The Cityscape team test the O Cosmedics Dermal Planning Peel and come away convinced of the benefits of personalised advanced skin treatments.

If you’d uttered the words ‘chemical peel’ to me last week, my mind would’ve run to the episode of Sex and the City where Samantha emerges from the spa post-peel looking like she’s suffered serious burns. Much to my delight, the (exaggerated-for-TV) horrors of the 90s couldn’t be further from the blissful peels on offer in 2019.

After arriving at Nicola Quinn Beauty & Day Spa’s luxurious Merivale premises I was asked about the state of my skin by knowledgeable skin specialist Bernice. The fact that my skin is extremely eczema-prone means the O Cosmedics Pomegranate Enzyme Peel is going to be the one for me.

While I’m left to slip under the divine covers of the heated massage table I stop and take stock of everything around me. There’s a diffuser slowing puffing out a deeply calming scent, there are flowers and there’s a little note welcoming me to the spa. The moodily lit room is equal parts elegant and so-on-trend-right-now – a balance I don’t imagine is easy to strike.

I finish my scan of the room as Bernice returns and gets to work transforming me into some kind of Kate Bosworth-esque goddess. The aim of the game is to break down the top layer of skin to diminish the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and uneven skin tone. She tells me the entry-level peel is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive.

I spend the next half-hour on the massage table in an absolute state of bliss as Bernice paints my face with a deep cleanser, exfoliator, the peel and an alginate rubber mask (the best part, in my opinion – very calming, much zen). The peel itself stings only a little – a sensation that’s more intriguing than it is uncomfortable. 

Nicola Quinn Beauty & Day Spa offer six different Dermal Planning Peels, starting with the Pomegranate Enzyme Peel and running right through to the Alpha-Beta Peel ­– a serious skin resurfacing treatment. The well-schooled team will decide which is best for you, and make any unique customisations that might be needed. 

When I leave the clinic 45 minutes later I feel drunk on my own vanity, and am eagerly wondering when I can pop back in to purchase the products I was recommended to keep my skin this lush forever (assuming I keep up the peels, too). 

The Dermal Planning Peel is a great way to dip your toes into the world of peels. If you love it (like I did!) there’s also an opportunity to progress onto more powerful peels. After bidding adieu to my crusty winter skin, you can bet I’ll be back for more of this rejuvenating magic. 

O Cosmedics Dermal Planning Peel, $149 at Nicola Quinn Beauty & Day Spa.

quinnbeautyspa.co.nz