PUBLISHED July 4th, 2017 05:00 am | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 05:05 pm
Unlike many of the facial spas I’ve been to, Sugar K Organic Peel Bar is sparsely decorated, with neat rows of products on some wall-shelves in the far corner and a bar top counter saving the space from being too stark. A month and four facial peels later, I realised that the interiors of the face spa was congruent with what Sugar K is all about: uncluttered, unpretentious, bare and natural beauty.
The owner and founder of Kew Organics, Lily Kew, mentioned once in an interview that her dream was to help her customers “achieve a complexion so naturally flawless that they can ditch their makeup if they choose to,” so I wasn’t surprised when she all but tutted in slight disapproval the moment she saw my skin, scarred from past habits of picking at blemishes (which I tried to cover up by caking on some foundation and concealer).
Yet, try she did. For the next few weeks, with beautician May Teng at my side, we embarked on a journey to glowy, #nofilter skin. Each session only took up 15 to 20 minutes of my time and there was always hot tea available for me to sip on whilst May worked her magic. If you’re like us and run on a tight schedule, not to worry! The bar top services work in a way that allows you to hot-desk while they work on your skin at the same time.
The process of a Sugar K facial peel is relatively simple. Oil, dirt and makeup residue is removed, followed by double cleansing before the actual peel starts. It might sting a bit but after the peel is removed in five minutes, your skin will be soothed by a series of Kew Organics products: an anti-oxidant toner, a sugar cane exfoliant, a cacao hibiscus age-defying eye serum, a mega-boost hyaluronic concentrate serum, jojoba green tea moisture repair essence and a vitamin e rejuvenator cream, before they slap on some ultra-fluid sunscreen and send you on your merry way.
You might be wondering what’s in this magical concoction. The peel is partially made of Glycolic acid, which is supposedly one of the most active and beneficial of the alpha-hydroxy acids in skincare products (found in, yes you’ve guessed it, sugarcane!). It also happens to be the only alpha-hydroxy acids which can penetrate through the cell walls to trigger new formations of collagen, and plump up the cells to reduce lines and wrinkles. In addition, unlike the average scrub, peel ingredients actually sink into the skin, targeting deeper layers of skin cells, making it an excellent treatment for acne and acne scars, lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, uneven skin tone, dull-looking skin and enlarged pores.
After the first session, I pretty much started going to Sugar K with only my brows in place. This was a little difficult for me at first; it took some confidence to travel to the spa, with your flaws bared for all to see. Yet, my skin got a lot better as a result, taking on a more even skin tone and eventually becoming more dewy and plumped up. As the weeks went by, I really did cut down on the amount of makeup I was wearing, even if I wasn’t going to Sugar K.
Priced at $55 per peel ($425.40 for a package of six-treatments and take-home products), it’s cost-effective and not as time consuming as a full-blown facial, making a quite an easy routine even for the busiest woman. What’s not to love?
Sugar K Organic Peel Bar is located at #03-83, Clarke Quay Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, Singapore 059817, p. +65 6904 4161. For more information, check out their Facebook page here, or their website here.