Boston - November 29, 2006

Come Clean

Violet Skin Boutique’s Detoxifying Facial

You’ve tried them all, from the chili-pepper diet (gave you hives) to colon cleansing (weeks of nightmares involving long plastic tubes).

Since when did making yourself feel good start feeling so bad?

You’ll breathe a sigh of relief when you book an organic detoxifying facial at Violet Skin Boutique. A return to the days when skin care meant whipping up some egg whites and oatmeal, the treatment starts with a deep herbal extract cleanse that chases away toxins, then moves into a steam session and gentle exfoliation with the house specialty — a cranberry peel made from fresh cranberries and volcanic ash.

That’s followed by a detoxifying deep pore extraction and a green tea mask to tone things down. Each product is hand-mixed by owner Violet herself.

Meanwhile, your hands, feet, and neck are treated to a rubdown that amps up your blood flow while reducing stress and tension (it’s like a full-body cleanse with no unsettling aftereffects).

There. That wasn’t so hard now; was it?

Violet Skin Boutique, 257 Newbury Street, Back Bay (617-262-7546 or violetskinboutique.com).