A day of reflection and relaxation at SNAILWHITE’s Gold Getaway
Taking a break is important for physical, mental, and emotional health but when was the last time you were able to disconnect and relax? To be honest, this is a real challenge for me because of how busy and fast-paced life can get! But the truth is: the busier you are, the more important it becomes for you to recharge. Slowing down and resting to take care of yourself also means you can find new energy to do what you have to do without burning out.
So when the SNAILWHITE Team invited us for a day of reflection and relaxation at their Gold Getaway, I volunteered to go! We spent a day at The Farm at San Benito, a secluded wellness resort with fresh air and a gorgeous view of the Malarayat mountains.
After enjoying a three-course vegetarian meal with produce grown and harvested from the resort’s own farm, we gathered for a mindfulness session with meditation coach and photographer Sara Black. Before starting, she encouraged us to remove our footwear and walk barefoot from the lounge to the amphitheater. This grounding exercise is supposed to help us focus and stay in the present by feeling the ground we were walking on.
After turning off all our phones to prevent any disruptions, Miss Black guided us to reflect on the self-love we received throughout our life milestones. We focused on ourselves, our breathing, and just being. I appreciated having this space to be alone with my thoughts and really have the time to dwell on them. It also helped me to realize that I can be so hard on myself, that I forget how far I’ve come!
Feeling mentally refreshed after the session, we then went around the farm to check out their other amenities. There were yoga classes available but as a self-proclaimed mermaid, I could not resist taking a dip in their lovely swimming pools!
After lazing around the pool while enjoying the lush greenery, we all went to the spa for a special SNAILWHITE Gold Treatment. This was a combination of an aqua lymphatic massage and a facial. The treatment started with a dry-brushing session, which exfoliates dead skin while helping to improve blood circulation for better health. It was my first time to try this and I felt like all my worries were being brushed away. Afterwards, I was instructed to spend 10 minutes in the sauna to remove all traces of toxins. This was followed by a shockingly cold rinse before heading off to the steam room. I felt considerably refreshed and renewed.
Finally, I got on a treatment table so the spa aesthetician could do a facial massage using the new SNAILWHITE Gold Cream (P1,545 for 50ml, at Watsons). This is a rich moisturizer that supposedly contains 24 karat gold, touted to have anti-aging properties. We wouldn’t count too much on it though - if there’s considerable real gold in it to actually have an effect on skin, then it wouldn’t cost only that much.
Still, it also features the same snail secretion filtrate that I enjoyed in their original SNAILWHITE Cream. I did find the Gold variant to be slightly thicker in texture. It still sinks easily into the skin, which I liked. I detected a very slight mint scent and found peppermint oil in the ingredients list. Unfortunately, this addition seems to have irritated my skin and caused a breakout. Den, our editor, also tried the cream but didn’t get any negative reactions, so YMMV.
Thanks to the Gold Getaway, I was able to physically get out of Manila and have some time for peace and reflection. The much-needed break allowed me to refocus on myself and be thankful for what I have. I can’t go on a trip like this every week, but I now try to be conscious of maximizing my skincare routines to also be a time to just focus on myself and recharge.
What are you grateful for? How do you take the time off to relax and reflect? Let’s chat at the comments section below!
Event photos by Chelsey Aranilla
SNAILWHITE Gold Cream ingredients
WATER, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, SNAIL SECRETION FILTRATE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERIN, DICAPRYLYL CARBONATE, DIMETHICONE, SQUALANE, GLYCERYL STEARATE, PEG-100 STEARATE, CETYL ALCOHOL, NIACINAMIDE, SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS SEED OIL, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, TRIETHANOLAMINE, CARBOMER, SODIUM POLYACRYLATE, LAVANDULA STOECHAS EXTRACT, C30-45 ALKYL CETEARYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, ALPHA-ARBUTIN, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, HYALURONIC ACID, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, DIPOTASSIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE, FRAGRANCE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, HYDROGEN DIMETHICONE, HYDROXYPROPYL METHYLCELLULOSE, PHENOXYETHANOL, PULLULAN, ALCOHOL, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, GOLD, GLYCOSPHINGOLIPIDS, GLYCOLIPIDS, ACHILLEA MILLEFOLIUM EXTRACT, ALCHEMILLA VULGARIS EXTRACT, MALVA SYLVESTRIS EXTRACT, MELISSA OFFICINALIS LEAF EXTRACT, MENTHA PIPERITA LEAF EXTRACT, PRIMULA VERIS EXTRACT, VERONICA OFFICINALIS EXTRACT, PORPHYRIDIUM CRUENTUM EXTRACT, PERFLUOROHEXANE, CI 15985, CHLORPHENESIN, LECITHIN, PERFLUOROPERHYDROPHENANTHRENE, PERFLUORODECALIN, CI 19140, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, PERFLUORODIMETHYLCYCLOHEXANE, COLLOIDAL GOLD
