I Can’t Be The Only Female Over Age 35 Without A Skincare Routine, Right?

I’m not one to obsess about my skin. I mean, it’s not like I’ve ever told anyone I couldn’t stay the night without notice because my skincare routine was 18 freaking steps.

It’s more like I treat the inside of my body like a wasteland with all the junk food I shovel into it and care for my skin only slightly better, giving it minimal attention at the end of the day when I wash it with water and whatever soap is in the bathroom. I’ve also been known to scrub my face with body wash or shampoo in a pinch. Don’t judge.

Cleanser, toner, moisturizer, gel, and topical cream - blah, blah, blah, blah and blah. Those words are foreign to me. Well, except for topical cream. I’ve been dabbing prescription Retin A cream on my face for the last 30 years. Besides that, my skincare routine is mostly using Instagram filters.

But on a whim, one day last week, I decided to treat myself to a facial at One Ocean Spa in Atlantic Beach. I don’t know what prompted me to book a facial…well…yeah…I do. I started out looking for vacations but couldn’t find anything that I liked that we could afford, so I settled on a 90-minute spa service. European vacation vs. facial. That’s a fair trade, right? Har har har.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that at 59 years old, I’d never had a facial - unless you count when the steam from the dishwasher blasts me in the face or the occasional Sephora mask I impulsively shove in my basket on the way to the cash register.

I’m going to assume you are not a bumpkin like me and have had facials before, so there is no need to go into detail about how they slathered my head with lotions, potions, and goos interspaced with an amazing neck and shoulder massage and ending with a heavenly, foot massage.

The two parts of the procedure that stood out were the extractions and the exfoliations. The extractions were painful in a hurts-so-good way. I kind of wished I needed more. Does that sound weird? The exfoliation felt like the esthetician was rubbing sandpaper on my face and was not very pleasurable, but the rest of the treatment was heavenly once I cycled through my personal laundry list of anxieties and fully unclenched. (Why is it so hard for me to relax?)

Anyway, I left with a smooth, lavender, and fennel-smelling face, which is a weird scent combo that I’m not going to overthink. I see more facials in my future, but I will fondly remember my first facial and the way the chair I sat in afterward while watching the waves on the beach left cane-weave indentations on the back of my not-so-firm-and-youthful thighs that lasted for several humbling hours after I left the spa. 

Regardless, I filed Monday morning under A for Awesome.

The pretty One Ocean Resort & Spa on Atlantic Beach.

It was built in 1972-1973, was once known as the Sea Turtle Inn, and underwent a $24 million renovation in 2004

I inwardly oohed and awwwed over the impressive staircase in the lobby.

Relaxing in the waiting area while watching the ocean was heavenly.

And there were snacks to munch on while you waited!

The treatment rooms were neat and clean and had a zen, peaceful vibe.

When your treatment is finished you can continue the pampering with some jacuzzi time.

After you’re showered and dressed, you can spend the afternoon shopping and lunching in the Atlantic/Neptune Beach area.

I skipped the shopping part (budget constraints) but did take a long walk around town to earn a few Weight Watcher points after spending the morning lying around being rubbed.