Review: Pure and Simple Spa (Yorkville Location)

In one word? AMAZING.

I would definitely go back and if I could, I’d go every month!

I contacted Pure and Simple to go in for a spa day but I had reservations not knowing what it would be like (never had a facial before).

They were so open and receptive, I couldn’t help but feel even better about my decision in asking, because how can you be so passionate about your brand if you can’t wholly stand behind it?

I was not expecting what I got and it was above and beyond what I had expected and I am thrilled beyond belief. I wasn’t expecting anything beyond just a basic facial.

The place is clean, beautiful, the shelves were filled with neatly stacked items.

They even sell Jane Iredale cosmetics (everyone keeps telling me to try those mineral powders, and I took a sample but I still prefer Bare Escentuals).

When I met up with the aesthetician, she basically asked me how I felt about my skin, checked it under a light and proclaimed that it would not be a relaxing spa experience for me today.

At least she was honest 😉

She clarified by saying that I would probably benefit from a Sea Salt Microdermabrasion and some LED Light treatment. Either of which sounded not so bad, but it wasn’t a face massage with a calming facial either.

This was the room I was in. Dark but not too dark, calming and wonderful. See all of their products lined up? Love.

After cleaning my face she started on the first step: Massaging my face!

Wonderful.

She used some shea butter coconut oil thing on my face and my skin felt AMAZING. Then she steamed it to open up my pores, and started on the painful extractions, which were definitely not a pleasant part of the facial but a necessary one.

I felt so good after wards, I was calm and relaxed it was heavenly.

Now it was time for one of the treatments:

SEA SALT MICRODERMABRASION

Basically, sea salts scrubbing away your dead skin. My skin became smoother and softer as a result and now my forehead doesn’t feel as dry or as scaly as it did before I walked into the salon.

It was definitely a bit painful, but not scream-inducing. It felt like sandpaper on my face, and while that can be painful for some, my skin is pretty hardy and not very sensitive.

I also peppered her with a million questions while she was spreading all this wonderful, delicious smelling goo on my face, all of which she answered truthfully:

Do you really like the spa and their policies? Yes, I believe in them and what they’re doing. More natural is better but effective too.

What about the products? They let us test samples & give feedback and we use the products on ourselves and in the salon on our customers too!

Do I really need all those products on my face? Yes and no. It depends on your skin. I use quite a bit myself, but it never feels heavy and it has really helped my skin.

Wow.

The second treatment was to come:

LED LIGHT FACIAL

I know what you’re thinking.

This is one of those things I’d be skeptical about too. Trust me.

Lights? Improving my skin? How? They’re just LIGHTS!

First it was a pulsing blue light, then a super bright red light, and a more calming green at the end.

It was kind of unnerving, like being under the lights on a spaceship just as they’re getting ready to probe you, and I still wasn’t sold.

How she described it to me was: You know how UVA and UVB rays from the sun damage your skin, but it’s just light? This is just like that, but in reverse.

I wasn’t sold until 2 days later when I noticed my skin did in fact look less blotchy (especially those faded acne scars on my cheeks), and my chin looked much better.

I will definitely book that alien LED light facial when I go back next.

It also felt great when she was basically massaging my fingers and arms and my upper back while the lights were flashing.

After the light facial was over, she placed some enzyme plant masque on my face and massaged it in, then covered my face in an aloe cream to help moisturize my skin.

I got up feeling refreshed, my face felt squeaky clean and it wasn’t at all red or blotchy.

I was a bit shiny (mostly from the moisturizer) but it feel so hydrated and soft.. like a baby’s cheek!

To top it all off, they sent me home with free samples of their products, recommendations by my aesthetician.

They are full-sized products, not “samples” and it was something very generous they offered above and beyond what I had expected. I didn’t ask for them.

Pure and Simple Facial Cleanser

Algae Serum

Skin Drink Moisturizer

I’ve been using them faithfully for about 2 weeks now, and other than the expected breakouts from post-facials, my skin hasn’t acted up and my skin feels softer and calmer.

I will definitely go back for round two and pay for that LED light facial again and maybe a relaxing facial this time.

So in conclusion?

Well worth it. More natural spa experience, they know what they’re talking about, they believe and use the products on you and on themselves and best of all? It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg without any results.

You SEE the results and you feel them. I can SEE that there is less pigmentation on my cheeks and I am using less makeup to cover them up now.

Sold.