Don’t get us wrong: we love a good luxurious facial. But if there’s one thing that deters us and our clogged pores from showing up at facials more regularly, it’s the potential human interaction that surrounds it. That usually involves the overzealous sales pitches for packages or products, and us finding countless ways to politely decline. It’s all more tedious than it’s worth, really.

So when we learn about a spa where you don’t have to talk to people if you don’t want to, where you can just swipe screens to learn about things at your own time and pace, it sounds like a dream come true. So off we went —blackheads, fine lines, et al — to Porcelain Origins, purportedly Singapore’s first smart spa.

There are no ugly clinical signs about blackheads or wrinkles that greet you — just cakes, tea and luxe furnishings invite you into its warm, cosy embrace. But how is this a smart spa? Do robots come out and greet you? Spoiler alert: No.

Instead, Porcelain Origins has several digital touchpoints that would definitely delight everyone from tech-addicts to introverts, in this day and age where we’d rather text than make a phone call. While an actual, human therapist is still the one poking, kneading and zapping all your flaws away, the state-of-the-art spa employs a few high-tech techniques for customers who prefer a little less talking and a little more swiping.

At a regular spa, pre-treatment consultations usually come with a lot of talking, mostly the facial therapist spewing scientific terms and medical jargon to tell you in hundreds of ways why your face is in desperate need of help. Over at Porcelain Origins, it’s a little different, in a good way.

Rather than pore over treatment history records wedged in clunky files, all it takes for our consultant here to call up our records is a few swipes on a tablet. Everything magically appears on this huge touchscreen table, including upcoming appointments, details of today’s treatment, skin profile (right down to how hydrated different parts of your face are). There’s something pleasing about having all this information laid out clearly on a screen for you, because god knows how many times we’ve zoned out at other spas as therapists yammer on.

The post-treatment powder rooms are decked out with smart mirrors that know your name, okay. Glide in here after your session to freshen up, but not before launching the revamped Porcelain app to activate the smart mirror (the same app that you book appointments, buy products, and access your information from). Instantly, your name lights up on the mirror, alongside the weather situation. Storming outside? Stay in here for a cup of tea, or three. Did it matter that one mirror stated that there was a thunderstorm outside, and the one right next to insisted that it was merely cloudy? No, because we enjoyed our extra me time in the powder room.

Speaking of beverages, you don’t have to order your post-treatment drink from a human being, if you so wish. Just launch the Porcelain app, scan the QR code, choose your beverage, and wait for it to arrive while you freshen up.

We know they mean well, but it doesn’t mean we don’t get stressed out by sales assistants breathing down our neck as they espouse the benefits of their beauty products. But a smart spa like this doesn’t do things the conventional way, obviously. Here, there’s an elaborate high-tech display, featuring a range of in-house beauty products that you can cart home with you. Curious about a product? Pick it up and watch the pretty set-up come alive with flickering lights, and videos appearing onscreen. Take as much or as little time as you like to digest all the information before moving on to the next product that intrigues you.

If you prefer personalised human touch, fret not. There are still staff on the ready to step in should you need assistance.

No, your facial isn’t done via an app or by robots. Living, breathing humans still carry out the treatments. We get an anti-ageing ZapGlow treatment ($321 for 45 minutes), one of three new IPL treatments available at Porcelain Origins. This one involves using yellow light to repair and stimulate collagen production, thus smoothing out fine lines and brightening the skin. Our genial therapist offers essential information during the treatment, like when she’s about to zap our face around the laugh lines, eyes, cheeks and forehead. She also voices concern when she notices our dark spots on my cheeks, and tells us that our T-zone area, cheeks and U-zone are dry (she combats that with a calming hydration treatment). After the sesh, the pigmentation spots our forehead and cheeks are noticeably lighter, our skin tone is more even and luminous, and fine lines around our eyes are less obvious. It’s just the confidence-booster we need to walk around Orchard Road, post-treatment, at lunch hour, without a stitch of make-up on. Okay, maybe a little human touch isn’t so bad after all.

​​​​​​​Porcelain Origins is at #04-48 Paragon Shopping Centre. More info at http://porcelainskin.com/.

Photos: Porcelain Origins, Jasmine Teo