In recent years, South Korean pop, or K-pop, has taken the world by storm. In Indonesia, K-pop mania has spawned a number of upbeat girl and boy bands, sporting styles eagerly copied by the nation’s young. Along with this fever for all things Korean, hairstyles and other beauty treatments have made their way here from the peninsula.
Griya Arimbi, a salon and spa in South Jakarta, has cashed in on the trend. Since January, its Korean Facial Treatment has been a favorite of its female patrons.
“Many Indonesian women want to look like the Korean actresses they see in TV dramas,” said a therapist at the salon, Siti Rahmawati. “No matter how old they are, the actresses seem to have glowing and translucent skin.”
Griya Arimbi is housed in a chic two-story mansion in Tebet Barat, South Jakarta. The ground level mainly functions as a hair salon and is usually busy in the afternoon. The upper level is quiet and consists of 10 spa treatment rooms named after flowers.
When I visited the spa, I was shown to the Cempaka Room, a spartan space with cream-hued floral wallpaper and plain ceramic tiles on the floor.
A simple treatment bed covered in batik dominated the room, which was illuminated by a single light bulb. Under its soft, saffron glow, the room looked rather quaint and rustic.
Guests can shower in the adjoining room before treatment. Afterward, they can slip into a comfortable terrycloth robe.
“A Korean facial is unlike any other treatment that you’ve tried before,” said Wati, a therapist. “It combines totok [acupressure], light massage and high-quality natural ingredients in the products.”
Facial massage and acupressure touch on sensitive nerves and tissue in the face. Luckily, I was in good hands with Wati, who worked at a Korean salon in Dharmawangsa Square in South Jakarta for six years, during which time she underwent rigorous training by a team of South Korean beauty experts.
“Facial tissue is soft and sensitive,” Wati said. “We should really understand the anatomy of the face and the correct acupressure points to work on before handling clients.”
She started by cleansing my face with a special milk and a pair of damp sponges. She then turned on a facial steamer, which blew warm, moist air on my face.
I cringed a little because with most facials, this is where things get painful.
“There’s no [acne or blackhead] extraction in a Korean facial,” Wati said with a reassuring smile. “It’s considered unhygienic and harmful to the skin.”
Instead, she applied a gentle, exfoliating facial scrub to remove dead cells and brighten my skin. Then she lathered my face with soap, and washed it with warm towels, leaving my skin feeling very fresh and clean.
Wati then applied dollops of facial cream that smelled of fresh flowers. “The cream contains ginseng and herbal extracts,” she said. “Ginseng has a strong potential to de-stress and rejuvenate the skin.”
All of the products used in the treatment are imported from South Korea, she said.
The massage started with gentle, circular movements on my forehead, temples and cheeks, then moved into firm pressure on the bridge of my nose and points around my eye sockets. Wati also swiped her thumbs across my eyelids a couple of times.
“It relieves tired eyes,” she explained.
The therapist then massaged my chin and cheeks with firm, upward movements.
“The massage can release fat content from under your skin and make your face thinner,” she said.
That sounded too good to be true, but it felt nice.
Wati also used lymphatic drainage massage techniques that stimulate facial lymph nodes to release fat and toxins from under the skin.
There is no music during the treatment. However, the therapist is friendly and willing to talk and explain the procedure when asked. Or you can just doze off. The gentle, whirring sounds of the ceiling fan are very soothing.
Wati washed my face with warm towels after the massage. She then put a device that looked like a USB flash drive on my face, which made low chirping sounds as it gently “sucked” on my face.
“It’s a facial vacuum that helps to unclog pores and remove blackheads without painful extractions,” she said.
How convenient.
Wati proceeded to apply a facial cream mask to my face. The fragrant, milky mask is a concoction of the Mexican yam jicama and milk that is said to help to tighten the pores and brighten the skin.
While waiting for the mask to dry, the therapist massaged both my arms and legs with a generous amount of olive oil. Wati’s deft hands kneaded muscles that were getting stiff after lying on the treatment bed for almost an hour.
It was a real treat to get an arm-and-leg massage during the facial. After washing my face, Wati covered it with a sheet of gauze and applied a concoction of mashed kyuri, or Japanese cucumber, honey and milk. The sweet-smelling concoction felt cool and pleasant.
The treatment left me feeling fresh and rejuvenated. When I looked into the mirror, my face really did seem to be lighter and leaner.
But the Korean Facial Treatment is not an instant solution.
“Korean beauty is about discipline,” Wati said. “Always cleanse and tone your face before going to bed, eat a lot of green vegetables and exercise regularly. [That way], you too can have the skin of a Korean actress.”
Article from: Jakarta Globe
