We swung by DIBI Milano SKIN, a franchise Mosh has brought down to Sri Lanka. DIBI is an internationally established skin care brand by Alfaparf Milano, and was created in Italy.
With a whole bunch of solutions, from body sculpting, battling acne to youth enhancing, they use everything from topical facial treatments to microneedling and oxidizing machines and the like.
The official DIBI website explains their method as :
The beauty solution where technological innovation (the equipment), scientific research (the products) and experience (the place and the beauty ambassador) come together to guarantee maximum effectiveness for a personalized method and program.DIBI MILAN
If you'd like a full list of their services, check out their menu here. Most facials are between Rs. 5000 to Rs. 12,000 and last about an hour.
Ambience
The ambience is lovely and bright, and employs lots of pop colours. Bright, clean lights, bubblegum pink couches and doors, beautifully framed photos and a little fountain come together for a fun vibe. There's tinkling music to soothe you while you lay down for a procedure too.
The private rooms where you'll receive your bespoke treatments are relatively austere, almost clinical, with lots of clean white and a large mirror to assess your results. It feels like a high end dermatology centre.
Process & Service
We were greeted quite enthusiastically by the receptionist, Debbie, who knew quite a bit about the procedures and in fact had tried a few herself. A quick look at the menu, and an attendant came over with a cold towel and some lovely thambili.
I was then ushered in by Akeela, the in-house dermatologist and skin specialist for a free consultation. With a number of qualifications and solid experience, she clearly knew what she was doing.
While it took barely 15 minutes, the session was comprehensive, as she gauged every aspect of my skin, dermatological health, existing skin issues etc. She also used a cool little hand-held machine that checked various aspects of my skin like pores, tightness, melanin, etc.
Given that I have no existing skin issues barring sensitivity and never really had problems with acne or discolouration, she suggested I shy away from exfoliation treatments and the like, and stick to a a Calm Perfection treatment at Rs. 9000.
It's meant to increase the skin’s natural defenses while soothing, hydrating and nourishing the epidermis. It also promised to provide immediate comfort for sensitive, intolerant and reactive skin.
The session lasted just about 60 minutes, and was a soothing experience with gentle strokes and hypoallergenic DIBI Milano products. It started with a gentle cleansing, toning, and then some light massage strokes to help me relax.
After that, an "activator" was applied to my face followed by a gauze mask which made me look like a serial killer. Sexy!
This was followed by a goopy mask that was painted on. There was a slight tingling on my face as the mask set in, and was kept on for about 15 minutes.
The mask was wiped off, there was a bit more soothing moisturizing serum, and it was all done! The process was so calming that it actually felt far shorter than an hour, and my skin felt soft and supple like a baby's bottom after. The lack of microdermabrasion or exfoliation meant my skin was unirritated and unreactive, which was great (and suprising- I even break out in red patches after a hot shower).
My aesthetician, Ashani, was not only clearly adept at the process, but also nice enough to answer each of my questions, and explain to me exactly what she was doing and using as it happened.
Overall
At the price and level of quality, it's less a casual spa place for your fortnightly massage and relaxation, and more a specialised clinical skin care place if you have actual problems you need to fix.
From start to finish, it was a seamless and serene experience. If you're victim to dermatological problems, and have plenty of moolah, this is definitely the place for you. With high-end service and internationally acclaimed products from Milan, you're assured a safe and holistic session that shows results.
