Remede Spa in San Francisco

A Facial Worth the Flight

The French-born Remede Spa is only located within select St. Regis hotels and resorts, and the nearest to us Angelenos is in San Francisco. When I planned a one-night getaway to the Bay Area with my husband in January, I was determined to check it out, even though we don't usually travel in such ritzy style. My efforts paid off when I experienced what may have been the most exceptional facial I've ever received. And spending the night at the St. Regis was pretty sweet too.

Located in the SoMa (south of Market St.) neighborhood, the St. Regis is next door to the Museum of Modern Art and across the street from the Yerba Buena Gardens. Of course, this being San Francisco, we were within walking distance of pretty much everything. After taking some time to admire the stunning views from our spacious room's floor-to-ceiling windows as well as its many creature comforts - luxury linens, deep soaking tub, rainforest showerhead, two flat-screen TVs - we set out to explore the city. We trekked up and down Market St., through Chinatown and along the waterfront before settling down for a delicious and well-earned dinner at a cute North Beach Italian joint.

I slept deeply and soundly thanks to the cushy bed and blackout window shades before rising bright and early for the trip's main event (as far as I was concerned): my 90-minute Signature Facial at Remede Spa. Remede is a well regarded and distinctly high-end spa with its own line of Laboratoire Remede products, so I knew I was in for much more than your typical steam-and-cream treatment. 

My aesthetician, a sweet young woman with reassuringly gorgeous skin, mainly used Laboratoire Remede's Alchemy products, specially formulated to prevent cellular damage and deliver antioxidants to environmentally battered skin. In addition to the standard cleansing and exfoliating, she applied a "three-minute" Vitamin C peel that made my skin tingle and glow, and a chilled Bilberry peel-off masque that was briskly refreshing. An oxygen cream topped with gauze and warm paraffin loosened sebum prior to extractions (See? No steam, just as I expected). The extractions were a doozy; they seemed to go on forever, but it was absolutely worth it later when I admired my startlingly clear pores in the mirror. Miraculously, there was no trace of redness or swelling, either. 

An hour and a half is a long time for even the most thorough facial, so my treatment was supplemented with tension-melting extras like a warm paraffin foot wrap, extended massage of the feet, hands, arms, neck, shoulders and scalp, and even a deep conditioning hair treatment. After the application of tinted SPF 30 moisturizer, something called Soft Focus that made me look all glimmery and radiant, and a tinted lip moisturizer, I was looking lovely and ready to hit the streets of San Francisco once again. I received compliments on my crystal-clear complexion for a good couple of weeks afterward - a sure sign of a truly exceptional facial.

  

Comments

[ZFrancis]

Gotta love an exfoliant that doesn't leave the skin even the slightest bit red or irritated, no matter how beneficial it may be. It sounds like something I might have to try..

[babyhawk oh snap]

Ramada Inn has also been offering such services, is this spa in any ways associated with them ??

[Chill Out LA]

I don't believe the Ramada Inn is associated with the St. Regis (where Remede Spa is located), which is a Starwood property.

[Air Jordan shoes]

You articulate your point of view, I like your blog's main originally! Very lucky to read your blog!