Huddled in the back of designer Misha Nonoo’s chic, greenery-filled pop-up store in SoHo, celebrity facialist Joanna Vargas sat down with Us to discuss the one and only topic worth gushing about at 8:30 p.m. on a random Tuesday evening: celebrity skincare.
Vargas made her way to her dear friend Misha’s pop-up to speak on a panel about her wellness routine, along with two other kickass CEOs: Bobbi Brown (founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics) and Vanessa Dew (co-founder of Health Ade Kombucha). There, Vargas spoke to her daily fitness regimen and commitment to showing up for her family — even if that means booking it out of the Cannes Film Festival despite the protests from celebrity clients (don’t worry, they still love her, like a lot).
The facialist to the stars is also the founder of Joanna Vargas Skincare and Joanna Vargas salons, which are known for their next-level, results-driven treatments in New York and L.A. Her services and expert knowledge are sought out by stars like Contsance Wu, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rashidah Jones, Rachel Brosnahan— and so many more.
So what do all of these celebs have in common? Well, Vargas cited a strong beauty and wellness routine as the foundation for “good” skin — and that’s before the facialist goes about her magical handiwork. “My celebrity clients take very good care of themselves,” said Vargas. “It’s part of their jobs. They all have good exercise routines, eat lots of greens and veggies. And they all indulge in sheet masks when they travel because that makes you look like you slept and had tons of water and are traveling a great deal.”
When it comes to awards season, Vargas works double-time to get celebrities red carpet-ready. She doesn’t have to do too much for clients that she sees year round, like Brosnahan and Wu. The star noted, “I did Gwendoline Christie and I don’t see her very often so we usually start a week ahead with LED therapy and then a lot of different treatments on the face as the week progresses to make the skin looks really lit when they walk the red carpet in front of a million people.”
To get the celebrity treatment (and your glowiest skin ever) Vargas offered some helpful recommendations for at-home treatment — that is, if you can’t make it into the salon. Consider investing in an LED device for the face, like Dr. Dennis Gross’s SpectraLite Facewear Pro. Vargas couldn’t help but rave about the benefits. She explained, “LED reduces inflammation, speeds the healing of the body by 300% and increases collagen production.” In one circumstance, it even helped to make a nasty scar disappear completely from one of her clients.
Additionally, Vargas is also pro DIY skincare, which you can read all about in her book, Glow from Within. Specific ingredients she likes are yogurt and honey for hydration, chamomile tea as a toner to calm the skin and diluted raw apple cider vinegar if you break out a lot.
Finally, exfoliation and a quality serum is also key. “My most popular product ever since it was first born is my Daily Serum — which is green juice for the skin.” If you have a big event, exfoliate twice a week and follow with a hydrating and soothing face mask.” For reference, Vargas’s current go-to is the Twilight Mask, which she uses in the evening.
Take note: Misha Nonoo’s pop-up full of Meghan Markle-approved fashion is open until December and Joanna Vargas’ Salons are always happily accepting new skincare-loving clients.
