Service: Lynderm Facial Center and Day Spa

I've been wanting to write a review on Lynderm Facial Center and Day Spa, but I never seem to find the time. Until today. This is where we frequently go for spa services because we find their rates sulit and it's located inside SM Hypermart in Muntilupa, which is the mall closest to us.

I know that for some people, pampering oneself is a necessity and something that they are willing to spend money on. It's not exactly the case for us, but D and I agree that a massage every once in a while won't hurt especially if it will relieve us of muscle aches and make us feel better. But we're still a bit reluctant to spend so much on massages. I think it was last year when we saw that Lynderm Facial Center and Day Spa offers 1-hour full body massages with either sauna or ventosa for only Php500. We knew right away that it's a good deal.

So we had our massage. And since then, we've been returning whenever our neck and back muscles start to ache and sitting in front of the computer, which is something we do for many hours each day, is no longer bearable.

As most spa inside a shopping mall, the reception area is small and cramped. I don't think it could sit more than 5 guests. But the staff are very friendly and accommodating.

To get to the massage room, you'll pass by other customers getting different treatments. I find it a bit uncomfortable especially if I will be getting an underarm treatment, but it's understandable considering the relatively small space that they have.

Inside the massage room, the lack of space is still evident. They only have enough for the therapist to move around the bed. But they have overhead cabinets where you can store your bag and other stuff in and it has a lock and key so you'll feel a bit more secure to leave your things (when you're in the sauna or shower).

They will give you a hanger to hang your clothes on or you can place them inside the cabinet. Your shoes will go under the bed.

 

 

 

They provide boxer shorts for the men (but I suppose females can ask too) and bathrobe and towels for all. A pair of rubber slippers can be found under the bed.

 

Like what I mentioned earlier, on top of the 1-hour full body massage and shower, you can choose to have a 15-minute sauna or ventosa.

 

The sauna booth can fit two people inside and uses rocks (and that heating-whatever-you-call-it-machine) to generate heat and create humidity. If you want it hotter, just pour water onto the rocks. They usually bring you a glass of cold water or iced tea so you can hydrate yourself. Or you can ask for it before you enter the booth so they won't forget. Standard sauna time is 15 minutes, but there are some occasions when I've stayed longer than that (either they forgot how much time has passed or I ask if I can extend).

 

After your time in the sauna booth, you can rinse yourself in the shower room. The shower has a heater and they also provide soap, shampoo and conditioner (although I don't always use these because I usually just rinse myself of sweat as I take a bath at home before having a massage.)

 

 

The Massage

 

The massage is a combination of Swedish and Shiatsu. I believe that in most cases, a good massage will depend on the skill of the therapist and not so much on the technique used. So the massage I get is not consistent because I don't always get the same therapist. It's kind of hit and miss. If my therapist is good, I go home satisfied and free of aches. Otherwise, I go home still feeling a bit sore.

 

Also, I noticed that the time I went in affects the quality of the massage. If I went in early (as in I'm the first customer to have a massage), the therapist has more energy to expend and not as hurried as if I get my massage late in the afternoon or close to evening, when the therapist seemed tired already.

 

 

Other Services

Aside from the massage, I also tried one of their facial services: warts removal. They use regular electrocautery for zapping out warts and they charge Php500 for every 25 pieces. I was in luck that day because they were offering 50% off for warts removal (only Php250/25 pcs). Sweet!

My only gripe was they charged me Php750 for that one session, which means I have somewhere between 50 to 75 warts on my face, and I didn't believe I do. I remember hearing the therapist counting but her voice faded when she reached 30 or so. Did she stop counting? Did she just jack up the number so they can charge more? Good thing the service was discounted, I wasn't so upset about paying more than what I should.

After the warts removal session, they told me that I need to buy an antibacterial cream and a purifying soap from their product line to help my wounds heal faster and avoid infection. I thought it was part of the Php750 quotation but no, I had to buy them separately.

 

 

The products were good, though and I especially like the antibacterial cream. I still have some left and use it every now and then on rogue pimples that decide to plant themselves on my face. It's effective in drying up and flattening these pimples. The purifying soap was okay, but had no significant effect on my face for me to trade my trusted Shulammite Carrot soap.

 

The SM Dasmarinas Branch

We are regulars at the SM Muntinlupa branch but we had the chance to try having a massage at the SM Dasmarinas branch when we visited D's family last week. Although, my massage was definitely better than what I get from the SM Muntinlupa branch (because my therapist was very good), I feel that overall, this branch was inferior of the two.

They have smaller sauna booth and shower room. The shower room doesn't have hooks to hang the towels and robes on, so we just stuffed them on the door knob and were careful not to get them wet while we take a shower. They also don't have enough bathrobes - I had to use the sarong/blanket for sauna because they don't have bathrobes anymore - and their towels don't smell fresh either.

They don't have a face/neck pillow - you know that hollow pillow where you can comfortably rest your face while you lay on your stomach. I thought I strained my neck because my face was turn to one side during the duration of the back massage, and the pillow I was using was a little high and smelled of rancid oil. And they don't have cabinets or shelves inside the massage room so there's no place to put my bag on except the floor.

So as much as I like my therapist, I'd still prefer to have my massage on the SM Muntinlupa branch.

 

 

The Verdict

 

The services and facilities offered by Lynderm Facial Center and Day Spa are not top-notch but very affordable. Having a free sauna/ventosa with the standard massage service is really a big plus. This is the reason why we kept coming back and why we're less guilty about having regular massages (minsan kuripot lang talaga kami). But if we find another day spa providing the same services but better massage for the same price, we might switch over.