Expert skincare
get Celeb-worthy skin
She tends to some of the hottest celebs’ skin, and now Joanna Vargas, celebrity facialist and founder of Joanna Vargas Salon & Skincare Collection, is sharing some of her hot holiday skin care tips with us!
SheKnows: The holidays are coming really soon, so what tips do you have for any gals who want to clear their skin up fast for all those holiday photos?
Joanna Vargas: Every girl I know wants clean, clear and glowing skin, especially for holiday parties and yes, the photos. My best tip is to start by eating a bit of avocado every day as part of your salad, or even throwing a half of an avocado into your morning smoothie. Avocado supplies the skin with healthy fats and phytonutrients to hydrate from the inside out and bring back your glow.
Eliminating coffee in the afternoon when you are dragging your feet at work and substituting that with a green juice will do wonders for your face. It will decrease puffiness in the eyes and will even improve dark circles. Green juice will also help to oxygenate the skin, which means the skin will be better able to rid itself of impurities and bring in nutrients.
Finally, there is no replacing a great skin care regimen at home. Washing the face every night before bed is essential. The skin repairs at night and needs to be clean to reset itself. Sleeping with a great serum on the skin really helps the skin to rejuvenate and repair so much faster. I have a serum in my line called the Rejuvenating Serum which is made from argan oil for vitamin C, jojoba oil for balancing oil production, olive oil, a skin softener, neroli oil for better circulation and rosehips oil for environmental protection. It improves your skin’s ability to heal and improves the texture of the skin.
“When the body can’t digest something properly, the next step is to try and push it out through the skin.„
SK: Desserts often get a bad reputation for causing acne. Since the holidays are filled with them, tell us: Are they really to blame for our breakouts?
JV: Some people can literally eat anything and have no repercussions, but many people these days have trouble with their digestion. When the body can’t digest something properly, the next step is to try and push it out through the skin, hence breakouts after a sugary dessert. If you have something at a party that you will pay for later, try and do a quick fix: I keep liquid chlorophyll in the fridge and do a shot of it before bed if I had dessert. The greens in it will help my body digest better and my skin looks clean and clear in the morning!
SK: How far in advance before Christmas would you recommend getting a facial to make sure your skin glows in all those party pictures?
JV: If you are going to a party that you want to look perfect for, have a facial the week before. If you have had extractions, that gives them time to heal so your skin looks perfect for your event.
SK: You have a big celebrity following, so tell me: What is the most common question/concern your clients have?
JV: The most common concern from every client is the worry that their skin just doesn’t “glow” anymore and looks lifeless. Everyone’s life is busy and stressful and we never get enough sleep. Greens in the diet and greens in your skin care are a great solution.
My line has a serum, my Daily Serum, which is inspired by my love of green juices for the skin. It contains oat grass juice for the lymphatic system, chlorophyll for oxygenation, vitamins ACEF found in leafy greens and hyaluronic acid which holds 1,000 times its weight in water.
My favorite ingredient is galactoarabinan, derived from the larch tree, which causes more cell turnover than a glycolic but it’s also anti-inflammatory, so it doesn’t cause irritation, even in sensitive skin. It’s the top selling product in my salon because it works for everyone and it’s my secret weapon for dull skin.
SK: Any at-home remedies or recipes you can recommend for ladies who might get a pesky breakout around the holidays?
JV: Believe it or not, it’s very easy to use kitchen ingredients on the face. I like to make a mask:
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1/2 cup mashed strawberry
- 1/4 cup honey
Mix together and apply to face and neck for 10 minutes. It’s soothing and tightens pores. If you want to add some extra exfoliation, put two tablespoons of almond power into this one and scrub it onto the skin with extra time spent on the t-zone, where most blackheads are found. Then, leave it on as a beauty mask. The results will be amazing!
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