Active heads to a kitchen clinic in Bandra to test-drive a Mango Mousse facial that promises to feed under-nourished skin and restore skin's natural glow
Active heads to a kitchen clinic in Bandra to test-drive a Mango Mousse facial that promises to feed under-nourished skin and restore skin's natural glow
Avoid make-up, sunscreen or lenses. Eat light, wear comfy clothes and leave your hair loose. In order to respect everyone's time, please arrive five minutes prior to your appointment. 
A barrage of instructions by skin aesthetician Diya Dembla made their way into my mobile inbox the day of my appointment for a Mango Mousse Facial. The instructions being partially disregarded on both sides -- I stepped in wearing sunscreen and lenses; she took me in half an hour post the allocated time -- I made my way to the narrow bed in one corner of the Bandra salon: a makeshift arrangement till Diya finds a permanent place for her Skin Kitchen.
While the name Skin Kitchen might sound sinister, conjuring images of a steaming cauldron with dubious content, it's where Diya stirs up her 100% organic skin and hair care treatments, and personalised products.
Before starting the treatment, Diya switches on a light directly above my face, which feels a little like I am at a dentist's rather than at an aesthetician's.
Diya typically calls her clients in for a pre-facial consultation, where she checks out their skin and grills them on their diet and lifestyle before deciding on a recipe. "I try using only seasonal fruits and veggies in my products," informs Diya.
The treatment begins with an aloe and seaweed cleanser to hydrate the skin and prepare it for deep cleansing.
The soothing smell of raw mangoes in the scrub that follows takes me back to summers spent in my nani's endless orchards. The mango is combined with cucumber and bottle gourd or doodhi, which helps slough off dead skin cells and other impurities. A gentler scrub made of oatmeal, honey and yoghurt follows, while Diya's face massage strokes gently lull me to sleep.
My senses go on a picnic with the cocoa butter massage that follows, admittedly the best part of the facial, thanks to its delicious lingering fragrance. The cocoa butter is rich in natural fats that my skin greedily laps up.
Just as I begin to wonder about the mangoes comes the mango mousse face pack, packed with cream and other yummy ingredients that promise to add lustre to my skin. The mousse, which I could have readily lapped up, left me with supple skin, though the promised glow was limited in its effect. Blame train travel and the cruel sun for that.
The qualified skin aesthetician from The International Dermal Institute in Boston, shops for fresh ingredients every week, and prepares the "skin food" the morning it is to be consumed. Dig right in, we say!
Facials are priced at Rs 1,000 upwards. Products start at Rs 450.
Email: diyavdembla@gmail.com; https://www.skinkitchen.in/ launches on May 18.
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Choose from Aloe and Seaweed, Mango Mousse or the Summer Cooling facial and get your back cleansed and massaged with cocoa butter as a complimentary treat till the end of the month.
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