Winter Skin Oasis Awaits Within Artesia Day Spa

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San Diego, the cold and rainy winter season is upon us. The days of short, sweet and effortless style and beauty have been brutally replaced by the reality of dry skin.

Because life insists upon moving forward even when the rain falls, we locals have to re-learn the weather ropes each year. From hot showers to fake tanning, venti lattes, cold wind, and of course - stress - our skin tends to dry out faster than we can sip our travel size Smart Waters.

In the realm of beauty basics, there's nothing worse than arriving at an important Gaslamp party hounded by visions of dry skin turning your foundation base into a battlefield of flaky bronze hues.

Every year we San Diegans meet the decisive winter day when our tried and true moisturizer just won't cut it. To remain glamorously moist and ready for the toughest winter night about town, our skin needs some personalized spa care. Thankfully San Diego spas have the right potions to alleviate problematic dry skin.

Artesia Day Spa in Downtown San Diego invites both local professionals and party-goers into a soothing realm of relaxation where soft wood and chic simplicity replace the chaotic backdrop of the Gaslamp city streets.

In a somewhat hectic rush to make my much-needed facial at Artesia (see: lattes, wind, and stress above) - I reached the foot of the Gaslamp Hilton Hotel and proceeded to climb the exterior brick stairs, fly through the hotel lobby, and once on the second floor, I embraced an outdoor terrace that lead me to the much-anticipated door of Artesia Day Spa.

Like my skin, I braced the Artesia lobby a victim of San Diego winter syndrome. As a local - and not a transplant - the faintest sign of real winter (see: the elements) handicaps both my sensitive skin and my ability to function in the real world. I argue this somewhat embarrassing winter reality reigns true for all true locals.

Some time in the past three years, jackets and umbrellas graduated from optional to mandatory accessories. While primarily depressing, there is an upside to this ceremony. This graduation also celebrates the inclusion of spa treatments to the must-try winter list of every San Diego woman and man.

Artesia Day Spa, attached to the Gaslamp Hilton Hotel, radiates in lenient light - soft wood and steel accents shine against an exposed brick wall. The urban lobby transitions from the statuesque Gaslamp hotel to the luxury spa where stress is no longer an option. The receptionist greets new guests from behind a curvilinear designed wooden booth, then personally gives each guest a tour of the treatment rooms, relaxation room, and shower and steam room, taking drink orders and personalized service requests.

Artesia's shower and steam room is not designed for the socially paranoid. A very intimate room with a full-feature steam room, shower, single bathroom, and set of lockers, you feel at home in your own dream bathroom - but it doesn't suit a sharing experience. Once undressed and robed in Artesia plush complete with spa sandals, I met my aesthetician outside the shower and steam room door and together we walked to the facial room.

Artesia Day Spa features a host of treatment rooms, including the blue massage room, green massage room, regular massage room, nail care room, hair care salon, and the facial room - in which I now found myself. I exposed my neck and shoulders, lying amid a bed of warmed ivory towels, paired with soft curtains, an oversize round lamp dangling gently from the ceiling, and simple, modern Asian inspired décor.

The kind and knowledgeable Artesia staff recommended the Alpha Deluxe Facial to cure my San Diego winter syndrome - well, at least my dry skin. The Alpha Deluxe Facial is formulated to bring skin a new softness and a more youthful appearance through a cell renewal treatment that sheds off dead skin cells with organically-sourced AGA and BHAs from fresh fruits, plants, and trees.

Artesia knows healthy winter skin requires more than simple moisturizer - this facial takes your skin renewal to the core of the problem, eliminating dead skin cells and bringing a new, fresh start to your skin's surface. The Alpha Deluxe Facial took my face through a roller coaster of indulgence. From the initial warm and moist facial spray to the deep clean tingle of the renewal application to the final replenishing touches, the Alpha Deluxe Facial left my skin feeling completely healthy, smooth, and most importantly - moisturized.

Warning: Facials may cause facial skin to peel post-treatment. This is not a bad side effect of the facial, it is simply the facial working - ridding your skin of dead skin cells and allowing the new skin surface to shine through. If you're planning a facial before a big event or party, give yourself a few days recovery time - just in case.

Despite the warning - that is communicated before the treatment, as well as after - I experienced little post-treatment peeling. The night and days following my Alpha Deluxe facial my skin felt fabulously refreshed - and I secretly yearned for more Artesia treats.

Winter skin not-so-fun facts:
- Hot water removes moisture from the skin - stick with warm showers this winter.
- Always moisturize your face and body after your shower. It's best to apply product to your skin when it's still damp, to lock in the most moisture.
- Exfoliate your skin on a weekly basis during the winter season. It's more effective to run a dry brush over your dry, flaky skin before a shower, rather than during or after.
- If facial moisturizer is making your face feel greasy, try facial water spray. Water locks in moisture without leaving your skin feeling too shiny.
- Chugging bottles of Smart Water won't turn your dry skin moist overnight. But staying hydrated is important, year-round.

Artesia Day Spa in Downtown San Diego specializes in skin care, body treatments, massage therapies, hair care, nail care, and beauty services. Do yourself and your skin a favor this winter in San Diego - step off the city streets and indulge in the oasis that awaits within Artesia. Whether it's your face or body skin that feels a bit under the weather - trust in Artesia to pair your problem with the right beauty potion.

Insider tip: Reducing your stress level even more, complimentary valet parking is offered at the Gaslamp Hilton with any Artesia spa or salon service.