Mariko Tokyo Clinic. Great!

From one of the customers.




JAPANESE skincare products have always fascinated me for they have proven time and time again that they are the absolute authority in whitening, anti-aging, blemish-removal. Their products and procedures are fast-acting but safe, plus US- and Japan FDA- approved. (FYI: Japan?s FDA is stricter than its American counterpart.)

On my way home from one of my frequent Greenhills gadget trips, I glanced upon a banner at Annapolis Street for a Japanese dermatology clinic: ?P99 for Gluta-C facial, P149 for Diamond Peel, and P399 for Glutathione IV.?

After making sure I had not gotten the decimal point wrong, I just had to stop the car. I entered the shop and came out with a price list of services.

?No way are you going to try that place! The prices are too cheap, it?s dangerous. The ingredients may be poisonous!?

Those were the sentiments my mother and husband both shared when I showed them the service menu of Mariko Tokyo, the Japanese dermatologist.

The place is a typical Japanese interior: a sprawling, very clean, mostly white area, with minimal furniture and with dark brown and white sliding doors that led to individual treatment rooms. It opened Feb. 2, 2011, right before Chinese New Year, so though the machines and treatments are complete, the furnishings are still bare and the office does not have a landline yet.

One of the partners is a Filipino woman married to a Japanese. She has decided to offer her favorite skin treatments from Japan, such as intensive but safe face and body skin-whitening treatments. to make them accessible to Filipinas. The women who administer the facials, skin procedures and handle the machines are nurses.

Mariko Tokyo?s tagline: ?Hindi mahal magpaganda!? (Beauty care is not expensive.)

Testing the treatments

After thoroughly checking out my face, the clinic suggested the Jet Peel (P450) for gentle exfoliation. It uses pressurized oxygen to spray saline solution with minerals on the skin.

After the treatment, my face was absolutely glowing, the same way it does after a squeaky clean shower. I looked so clean and refreshed.

Jet peel is highly recommended for sensitive skin that needs exfoliation but which may find diamond or power peel too harsh.

Mariko Tokyo also recommended the Triple C Gluta facial with vacuum to suck out surfaceimpurities like oil and shallow blackheads.

The clinic also recommended a laser wand (P99) to close the pores.

The clinic then applied a non-sticky tinted complexion perfecting stem cell and glutathione cream (P149).

The cream is best for normal to dry and/or blemish-free skin.

Note: Those with acne breakouts should opt for the Acne cure facial treatment (P149) instead. It comes with a free check-up after five days with a peel.

I had the diamond peel last for my face and neck, which was P149 per area.

Thermalift

Then I had a Thermalift, a firming treatment that uses Radio frequency to tighten the skin and restore contours that have slackened over time. This was the most expensive treatment so far?at P4, 500.

But Esmie, the one who applied the treatment, worked on my chin, jaw line, cheeks and the lines at the sides of my nose and mouth. The results were obvious the day after?tightened skin, taut face.

My finale was the Glutathione IV. The two choices are Gluta IV (P399) and Tathionil Gluta (P699 per session).

The difference: Tathionil makes for faster skin-whitening. perfect for those who want to fade a tan line quick for a special occasion or for those with darker skin that wants to get visibly lighter ASAP.

Gluta IV is perfect for those who were born with light skin and just want their original untanned color back or those who want to stay tanned but with and even skin tone all over.

As I have yet to reach the white level of sexy goth, I opted for a double dose of Tathionil. The package of 10 Gluta IV treatments would make a perfect gift for your mom, sister or wife.

The discount is great whereas Gluta IV costs P3,000 for 10 sessions. Tathionil Gluta IV is P5,550 for 10 sessions.