion.

They begin with 30 relaxing minutes in the luxurious Tea Lounge – herbal tea followed by a soak in a Jacuzzi in a private suite. Then, after a consultation and through skin analysis, you get started on the hour-long Enzyme Peel.

The treatment incorporates steam and a deep “sonic brush” cleansing to prepare the skin. The peel itself contains alpha hydroxyl acid, pumpkin enzyme and fruit acids that remove dead skin cells, boost cell regeneration and smooth over lines and wrinkles.

The anti-ageing facial adds the promises of immediate results with a deep massage and a lifting-and-firming mask to leave you toned and luminous.

The peel and mask are packed with ingredients like lactic acid, glycolic acid and marine extracts, all harvested from nature without harming the environment and approved by Ecocert, one of the world’s largest certification agencies for sustainable sources and organic development.

Three treatments – one a month – are recommended to ensure that younger-looking complexion and a renewal cycle of natural peeling.

The Bangkok riverside hotel is the second Peninsula inn to offer the facials after the Peninsula Hong Kong. The spa management works with Britain-based consulting agency ESPA International.

A year after my first visit, the overall ambience of the Peninsula Spa remains impressive, especially with its refined service and highly trained therapists.

The spa, housed in a three-storey colonial-era building, boasts 14 treatment rooms and four suites. Strolling down the long wood-floor corridor in super-soft flip-flops is lovely. The sound of flowing water, the dim lighting, the walls of aged wood and red brick and the charming silk and handcrafted decorations all signal the brain to switch off and the body to unwind.

To ensure tranquillity, the rooms were designed to minimise sound and any competing scents drifting in from other areas. Even the air-conditioning system is isolated so there’s no chance of distraction.

To round off the experience, after your treatment, you can enjoy the healthy food and drinks of the “Naturally Peninsula” menu served at the hotel’s River Cafe and Terrace.

Enjoy your meal either al fresco or indoors while enjoying a magnificent view of the Chao Phraya River. My favourite on the menu is the Boston Lobster Cafe de Paris – grilled with steamed broccoli and a Parmesan risotto.

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- The Peninsula Spa by Espa is open daily from 9am to 11pm. Make a date at (02) 861 2888.
- Pay for two facial peels and the third is on the house.
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