When I became a mom, massages then became quite a luxury. Me-time is considered a luxury when you have tons of chores to do and a kid to look after, if you understand what I mean. What used to be a monthly treat for myself became like a bi-annual thing (not even quarterly, haha).
And then the pandemic came, and massages became a thing of the past for me. 'Extinct', as I would jokingly call it. Spas, salons, and the like were not considered "essential goods/services" during the pandemic and were closed for the most part of 2020 until the early months of 2021, at least here in the Philippines. It was only during the latter part of 2021, when most cities and provinces in the country started lifting restrictions, that spas and salons slowly began to reopen. And while my siblings and my Mum got massages as soon as their favorite spa resumed operations, it took me quite some time to pluck my courage and treat myself to a much-needed massage.
Yesterday, I finally did. After almost two years of struggling with COVID anxiety, I finally had the courage to walk into a spa and get a massage. But instead of visiting the spa where my Mum usually goes to, I went to Bioessence instead. Since I was already at SM San Pablo yesterday, I thought getting a massage there would be much more practical than having to commute elsewhere, spend a lot on gas fare, and get stuck in hellish traffic.
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| Bioessence Slimzone at SM City San Pablo. |
A premium beauty and wellness center, Bioessence specializes in skin, slimming, and spa services tailor fitted for Filipinos. Its pioneer branch was built in Davao City in 1994 by its founder, Dr. Emma Beleno, a renowned dermatologist and skin care specialist. Now on its 29th year in the industry, Bioessence has over 30 branches nationwide, majority of them located in leading malls.
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| The services they offer. |
You usually need an appointment to avail of Bioessence's services, but thankfully, they accommodated me even if I was a walk-in. And that's probably because not too many people get massages at 2pm like I did, haha.
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| Cozy waiting area. |
My original plan was to get just the good old traditional Swedish massage, but the nice and congenial branch manager was able to convince me to make it a complete package and add the Hot Stone massage. I thought, well, since this is my first time to get a massage in two (almost three) years, might as well go a little extra! And so I did. I got the Swedish massage (Php 700) and added the Hot Stone massage (Php 380) for an hour and a half of well-deserved and badly needed R&R.
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| The hallway leading to the treatment rooms. |
As they prepared my 'treatment room', I sat in the waiting area and was offered a cup of tea. I asked for water instead, since I was at Starbucks earlier and had just finished my first cup of coffee for the day. It took them about ten minutes to prepare the room, but I didn't mind because sitting in the waiting area was already very relaxing, with the soothing scent of peppermint and lavender wafting throughout the place.
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| A glimpse at one of the treatment rooms. |
The branch manager then led me to my treatment room, where my therapist was waiting. Before we started my 'treatment', she asked me to change into my spa robe and soak my feet in a basin of lukewarm water. After a few minutes, she dried my feet and asked me to lie face down on the massage table for what turned out to be the most relaxing 90 minutes of my life.
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| Treatment rooms are regularly cleaned and sanitized. |
Halfway through my session, the therapist stopped for a few minutes to prepare the stones. And oh my goodness, the Hot Stone Massage was soooo soothing and warm and relaxing. As my therapist was rubbing the warm stones on my back and then lining them up along my spine afterwards, I was thinking, "this is one of the best decisions I have ever made, post-pandemic". The massage was so good that I seemed to have dozed off along the way. Lol!
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| Hot Stone Massage - highly recommended! |
After my treatment, I was advised by my therapist to lie down for five more minutes, which I did. She also reminded me to drink lots of water for the next 24 hours, not shower immediately, and use warm water for bathing. After getting dressed, I was given a hot cup of tea - the perfect way to end a rejuvenating massage.
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| Thank you, Bioessence SM San Pablo! |
Overall, I truly enjoyed my first Bioessence experience. Their services might be priced a bit higher compared to other spas here in San Pablo, but the quality, comfort, and results that you get is truly worth it. No more aching back and stiff joints! Definitely coming back for another massage!
2F SM City San Pablo
Brgy, San Rafael, San Pablo City, Laguna
(0910) 686 5920 / (049) 521 0119