A few weeks ago, I experienced a Reiki facial with Lejla Cas, a Reiki master who is also an aesthetician and founder of Knesko Skin. The L.A.-based skincare company, which has been creating products since 2012, dubs itself “gemclinical” and a blend of science and spirituality. I knew very little—and by little, I mean basically nothing—about Reiki prior to the experience. Here, Cas answers my questions about the practice. 

 

SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS REIKI? HOW DOES IT WORK IN A FACIAL?

“Reiki is about the Chi energy, the life-force energy that flows through all living things. I am not the creator of the energy, I am a channel. We all have the Chi energy, just sometimes it is blocked or, if we are under stress, it is not flowing evenly. Reiki is all about intention: what do you want to achieve? When I do the ritual, my intention is that my clients receive love and self-care during my experience. When they use Knesko, my goal is for them to stop whatever they are doing and find time for themselves.”  

 

HOW IS REIKI INCORPORATED INTO PRODUCTS?

“Once the products come in, I close the warehouse for two days and only I am allowed to go in and I do a ritual. That can be anything from saying a prayer to drawing symbols (the chakra symbols) over the packaging. By drawing the symbol, you are basically pushing the energy into the product. Oftentimes the world is full of anger and there is a lot of love that needs to be sent through and that is such a powerful thing to do.  My process is guided by my instinct at the time of the shipment and based on how I feel the world is at the moment and if I need to send more love or more healing. My new packaging has the chakra symbols on it. It’s discreetly at the bottom of the box just to keep amplifying the energy, but unless you are looking for it you won’t know it is there.”

 

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KNESKO Skin Nanogold and Diamond Radiance Collections, available at holtrenfrew.com

 

HOW DOES THIS PHILOSOPHY TRANSLATE TO SKINCARE?

Knesko is about slowing down. We are all aging. So what? That’s a part of life. It’s about celebrating that. I think the industry has lost that—it’s based on fear of not growing old. Well, we are getting older so what’s important is to maintain our skin and feel good on the inside and out because stress will show on our skin. That’s my mission: to educate my customers to take time out for themselves.”

 

WHAT DOES REIKI FEEL LIKE? 

“The process changes, not everyone feels the same after Reiki. People who just try it once might feel something, maybe nothing, but the people that do it all the time really feel it.”
 

 

I’M STILL NOT 100% SOLD ON REIKI.

“You don’t really need to understand Reiki, it does its thing and it goes where it supposed to. Our masks help you find your truth and go within. If you are just looking for amazing skincare benefits, you can put it on and it is going to do what it’s supposed to do, but if you want to take it to the next level, KNESKO gives you the opportunity to take our guidance and transform that mechanical to a more spiritual experience as well. We are in the business of skincare so I like to keep it balanced and so no one will question, ‘Is it for me if I am not into chakras?’ Absolutely it is. There are definitely people who are not into it, but I feel that now more than ever people want to learn about it.”

 

My post-facial feelings: I felt relaxed, safe and loved. As someone whose brain is constantly going a mile a minute, I was surprised at the level of calm I was able to reach—and how quickly I was able to get there. My skin felt incredibly hydrated and smooth afterwards, which was a blessing, as I had gone into the treatment with bumps from a reaction to a product I had used the night before. The most intriguing part of the experience was the change in body temperature. I was alternating between warm and cool. Not sure if the effect was due to the metallic gold Knesko mask or if I was actually feeling the Reiki energy passing through me. Either way, it was truly a 10 out of 10 experience.