When I was offered the chance to try a CACI facial I jumped and I’m not even getting married this summer. After all, twenty years of medical research have gone into the development of CACI’s non-surgical facials and they’re pretty much legendary within the industry. (For the uninitiated, CACI stands for Computer Aided Cosmetology Instrument). In truth, the months of self (as-opposed-to-salon) care we’ve all been subject to haven’t been so bad for me; maskne hasn’t taken too vigorous a hold, and prodigious product use has left my skin…ok. Nothing really to complain about but nonetheless distinctly meh. No va-va-voom. Glow I can add, smoothing can be enhanced through clever use of cosmetics but there is something about a really decent facial that lifts the face and the spirits and, in my opinion, a salon treatment can’t be beaten.
I say treatment in the singular but should point out that whilst a single session will give a visible result for the big day, if you have the time, a course of treatments are CACI’s official recommendation and I can see why. One treatment had discernible impact but the way in which the machine interacts with the skin can be enhanced by multiple sessions: facial muscles are stimulated by the cotton-tipped wands with which the device treats the face. Tone and elasticity is improved during this mini-workout and so, like any exercise, more sessions = educated muscles = greater results.
This is what I would term a ‘business’ facial – there’s no down-time to relax with a mask or drift off as your facialist’s fingers work magic with light-stroked massage. This is active treatment from start to finish as skin is briskly cleansed of any make-up or dirt and then the muscles are put to work. It’s a fizzing, tingling sensation that isn’t unpleasant by any means. In tandem with the microcurrents being pulsed through the skin to boost texture, tone and shape, the experience can be combined with LED light therapy. The lovely Sylvie who was my therapist at the Chipping Norton branch of Cedar Therapy assessed my skin and recommended using red LED light to nudge collagen production levels and also address incipient wrinkles and any marks or scarring on my skin. Blue light is another option on offer and this seeks to tackle excess oil production, so great for acne-prone, blemished skin.
Throughout, skin is scooped and pressed as muscles are worked into shape. After a thorough going over, specific areas of concern were addressed (in my case a single frown line which separates my forehead like the Red Sea and my jawline which needs all the help it can get after months of staring downwards at a screen).
Whilst these areas were being tended to, my hands were encased in gel-filled mitts which were, in turn, connected to the machine to work magic on my sanitiser-depleted paws. I used to pride myself on my soft hands and have watched with something akin to horror (if that doesn’t sound too dramatic) as over the past year or more they have become drier and – hate to say it, but between us – somewhat scaly. Other than slather on hand cream I wasn’t really sure how to go about getting back their pre-Covid feel but 15 minutes or so with the gloves on have really helped.
As I mentioned at the start of this review, I’m not getting married this summer, but if I was, and anticipating a day of my hands being very much on display as friends and family will be eager to see ‘the rings!’ I’d be heading to my nearest salon or, at the very least, I’d invest in CACI’s excellent shea butter, hyaluronic acid and collagen-infused at-home Hand Rejuvenation Mask (£8 https://caci-microlift.co.uk/shop/ ).
READER OFFER
Cedar Therapy are delighted to offer a 10% discount on a course of CACI treatments for readers of OX Weddings. Mention the magazine when booking to take up the discount.
