Did you guys know that Austin Powers is on Netflix? Honestly, it still holds up! Such a gem of a mooovie. Lol! So I watched it this week and was inspired to get cryogenically frozen myself! So I booked my first cryo toning facial at the CryoBar in Bucktown. I was not sure what to expect– I had been wanting to head to CryoBar for a while now, but the full body services are not prego-approved. When I found out the facial is A-OK– I was pumped.
It’s different from a typical facial- no extractions, and it’s quick: in and out. You can start 6-8 weeks before wedding, quite different from the 6 months before wedding with a standard facial (extractions, etc need a longer lead time to make sure you aren’t having a break out pre wed!).
Touted Benefits
Skin tightening, wrinkle reduction, and increased collagen production! Hello, sign me up! Who doesn’t want that?!
The experience
The girls working there were very welcoming and nice, especially with my pregnancy brain (my birthday was in their system wrong twice? How? Why? I couldn’t tell ya).
You head into a room with a standard facial table with a blanket. You can have light make up on, but need to take off jewelry.
They take a machine emitting cold vapor steam and run it over your scalp, face, and neck. At first it feels really cold and weird, but then it starts to feel so good. It was almost kind of addicting. It felt amazing! I typically hate cold–but I loved the sensation. I can only imagine how great it feels on a hot summer day!
The best part? It only takes 10 minutes. I loved that for fitting it in, but definitely not a full spa-like experience.
Cost
It cost me 20 ClassPass credits (on my plan that equals about $36) + tip. At CryoBar they price by “the chill”. For one “chill” (which could be the cryo toning facial, full body, or localized treatment) it cost $65. They have packages at discounted rates as well. First time client special is $40. I did see some better rates at other cryo spas (but can’t speak to the experience), so doesn’t hurt to shop around! Don’t forget to factor in tip, too (always go off of the full price of the service!).
Results
Afterwards, the rest of the day my skin felt tight, and good! I felt like I was glowing. To see a real difference I think I would need to see a built up response. I will definitely be heading back there soon!
Do it before the wedding?
If you are looking for wrinkle reduction and skin tightening, and it’s in your budget– 100% go for it! There doesn’t seem to be any reason that this would be problematic to do before the wedding! I would just make sure you start 6 weeks before the wedding, just in case you have an unanticipated adverse reaction! Also, if you are more concerned about skin clarity, I would recommend sticking with a standard facial.
Have you tried cryotherapy? I would love to hear what results you have seen! Leave me a note below or on social media!