Spending time with: Romy Grbic of redox Facials + Beauty

Last month I was lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Romy Grbic of Jervois Road’s redox Facials + Beauty, one of the most enthusiastic and passionate therapists I have met in a long time. She absolutely exudes a love for what she does, and her passion is definitely infectious.
The self described “beauty alchemist" qualified as a beauty therapist in 2007 and since then has worked in many areas of the beauty industry including managing a spa on Waiheke Island, contributing to many magazines with articles on beauty and health and working in clinic in both Auckland and Melbourne. She is also a Clinical Nutritionist, graduating with top in her class from Wellpark College in 2014 after completing a two-year diploma in Clinical Nutrition.
The redox holistic facials are her specialty, always bespoke and designed for what your skin, body and mind need on the day. “I believe that beauty shines through and shows on the outside only when we have a healthy inside,” says Grbic. “Stress, improper diet and skincare regime, and lifestyle choices all show through your skin, and some choices dull our beauty where others nourish it.”
She uses a range of organic, biodynamic and natural skincare products on clients depending on their needs, including Tailor skincare, The Beauty Elixir and A.E.O.S (pictured above). She also makes her own facemasks using clays and superfood powders chosen to suit your skin conditions. “I’ve been using essential oils and oil blends on my own skin for some time now,” she says, “the idea of alchemy, alchemical skincare really resonates with me. I can get some amazing results just using hemp seed oil blends to treat acne and rosehip oils blends to alleviate dehydration, the possibilities are endless.”
“I’ve always loved the facial and skincare side of things,” adds the radiant brunette, “and since studying nutrition have found that’s where my passion lies.” She hasn’t given up on the more traditional side of beauty therapy however, “as I still have loyal clients that come for waxing or gel polish nails and I don’t want to let them down. I have the skills so why not offer to help people out in that area too if I can?”
She was raised by a yoga teacher mum and says that a holistic, earth friendly lifestyle was always around her as she was growing up. It wasn’t til 2012 however that she decided to embark on qualifications as a nutritionist, “and now I realise how entwined the two are. The condition of the skin is directly informed by what is going on inside your body, and treating it topically – even with amazing skincare – can only do so much.”
She offers a 90 minute Skin-Nutrition Consultation ($160) on her treatment menu, but says that the majority of her consults begin with a casual conversation. “Someone will be having their nails done and suddenly say ‘so I heard this thing about dairy…’ or ‘I’ve suddenly started getting breakouts…’ and inevitably I’ll give them some advice. Sometimes that will lead to them booking in for a proper consult and full nutrition programme, as well an introduction to holistic and natural skincare.”
She talks about clients who have ongoing skin problems like inflammation and rosacea who she had been giving facials to for some time, “and I just had to stop them and say ‘look, we need to talk about why this is happening to you’, because usually there is a deeply rooted problem that is causing it. So much of what is happening to your skin begins in the gut, and that’s always the best place to start.”
We talk about the guided meditation aspect that she offers along with her facials, which she says has seen the number of bookings increase exponentially. It is clearly something that people want and need more of in their lives, and I love the fact that she offers a physical, relationship or financial abundance option. I can highly recommend a combo of all three! The Meditation Facial is a delicious 90 minutes long, and costs $150. Romy describes it as “combining all aspects of inner and outer skincare, skin health and wellness to instil a sense of true relaxation, calm and peace and leave you floating out the door on a cloud of true bliss”. The Meditation Facial starts with a 20-minute back massage, to ground you and allow you to truly relax from the very start. Every aspect is bespoke, from the choice of products (from all natural clays and oils to cosmeceutical Medik8) to the guided meditation, which brings stillness to even the busiest of minds. “So many skin conditions involve inflammation,” says Romy, “which can be largely caused by stress. Just the act of having a facial will bring those stress levels down so you’re on the right track already.”
She also offers the A.E.O.S Facial, which is 75 minutes long and uses a brand I previously had no knowledge of. A.E.O.S stands for Active Energised Organic Skincare and it’s a biodynamic skincare range aimed at bringing balance to your skin by balancing your body’s energy. It also includes a beautiful guided meditation that you can choose on the day, dependent on how you are feeling and what you feel like you want to focus on at the time.

37 Jervois Road, Ponsonby
021 0224 9039

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