anexpatabroad

“The most natural skincare treatment out there!” CRYO

I have been lucky enough to try many different types of facial over the years but last week’s CRYO facial was a totally new and unique experience for me. I was actually invited to try both the CRYO full body and facial experiences but I was a little scared so I opted to just have my face frozen on this occasion before I man up and go for the full body treatment.

So what is CRYO? In Greek Cryo means ‘icy cold’ and that pretty much sums it up! The body is stimulated by exposure to very cold temperatures ranging from -140°C to -180°C for multiple benefits such as health, overall fitness and recovery, weight loss, healing and beauty. The treatment uses cryogenic nitrogen vapor to lower the skin’s surface temperature by 30-50 degrees in under three minutes.

CRYOtherapy was actually developed in Japan back in the late 70’s by Dr. Toshimo Yamaguchi as a treatment for rheumatic diseases such as arthritis. Nowadays the technology is also used to treat sports injuries, as well as chronic pain conditions and more recently in spas for beauty and weight loss (increases your metabolic rate which means you burn more calories). Patients using Cryo benefit from its anti-inflammatory effect improving mobility and those recovering from fitness sessions find that the full body treatment is also effective at helping with Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).

The full body CRYOtherapy takes place in the CRYOsauna (single person) or CRYOchamber (multiple people). I was booked in for a ten minute CRYO Glow facial, an express treatment from their range of skincare options that takes place in a normal treatment room.

The Promise – A more youthful appearance (over time it’s not a miracle after all!), reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

Step by Step – After completing a lengthy health questionnaire I was all ready for my treatment. The good news about this facial is you don’t need to prepare your skin in any way or remove any make-up prior to the start of treatment, you just hop up on the bed fully clothed and you are ready to go.  The non-invasive procedure blasted a stream of cryogenically cooled dry air through a hose over my face and neck to cool the skin.

Surprisingly after a few gasps as I got used to the feeling of the cool air which actually felt ok, nearer the end when the temperature had dropped to -150 and lower parts of my face, like my forehead felt pretty frozen, it was a little more uncomfortable but only because it was an alien feeling rather than painful (my only previous experience of my face feeling ridiculously cold was when stuck on an immobilized chair lift during a storm in a Canadian ski resort). The jet of air is constantly moved around by the therapist so no area is focused on for too long.  When the skin is cooled it produces additional oxygen which activates extra collagen production during the warming up process as the body works to bring the skin back to normal temperature. After my facial I was given a cup of green tea as part of the warming up and relaxing post-treatment procedure.

The Result – My face was cold and felt taut much like the feeling after a face mask. The low temperatures are designed to rejuvenate the skin from the extra collagen that is produced. I definitely had a rosy glow that lasted an hour or two. Clearly it takes more than one treatment to see any lasting effects but my skin did feel tighter and smoother.

Pros – The facial is only ten minutes long so it’s an express treatment that can easily be squeezed into a busy schedule.

Cons – If you don’t like being cold this is probably not the treatment for you! CRYO is not cheap either so it’s worth investing in a package.

Alongside the basic ten-minute CRYO Glow facial there are longer treatments that include more traditional methods such as cleansing, scrubs and masks along with the CRYO itself. The CRYO Signature Cleansing or Anti-Aging (30 mins), CRYO Elixir, CRYO Beauty Angel (45 mins) and CRYO Indulgence and Rejuvenation (60 mins). Packages are available and like most treatments the more sessions you buy the cheaper each session becomes. There is even a CRYO Glow Unlimited Freeze package where you can have the treatment as many times a month as you want. See all Skincare info and prices here

CRYO Abu Dhabi is a modern standalone facility located within the grounds of the Abu Dhabi Country Club. Decorated in minimalist pure white it’s all a bit space age with its blue glow but comfortable at the same time. The staff are very welcoming and friendly which put me at ease. CRYO treatments are endorsed worldwide by many A-list celebrities, if it’s good enough for David Beckham then it’s good enough for me!

CRYO 

Location: Abu Dhabi Country Club

Telephone : 050 404 1022

E-mail: adcc@cryo.com

Website: ae.cryo.com

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Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday 8am – 10pm and Friday and Saturday 9am – 10pm

As well as the CRYO facility in Abu Dhabi there are three venues in Dubai and one in Al Ain – click here for all the details

I was invited to experience this treatment. The views in this post are all my own based on my own experience. Unless otherwise stated all photos © Jo Brett 2016. All rights reserved. First photo used courtesy of