Spa Spotlight: Mandarin Oriental Goes Green with a Natural Facial

High above the hustle and bustle of New York City, orchids, simplicity and elegance surrounded us as we made our way up to the 35^th floor of the world-renowned Mandarin Oriental Hotel to try out its new Nature’s Elements Facial.

The new all-natural facial was introduced at the Spa at the Mandarin Oriental a couple of months ago and uses products from the Germany-based Amala skincare line, which contains the maximum possible concentration of certified organic and wildcrafted whole plant ingredients. Its formulas are 100% natural and free of synthetics, chemical preservatives and ingredients tested on animals, and the company works with its fair trade partners to custom distill and extract botanical essences. Most recently, Amala products were certified natural and organic by European-based Ecocert, one of the largest organic certification organizations in the world, conducting inspections in over 80 countries.

Upon arrival, we ran into Pete Ellis, SpaFinder CEO, on his way out and knew we must be in the right place. We were greeted with cold Morning Berry tea (which Pete raved about), and a cold cloth, then led to the locker room and water facilities, which we were encouraged to use before or after our treatments. Once changed and ready, we waited for our therapists in the spa’s tea room while looking out to the sun setting on the Hudson River and sank into the plush pillows and golden light coming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The customized 50-minute facial – also available in a one-hour-and-20-minute block – began in a relaxing private treatment room with a thorough skin analysis to determine the need for toning, deep pore cleansing, softening of fine lines and/or restoring hydration. After looking at my skin under a light and asking a few questions, my therapist decided that a mix of Amala’s purifying line and rejuvenating line was best for me. With ingredients like Blue Lotus, crushed bamboo, green tea, cocoa bean and more, my skin was gently cleansed, exfoliated and renewed, and I felt great about the products being used.

Each customized facial also includes a soothing hand massage and a Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage, which acts as a natural face-lift by reducing puffiness and firming the skin for immediate, visible results.

While relaxing and rejuvenating at the same time, what I really loved about this facial was not only its eco-friendly and completely natural product line (and the green practices Amala institutes at its facilities), but the personalization of the service was key and I appreciated how my knowledgeable therapist truly considered my skin-type and what I might benefit from. That, along with the luxuriously soothing spa environment, made for a five-star escape from the city below us, and gave us radiant and energized skin with which to return to the madness…until next time!