Tried and Tested - The ELEMIS experience at Ballina's Ice House

As the cold winter weather is beginning to settle in, my skin is definitely starting to feel the effects. My usual skincare routine is fairly basic. I cleanse, tone, moisturise and, if I’m feeling particularly fancy, I treat myself to the odd ‘nourishing’ sheet mask on a Friday night.

So when I heard the Ice House in Ballina was offering ELEMIS facials at their Chill Spa, I decided it was time to show my skin a bit more attention and hopefully get back some of the glow I seemed to have lost as quickly as we lost the good weather.

After speaking with Breda, the Chill Spa Manager, I explained that I have combination skin, I am prone to breakouts, and have some uneven texture left over from teenage acne struggles. I told her I was looking for a glowing boost, so she booked me in for the ELEMIS Expert Touch Resurface Reveal Facial.

Designed to resurface, smooth and brighten the skin, the treatment uses ELEMIS’ patented Tri-Enzyme technology to help minimise the appearance of pores and uneven texture. It sounded pretty much tailor-made for me. 

Having never had a facial before, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I just wanted to leave feeling confident in my natural skin.

Now, relaxing in a towel does not come naturally to me. I spend most weekdays convinced I'll miss the most important phone call, text, or worldwide event if I switch off for an hour. But I have to say, walking into the Chill Spa, with its soft lighting, gentle background music and stunning views over the River Moy, the digital world just faded away.

Kateryna carried out my treatment, she was kind and professional, and so gentle with my skin. She walked me through each step to explain what each product did.

Noticing that my forehead was oilier while my nose and chin were drier, she adjusted the treatment slightly by adding an extra exfoliator. This personalised touch made the experience feel tailored rather than a one-size-fits-all.

The treatment began with a lip and eye cleanse, followed by a double cleanse to remove makeup, excess oil and impurities, before toning to hydrate, refresh and rebalance my skin’s natural pH levels. Resurfacing pads were then used to gently exfoliate and brighten my skin.

Then came the star of the show, the tri-acid peel. I could feel it getting to work as it exfoliated and helped smooth my skin’s texture. One thing I have to say about the ELEMIS products is that they not only feel amazing, but they smell gorgeous too.

A hand and arm massage is also part of the treatment. I hadn't considered how much tension I carried in my forearms and hands until I felt it start to disappear.

A resurfacing lotion followed, designed to reveal a brighter, smoother, glass-like complexion. A cooling peel-off mask was the next step, while I listened to the calming music with my eyes covered and was treated to a neck and shoulder massage. 

My skin was toned and resurfaced again before a Hydra-Gel mask was applied. While the mask set into my skin, Kateryna moved on to a scalp massage, and this was probably the moment when my brain completely switched off.

I regularly find myself doom-scrolling TikTok before bed, and I sometimes end up watching those head and scalp massage videos thinking, ‘that is exactly what I need’. This felt like stepping into one of those videos. It lived up to every relaxing expectation I had imagined.

The treatment finished with an ELEMIS skincare routine, including eye cream, serum, moisturiser and, most importantly, SPF 50+.

When I looked at my skin, the difference was noticeable. It was brighter and smoother, with that healthy glow I'd never quite managed to achieve with my usual products at home. Even the next morning when I was washing my face, I could see and feel a difference.

Guests having an ELEMIS facial can also make use of the Chill Spa’s River Room and Snooze Room afterwards. I finished my visit with peppermint tea and lemon sorbet, sitting quietly and taking in the view across the River Moy.

It was a fitting end to an experience that had started with me hoping for brighter skin and ended with me feeling like I had properly switched off for the first time in a while.

If, like me, your skin could do with a little extra attention, all ELEMIS facials at the Chill Spa are 10% off throughout October.

With expert ELEMIS-trained facialists, guests receive professional advice and a treatment designed around their individual skincare needs. Using high-performance ELEMIS products, each facial leaves skin looking visibly brighter, smoother, and revitalised.

You can also shop the range of ELEMIS skincare products and gift sets, which are 10% off throughout October, offering a perfect chance to continue the spa experience at home or get an early start on the Christmas shopping.

As well as the resurfacing facial, the other ELEMIS treatments on offer include:

- ELEMIS Expert Touch Nourish Facial, to cleanse, rebalance and revive. This boosts skin radiance with a triple-cleanse facial and a blend of superfood-infused facial oils, leaving skin feeling nourished, rebalanced, and revived. Ideal for tired-looking skin that lacks a healthy glow.

- Smooth ELEMIS Expert Touch Renew Facial, to hydrate, lift and firm. This improves skin firmness, whilst reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles with ELEMIS’ clinically proven formulas and skin-lifting massage techniques. After just one treatment, the complexion looks supremely hydrated, lifted and firm. Ideal for fine lines, dehydrated skin and loss of elasticity.

- ELEMIS Expert Touch Define Facial, to energise, rejuvenate and sculpt. This innovative facial captures the power of clinically proven, intelligent skincare to deliver transformative results for energised, rejuvenated, and sculpted-looking skin. Ideal for deep-set lines and wrinkles, and loss of shape and structure.

Staff at the Chill Spa can advise on which is the best treatment for your skin type.

The Western People and the Chill Spa are giving one lucky reader the chance to win a complimentary ELEMIS facial of their choice. Visit the Western People's Instagram page to find out how to enter.

ELEMIS is widely recognised as a leading luxury spa and skincare brand, with a strong heritage in professional spa treatments. It was named World’s Best Spa Brand in 2022 and remains a nominee for the 2026 award.