Beauty Spot : Dana Hotel and Spa (Chicago) + Skin Authority facial

           Last week, I had an incredibly relaxing facial at Dana Hotel and Spa, which is located in the heart of downtown Chicago, just a few blocks off Michigan Avenue. At four years old, the hotel is quite young, however it sits on the site of the old Hotel Dana. In keeping with Chicago tradition, the hotel kept the name. Dana also means 'the pleasure of giving' in Sanskrit, which is a part of the hotel's philosophy. The hotel added a little modern edge to the name, with a representative 'Dana' shown above in the hotel lobby. The hotel's construction is artsy and modern. The front desk is made laregly of cast-off metal shavings from an iron factory and the wood in the lobby floor is over two hundred years old, repurposed from a factory in London!

          The spa is located on the 4th floor of Dana. I was greeted by Marlene who made me feel at home during my visit. Above you can see a picture of the waiting area. Consistent with the 'green' philosophy of the hotel, the glass terrazzo floor in the spa are made of recycled beer bottles, the walls are bamboo, and the wallpaper in the spa is in part bamboo.

          As a part of my facial experience I opted to have a scent, or rather 'Zents', added to personalize my experience. I chose Oolong, which is a blend of lime blossom, oolong tea, and citrusy green tea scents.

           I left my things in the spa's locker room, which had a nice spa modern feel with the wood, stone, and glass construction. I got there early, so I also took the time to pop into the steam room there. After getting past the initial heat, it is quite refreshing. Definitely recommend it.

           Valerie was my esthetician for my Skin Authority facial at Dana. To be honest, I was a bit nervous about going under the esthetician's light since my skin had been behaving badly with breakouts and the like.  I'm glad I did though. The facial was actually quite educational, and Valerie gave me helpful tips for my skin that I hadn't thought of before. She mentioned that I had normal skin that was oilier in the T-zone, and small pores. She said the reason I was getting teeny whiteheads bumps was because my pores were too small and might not be able to expel things. This explained a lot, since I get these tiny bumps often. (Apparently there is a downside to small pores!) She also explained Chinese facial mapping, which explains the reasons for different breakouts. The forehead ones I had were likely due to stress and cheeks are due to digestive issues. She extracted a number of areas, and mentioned that it is safe to extract your own breakouts at home, as long as you wait until they are mature enough and it is performed in a hygienic manner.

          The facial itself was so relaxing and much like a massage. The spa bed can be adjusted and warmed to comfort. In general I find that a little warmth adds to overall relaxation. Valerie tailored the Skin Authority products to my skin. (Skin Authority is a skincare line carried by a number of spas, including Dana and numerous Ritz Carlton spa locations). Valerie started by cleansing with Skin Authority's Daily Cleanser and Acne and Oil Control. She used a 35% Glycolic Acid Peel (which is the highest grade an esthetician is licensed to use). After neutralizing with water, she used a small amount of Skin Authority's calming cream on infllamed areas. She followed with a professional balm, Skin Authority's Deep Detox Mask, Vitamin C Serum, Reviving Eye Brightener, Vitamin A Cell Renewal, and Tri-Power Peptide Hydrator. As you can see, a lot was done during the 45 minute facial! The session ended with hand massage, which of course felt wonderful.

         After a spa treatment, one can relax for a bit in the Relaxation Lounge. There are a few comfy sofas and chaises, along with a pitcher of the most refreshing cucumber strawberry water.

          After my facial experience, I felt so relaxed that I accidentally passed the elevators during my search for the elevators. It was mildly embarrassing, but Marlene informed me that these were typical side effects of 'spa-brain' (hehe). The day after my Skin Authority facial, I found my skin to be quite improved. The texture was smoother and almost all the breakouts I had been experiencing died down. I'm facial + glycolic peel believer now. Thank you for reading, and thanks Skin Authority + Dana Hotel and Spa for inviting me to take part in the experience! Have any of you been to Dana Hotel and Spa or tried any Skin Authority products? Do you routinely get facials? What was your experience like?

Love, Dovey.

Disclosure: This spa treatment in this post was provided to  Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.