The Best Facial in Rome (Italy): Kobido with Simona Primavera, Facialist

I just came out of a facial so relaxing and so well done that even though I have plenty of other travel diaries to write, never mind, I have to tell you about my facial in Rome first!

This post is not NOT sponsored, I paid for everything out of my own pocket. La traduzione italiana è disponibile qui

I’ve had facials on almost every continent, and the best ones, in my opinion, are treatments with intensive massage.

Of course, the products vary from spa to spa, and so do the machines used, but the ones I love most must include a personalized massage, both to get the lymph moving (and clear toxins from my face) and for an almost immediate lifting effect.

I really like the Omorovicza massage in Hungary and Kobido massages, which are very toning (your cheeks get drummed), but right after the massage, your features feel relaxed and lifted, your skin is oxygenated—it’s truly incredible.

What is Kobido?

Kobido is an ancient Japanese massage. To offer a Kobido massage, the practitioner must be Kobido-certified, meaning they’ve learned from a Kobido master (a title passed down from one generation to the next; we’re now on the 26th generation with Dr. Shogo Mochizuki). This Kobido master is Japanese, and as his health is declining, he no longer offers many trainings, so there are fewer and fewer newly certified Kobido experts in the world.

It’s impossible to get a massage from Dr. Shogo Mochizuki in Japan; the master is only accessible to the Japanese elite. We can only access certified Kobido experts (his students).

Before opting for a Kobido treatment, you should either ask for the therapist’s certification or check the official list on kobido.com This list isn’t fully up to date, so feel free to ask for a photo of the therapist’s certification.

Kobido in Italy

There are only two certified Kobido therapists in Italy, one of whom is in Rome: Simona Primavera.

I’m so lucky to have snagged an appointment with her and booked her for the rest of my stay in Rome.

There are several levels of Kobido. Each level requires a lot of time, practice, and an exam. So to reach the 6th level, as Simona has, it took several years and several training locations (since the master offers very few trainings abroad, so Simona followed him to Japan, Miami, Spain, Paris…) to complete her 6 levels. That’s 11 years she’s been practicing this craft, with passion.

Before, she was a lawyer specializing in international relations; she traveled extensively, worked for Italian embassies, and then in 2009, she decided to pursue Kobido training—and here I am in her office.

When she received me in her office, she was incredibly enthusiastic, a true ray of sunshine. The Kobido world is tiny; she also knows my other Kobido estheticians in Paris ahahaha.

The treatment at Simona Primavera’s

Before Covid, Simona had a studio in Rome’s historic center, with a tatami mat as a massage table. Currently, her studio is a bit further out, but still near the city center, Via Tacito 26, inside an osteopaths’ office. However, the massage bed is still top-notch (she’ll be offering tatami again soon).

I had the chance to try Kobido in Paris with two practitioners, but since they had a background in aesthetics beforehand, they crafted a bespoke facial combining Kobido techniques with physiotherapy, Face Sculpting, and gua sha.

Simona has stayed more faithful to the ancient technique, following the Kobido method from A to Z. I like both approaches, but I’m also curious to experience the traditional method thanks to Simona. So, instead of using oil, she only uses water and organic Japanese toners supplied by the Kobido master (with rose, rice, and other organic ingredients) for the massage. The water temperature changes depending on the area and technique used—sometimes warm, sometimes hot—and sometimes she places hot stones on acupuncture points while massaging with her hands.

Here’s how the session goes:

• If you’re wearing makeup, you’ll get a thorough oil-based makeup removal
• If not, you’ll receive a lightly exfoliating cleanse (rice water), with a massage, then removed with warm towels. If you think that’s not enough (e.g., you’ve spent the whole day outside, amid exhaust fumes and sweat), don’t hesitate to ask for a makeup removal anyway.
• Simona massages with eyes closed, which allows her to better assess my face’s needs. For example, she immediately detected tension in my jaw and worked a lot on that area.
• The décolleté isn’t really massaged but heavily worked on to stimulate lymph circulation. Now, with experience, it only takes a therapist’s touch for me to know if she knows the acupuncture points lol 😀 I can confirm Simona knows them very well, and she’s fully absorbed Asian culture too, energy flow, and all that.
• She also does some light massage on the neck, arms, and legs, so the whole body is relaxed.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I’ll just post a video—I had exactly the same treatment (well, Simona wasn’t in a kimono, not practical for a massage, but the gestures are just as precise and effective).

What’s great about treatments that are 100% massage is that the aesthetician NEVER lets you go. There’s no applying masks that last 20 minutes out of the 60-minute treatment. She’s there for you the entire time, and that’s something I really appreciate.

Oh yes, there’s one little detail I absolutely love: using the scarves for my hair and to cover up. It’s super soft, and afterwards I don’t have any marks around my head.

I’ll post before/after photos. I have to do 5 treatments with her in total, so you’ll likely see the progression from one session to the next (appointment mid-October for the result) here are the before/after photos. My jaw is much more relaxed, my whole face looks lifted, and my skin texture is smooth and very pretty. Now I just have to treat the spots gently and surely.

These results are also the fruit of a very gentle, repairing routine for the skin barrier at home.

Prices

Let’s talk about prices: €120 for a 50-minute session

She has offers for 4 sessions: €400
That’s an excellent price, given the quality of the service.

How to book?

Simona speaks perfect English (and a bit of French), I recommend sending her a WhatsApp directly (rather than email) +39 329 335 5647
She replies super fast.

She accepts payment by card or cash.

More info on her website Spring Touch : http://www.springtouch.it/

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