Best Brightening Facials in Singapore? We Try the Best-Reviewed Treatments and Show You the Results

Slimming Sanctuary [Rebranded to Medi Beaute]

Reviewer: Mandy Wong

Slimming Sanctuary has several outlets around the island, and the one I went to was conveniently located at Marina Square. Upon entering the salon, I was impressed by how the front desk and waiting area emanated the ambience of an oriental zen garden.

Most of the salon is also a no-shoes area – this may not sound like much, but it’s small details like these that make the luxurious spa experience begin from the moment you step in the door. I waited for a while in the quiet and spacious waiting area until my therapist Yan ushered me in.

Inside, I was greeted by the sight of a spacious and comfortable-looking lounge, locker area, dressing tables, and shower rooms. I typically don’t enjoy taking showers outside of home, but I wouldn’t have said no if I had had the chance to do so here!

What Makes It One of the Best Brightening Facials?

I was doing the Oriental Facial today. Designed for Asian skin, the facial harnesses the power of both Ginseng, well known for its strong anti-ageing properties, and guasha, a traditional Chinese acupressure technique that removes toxins from the body. Together, the two work to brighten up the complexion, and impart that well-rested glow to your skin that seems to come from within.

Although the facial is generally marketed for its lifting properties, said to reverse sagging and ageing skin, the procedures in the facial would also help brighten skin tone and improve the luminosity of the skin.

The facial began with Yan cleaning off my makeup, and then going in with a cleansing milk and a cleansing gel after that. Proper makeup removal is important to me, so I was happy that this was well taken care of before my facial began.

Later, she applied a scrub all over my face, but let it sit as she switched on the steamer. Steamers can sometimes get a little uncomfortable with the vapour being either too hot or too heavy, making it difficult to breathe. At Slimming Sanctuary, the process was somehow so comfortable that I nearly fell asleep as it was going on.

After that, Yan proceeded to do extraction on my face. I have a low pain tolerance, so I requested Yan to only do minimal extraction. In previous facials, I have had bad experiences when the therapist continues extraction as per usual despite my protestations. Yan, however, was considerate and obliging. She did not pooh-pooh my concerns with the pain, and did only the most necessary extraction.

When she was finally done with extraction, Yan packed cooling towels on my face to soothe the skin, while also spreading a cooling gel over my neck and shoulders and giving me a massage. I didn’t realise I had tensed up so much during the extraction, so I was really glad to feel the massage kneading away all the knots.

Yan began dripping a ginseng-based serum on my skin which she spread with the help of a machine that remained constantly chilled to the touch. Widely used in Chinese and Korean skin care, ginseng extract helps stimulate collagen production and blood circulation, encouraging a healthier radiance to my complexion. The coolness of the machine also helped to soothe my skin after the extraction, while also encouraging the absorption of the serum.

I was most apprehensive about the next step in my facial: the facial guasha treatment. The practice of guasha dates back to the Ming Dynasty. It is a Traditional Chinese Medicine that helps to improve blood circulation while also detoxifying the body of “qi”.

Used in a facial, it can smoothen fine lines, plump up and tighten and lift facial contours. I had never done guasha before, but I have heard countless stories about how painful it was, so I urged Yan to go easy on me. She assured me that she’d go as light as she could.

To my amazement, the guasha treatment was actually – wait for it – very comfortable. I told Yan about my surprise, and she explained to me that the nightmarish stories I had heard were probably from those who had done body guasha, which necessarily used more force to dispel toxins.

Facial guasha, Yan explained, encouraged lymphatic drainage under the skin, which helped to reduce bloating on the face, lift the skin, and also encourages blood circulation which would help the skin to achieve a healthier glow and a brighter complexion.

The above photo was taken after Yan had done the guasha on the left side of my face (where I am pointing at). Two things might surprise you as much as it did me: firstly, the obvious lifted appearance of the side that had gone through the guasha treatment; and secondly, how my face did not turn tomato-red all over but only contained itself to a health glow at my cheeks, even though Yan had been applying the guasha over the entire area.

With the guasha treatment completed, Yan applied a very thick ginseng mask all over my face which gently chilled the skin and let it sit for about 15 minutes. I was not surprised to find myself dozing off while waiting for the mask to be complete.

Result of Brightening Facial at Slimming Sanctuary [Rebranded to Medi Beaute]

I was very pleased with the whole experience, and was also happy with Yan’s professional service. I’d certainly return to repeat the facial of my own volition!

The days following the facial, I felt that my skin was calmer with a more natural glow. To show it off, I got into the habit of using a lighter coverage foundation, which allowed my radiant complexion to peek through. The end result was a very natural and healthy-looking, which I loved and got many compliments on!

Mirage Aesthetic

Reviewer: Iffah

Getting a brightening facial treatment done at Mirage Aesthetic is nothing short of decadent – the aesthetic centre is designed to provide customers with an experience that’s equal to an “aesthetic wonderland”.

Mirage Aesthetic is committed to achieving customers’ desired results using the latest, cutting-edge technology; the estheticians here are also known for their unparalleled service and attentiveness to their customers’ needs.

When I stepped into Mirage Aesthetic, the esthetician first handed me a form to fill in my details and skin concerns. After looking through my responses, she brought me into a consultation room to discuss the facial treatment that I was going for: the Signature Instant Korea BB Glow Facial.

What Makes It One of the Best Brightening Facials?

The Instant Korea BB Glow Facial is a signature treatment for giving a glowing complexion; it uses Optimal Pulse Technology (OPT) to fade dark spots, diffuse redness, and reduce the appearance of pores.

Each light pulse, the esthetician explained, penetrates the tissue and heats the dermal layer of the skin to diffuse pigmentation and stimulate collagen production – just what’s needed for firmer and glowing skin.

As I had never tried facials using advanced light and heat technology, I was slightly daunted by it at the start. However, the staff were kind and patient to explain the procedure, which reassured me that I was in good hands.

The esthetician started the facial by asking me to take three deep breaths in, while letting me enjoy a calming scent that put me at ease.

Although I had cleaned my makeup off prior to the treatment, the esthetician took the time to ensure that there was no makeup left on my face. She cleansed my face twice, after which she proceeded to apply a gentle exfoliator to dissolve my skin’s impurities.

After about 30 seconds, she massaged my face in circular motions to remove the dead cells from the surface of my skin. She also did a comfortable biometric face massage, applying pressure to certain key points of my face, to promote circulation and prep my skin to better absorb the skincare products later.

Next, the esthetician applied a generous amount of cool collagen gel all over my face to prepare for the BB Glow OPT treatment. She also placed damp cotton gauzes over my eyes and helped me put on protective light-shielding goggles before she turned on the BB Glow OPT machine.

She started the treatment on my right cheek. She performed a few zaps on a small area and then slathered more collagen gel over my skin before zapping again – to ensure that the light pulses penetrated well.

Surprisingly, the zaps did not hurt at all. The only time I felt a warm sensation was when the esthetician was zapping my nose, as the zaps were more concentrated around this small area of my face.

The overall process was almost painless and the esthetician made sure that I felt comfortable throughout. She was also very thorough and ensured that she covered all areas on my face.

Finally, the esthetician took note of my skin type and concerns before customising a mask for my skin. She applied a hydrating mask and my skin felt plumped and elastic after.

Since it was already evening, the esthetician skipped sunscreen and finished off the treatment by applying only moisturiser to my skin.

Result of Brightening Facial at Mirage Aesthetic

While the facial treatment was relatively quick, it was done safely and thoroughly. This was great for a time-starved working adult like me, as I’m not a fan of facial treatments that take more than an hour.

My skin had a definite glow right after the treatment that lasted throughout the night and my face also felt much smoother and firmer! There was no redness or inflammation afterwards, and I was able to spend the rest of my evening without any discomfort too.

First-timers can enjoy a one-for-one promotion on Mirage Aesthetic’s Instant Korea BB Glow Facial for S$68 instead of S$988 (before GST). Book your appointment today, here! 

SG Face

Reviewer: Mandy Wong

This wasn’t my first time at SG Face, and walking along the quiet corridor of Holland Village Shopping Center towards the salon brought back memories of the peaceful and tranquil facial that I had enjoyed with them from before. They are tucked away in a quiet corner of Holland Village, which is actually perfect – its location is accessible while still remaining quiet and chill.

What Makes It One of the Best Brightening Facials?

Upon entering the salon, I was quickly attended to by a therapist who would be assigned to me for my session that day.

She explained to me that I would be doing the Aromatherapy Brightening Treatment with them, which not only rejuvenates the skin and body, but also the mind and soul with its use of soothing aromatherapy oils.

My therapist brought me in to the treatment room without much ado, and the facial began. First, a foam cleanser was used to clean the skin twice, ensuring that all remnants of skincare were removed so that the skincare products used later in the facial will be absorbed as optimally as possible.

An exfoliating cream was then applied all over my face to gently dissolve and remove the topmost layer of dead skin cells. I was surprised that my therapist used this cream simultaneously with a steamer, but on hindsight, it actually makes a lot of sense.

The steam opened up my pores, allowing the exfoliating cream to be absorbed into them and really cleaning out the gunk that may have accumulated there. The exfoliation would also help to remove the rougher and duller topmost layer of skin cells, revealing a brighter and smoother complexion below.

The extraction session followed, and the therapist was thorough and meticulous in her task. She didn’t rest until she had ensured my skin was smooth to the touch with not a discernible bump in sight.

She then applied a brightening toner over the face to soothe and hydrate my skin. Next came one of my favourite parts of the facial. I’m really big on the calming effects of lavender, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that the cold compress used on my face had already been infused with lavender essence.

The scent together with the chillness of the cold compress made me feel the most relaxed I had ever felt in weeks. The way my therapist used the cold compress to massage my face was also indescribably soothing – I didn’t want the massage to end!

After the cold compress was removed, my therapist applied a series of brightening skincare products to balance my skin’s hydration and brighten my complexion. She then applied calendula cream, with a mild herbaceous scent, to help with redness and to further soothe any irritation that my skin might have felt over the course of the facial.

The delightful fragrance of rose greeted me after this as my therapist used a rose face oil to give my face an overall gentle massage. The massage would encourage better blood circulation all over my face, which helps the skin to maintain a healthy glow that would never go out of style.

Finally, a brightening mask was applied to my face. The mask is made out of high-performance clay (but actually has a more creamy texture) that is infused with lemon and avocado oils, as well as extracts of carrot oil.

My therapist said the mask would provide the icing on the cake as it smooths, brightens, and intensely hydrates my skin to cement that healthy glowing look. I am not ashamed to say I dozed off as I let the mask sit on my face – the whole proceeding had been that comfortable.

Result of Brightening Facial at SG Face

Over the next few days, I felt that my skin certainly looked brighter than before, and seemed to be luminous from within. It wasn’t my first time at SG Face, but it certainly won’t be my last either.

Bellezza Aesthetics Medical Spa

Bellezza Aesthetics (“bellezza” means “beauty” in Italian!) is an award-winning treatment centre in Singapore that has 12 years of experience in skin and body treatments for Asian skin types.

In 2023, they recently won the Daily Vanity Beauty Awards – Influencers’ Choice for their Collagen Facial!

Trusted by over 15,000 customers on Facebook, their highly-trained estheticians have delivered more than 300,000 treatments using an array of signature techniques and premium products.

If you’d like to, pamper yourself with their 5D Collagen V-Boost Plus+ Face Treatment, which will give you smooth, hydrated, radiant, and youthful skin in just 30 minutes!

What Makes It One of the Best Brightening Facials?

It’s no secret that our skin begins to lose collagen as we get older. Coupled with environmental stressors, this can make our appearance appear dull, droopy, thin, and riddled with fine lines and wrinkles.

Bellezza’s 5D Collagen V-Boost Plus+ Face Treatment serves as an all-in-one solution to target these issues.

So how does it work? Bellezza Aesthetics uses an innovative Thermal RF (radiofrequency) technology to penetrate into deeper layers of the dermis, promoting the natural collagen in your skin, lifting and plumping it up to achieve a more youthful and well-defined look.

Result of Brightening Facial at Bellezza Aesthetics Medical Spa

This gives your skin a bright, smooth, hydrated, and plumped-up look — all without needles! Additionally, you’ll achieve slight contouring effects, as the facial also helps to lift and sculpt your face, giving you a more defined jawline, cheekbones, and v-shaped chin.

Unlike face-lifting and anti-ageing procedures that involve injectables such as dermal fillers or botox, this is a 100% non-invasive treatment that involves no downtime nor risks of side effects like swelling, red bumps, or asymmetrical results.

You can look forward to restoring your youth and achieving brighter skin in just one session!

Bellezza Aesthetic’s 5D Collagen V-Boost Plus+ Face Treatment is originally priced at S$388. Now, you can take advantage of their fabulous year-end promo until 31 December 2023, and enjoy one session for just S$58.

Enjoy a further discounted rate of only S$38 when you pay online before your appointment date.

Exclusively for new customers, this offer is limited to the first 50 ladies daily!

Book your appointment today with the buttons below!

21 Aesthetics

21 Aesthetics is a haven for those seeking a skincare makeover, known for its unwavering dedication to providing top-notch service and effective treatments. They specialise in addressing various skin and scalp issues related to ageing, skin sensitivities, and medical concerns.

The team, consisting of consultants and associated medical professional team from our Medical Aesthetic arm of operations, creates a warm and inviting environment for their clients to indulge in rejuvenating facials that enhance skin health and promote a radiant glow. What sets them apart is their commitment to crafting personalised solutions that prioritise your comfort!

What Makes It One of the Best Brightening Facials?

One of their standout treatments is the Medi Glow Facial, a facial designed to brighten and even out skin tone. This facial deeply hydrates the skin, resulting in a youthful firmness and a visibly clearer and cleaner complexion. Many who tried it say that they’re able to notice differences in their skin conditions after just one session of the Medi Glow Facial.

The facial treatment not only rejuvenates the skin but also effectively addresses common concerns such, enlarged pores and combats dull and tired-looking skin.

For a limited time only, you can now try out your first session at an exclusive rate of S$89 (U.P S$298), a significant discount from the usual price.