Can you shrink the appearance of pores & reduce congestion in an hour? We found a way to do so

On any given day, our skin is battling sweat, pollution, and environmental aggressors. And if you have acne-prone skin like me, keeping your pores squeaky clean is especially hard work.

When our pores are clogged, they can appear larger and maybe even darker, paving the way for dullness, redness, and blemishes. Even after incorporating gentle exfoliating acids into my routine, I barely saw any difference in the size of my gaping pores and overall skin tone.

Instead of resorting to harsh scrubs or treatments (which would make my sensitive skin cry for help), I turned to the Porcelain OxyRevive™ treatment, an oxygen facial that cleanses and pumps your skin with nutrients and oxygen for radiant, glowing skin. It’s one that my editor has raved about in the past too.

Before I take you through my pampering experience, let’s learn a little more about oxygen facials and how they work to restore your skin’s luminosity.

What an oxygen facial can do for your skin

It keeps your skin clear

As most of you know, acne and blemishes occur when our pores are clogged with oil, dirt, dead skin cells, or bacteria. An oxygen facial clears out your pores and shrinks the appearance of large pores, so dust and dirt won’t get a chance to party up in your pores. This way, you’ll see clearer, smoother, glowing skin for much longer.

It detoxifies the skin

Apart from oxygen, nutrients and vitamins are added to the facial to boost your skin’s detoxification process. This negates the harmful effects of pollution and sun exposure, and helps repair and regenerate your skin cells.

It supports your natural collagen

An essential component of healthy skin, collagen helps bind your cells together, which gives our skin that bouncy glow. Due to ageing, sun damage, and other environmental stressors, our collagen production slows and weakens, causing fine lines and wrinkles to appear. An oxygen facial can stimulate your natural collagen production, granting you more youthful-looking skin.

Porcelain OxyRevive™ review: The process

I headed down to Paragon Shopping Centre to try out the OxyRevive™ facial at Porcelain Origins, the third outlet by Porcelain. It is designed to combine café, retail, and spa in one space, providing customers with a holistic wellness experience facilitated by the latest technology. And sure enough, I thought I had stepped into a chic café of the future.

The friendly staff offered me a drink as I made myself comfortable on their plush, velvet couch. I was then introduced to my therapist Madeleine and ushered into one of the gorgeous treatment rooms. The restful ambience put me at ease right away.

To kick off the Porcelain OxyRevive™ facial, Madeleine gave my skin a double cleanse, beginning with the spa’s Pre-Cleansing Milk to remove makeup, sunscreen, and grime, followed by their Hydro Cleanser to wash away excess sebum and impurities. Both products bear a beautiful floral scent that soothed my senses instantly.

She then slathered on the Natural Skin Refiner, a non-abrasive exfoliator that’s one of my holy grail products. This gommage gel contains natural enzymes to soften and slough away dead skin cells – perfect for those with sensitive, acne-prone skin. It even infuses your skin with nutrients and vitamins to revitalise and prep your skin for the next step.

After exfoliating my skin, Madeleine reached for a pen-like device, signalling the start of the OxyJet Gentle Micro-Dermabrasion Therapy.

While it may sound a little complicated, what this step does is gently yet intensively cleanse the skin, remove dead skin cells, and loosen lodged impurities with a high-velocity OxyJet. The cold stream left my skin feeling super refreshed, and it cleared any congestion I was experiencing so I could bid goodbye to clogged pores.

Moments later, she switched to another handheld tool – one that was shaped like a tattoo gun.

Unlike a tattoo gun, however, the OxySpray Mist Therapy floods the skin with nutrients and oxygen to revive dullness, restoring your skin’s radiance and glow. The mist was also infused with ginseng to soothe redness and had a lovely herbal scent.

And finally, we arrive at my favourite step of the Porcelain OxyRevive™. Madeleine concocted a Custom Blended Mask to address my skin type and concerns, adding manuka honey into the mix. This antibacterial ingredient decreases any inflammation caused by acne, nixing bacteria within the pores to heal and prevent pesky pimples.

Having carefully assessed my skin earlier, she brought in an LED light therapy machine and positioned the panels above my face. Yellow LED light was used to bring down redness – an additional step I truly appreciated. The warm light felt comfortable above me, and it wasn’t too bright as well. In fact, I almost dozed off towards the end – the hallmark of a great facial.

After 15 minutes, she wiped the mask off and completed my session with a lightweight moisturiser. She then topped it off with the brand’s newest untinted Ultra-Sheer Platinum UV Protector SPF 28 to shield my skin from UV rays. Its calming lemongrass scent is what I now associate the spa with.

Before I headed off, I was led to a room in case I needed to touch up my appearance. There’s a hairdryer, tissues, cotton buds, lotion, and even perfume to refresh yourself with. These “smart mirrors” installed in the room are particularly impressive – they double up as digital menus for customers to order refreshments. You can also use them to read up on after-facial tips specific to the treatment you’ve tried.

Porcelain OxyRevive™ review: The results

In just 60 minutes, my skin felt much softer, smoother, and hydrated. My pores appeared smaller and more refined, and my complexion looked brighter too – almost like a beauty filter had been placed over my face. To my relief, the congestion around my T-zone and jawline had been significantly reduced. Overall, my skin looked less red and I appeared more radiant.

I appreciated how attentive and thoughtful Madeleine was. She explained every step in detail and made sure I was comfortable at different points of the facial. She even added in an LED light therapy step for extra soothing and calming benefits, and the result you see above really speaks for itself.

If you’ve been experiencing dullness and congestion, or you simply want to achieve luminous skin fast, it’s high time you tried Porcelain’s OxyRevive™ facial.

How to try Porcelain OxyRevive™

The 60-minute Porcelain OxyRevive™ is priced at S$212.95, but first-timers can enjoy a 1-for-1 first trial promotion!

Even better, you can stand a chance to win a complimentary Porcelain OxyRevive™ facial!

Porcelain Spas are located at Porcelain Origins (Paragon), Porcelain Face Spa (Cantonment Road) and Porcelain Signatures (Guoco Tower). Book an appointment online at www.porcelainskin.com or fill in the booking form here.

Opening hours: 11am – 9.30pm (Mon to Fri) | 9.30am – 8pm (Sat & Sun)
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This article is brought to you by Porcelain.