Publications
Partners
I’m not kidding. A few weeks ago, I went to the Four Seasons The Westcliff Hotel in Joburg to undergo its R1 500 Golden Body Treatment. It uses Omorovicza, a brand of high-end skincare products that have just hit South African shores and use real 24-carat gold. Since I’m not a baller, I got a complimentary voucher from The Westcliff to do it, in case you were wondering.
The treatment consists of a scrub to exfoliate your skin using its unique Gold Sugar Body Scrub, followed by a 90-minute full-body massage using Gold Shimmer Body Oil.
I asked Omorovicza’s founders, Stephen and Margaret de Heinrich de Omorovicza, what the actual use of gold in skincare is.
“Gold is known and used primarily for its anti-inflammatory properties. Gold can also inhibit the breakdown of elastin, keeping skin firm and taut. Other properties of gold include increasing circulation, eliminating toxins from the body and speeding up tissue repair.”
And, luckily, using gold on your skin isn’t toxic.
“Pure gold is nontoxic and is also safe to ingest, hence gold decorations on cakes and chocolates. Gold has been used by physicians for centuries to alleviate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.”
But science aside, the idea of gold – actual fricken gold – being used on my skin just made me excited.
My therapist’s name was Kamo and she instructed me to put on a pair of disposable panties and a hair net when I arrived. I then lay down on a massage bed for the treatment to begin, which consisted of her applying the exfoliating product all over my body and scrubbing me lightly to remove dead skin cells and smoothen my skin.
The scrub itself was a light-yellow colour, and I was a little disappointed that it didn’t look bright gold when applied to my skin.
After the scrub I was instructed to take a quick shower to wash off the product residue. I felt guilty washing this expensive product with its gold microparticles off my skin – but then again, it’s a tiny amount.
After the shower, it was back on the bed again for the massage. This included the use of warmed-up stones.
Kamo is an experienced therapist and masseuse, but massages just aren’t for me.
Maybe it’s because I’m a millennial who needs constant stimulation, but 15 minutes into any massage and I start becoming restless and bored.
The entire experience lasted 90 minutes (bliss for some) and then I was good to go.
My skin felt insanely soft and I had a subtle shine from the gold microparticles left on it.
Apparently, though, Omorovicza uses biofermentation to ensure the gold is actually absorbed deep into the
epidermis.
Though expensive, this is a great treatment to get if you’re going to a glitzy event in the evening.
It really will have you feeling as good as gold.
. The Golden Body Treatment will set you back R1 500 on weekdays and R1 700 over the weekend. You can book your treatment by calling 011 481 6450
. The Omorovicza Gold Sugar Body Scrub costs R1 305 and the Gold Shimmer Body Oil R1 160. Both can be purchased from The Westcliff Spa
BEAUTY
