Joanna Vargas: A Breakdown Of Today's Most Advanced Facials
Being introduced to the wonderful options available at the Joanna Vargas Spa in New York is an education in itself. The non-invasive treatments available for anti-aging facials can create extraordinary changes, without downtime, without a needle and without pain. Joanna’s philosophy is to do no harm while achieving cutting edge results. The facials improve the skin without damaging it, thinning it or exposing it to toxins. Joanna has utilized technology, originally invented by NASA scientists, to add back what the skin loses as it ages. Welcome to the world of the technologically advanced J.V. facials that have Karlie Kloss, Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore glowing.
MICROCURRENT FACIAL
In an issue of InStyle Magazine UK, Jennifer Aniston emphasized that she doesn’t like botox or fillers, but favors lasers and added, “I also like a good microcurrent facial."
Microcurrent facials are a proven way to lift, firm, smooth out wrinkles and accentuate cheek bones. It was an accidental discovery by a physician treating Bell’s palsy patients that caused microcurrent to become integrated into skincare. The physician noticed that his patients faces were smoother and appeared much younger after treatments. The key here is that microcurrents tone the facial muscles, which results in lifted skin.
Joanna Varga’s senior aesthetician mentioned that, "some women who had microcurrent facials for twelve consecutive months felt they looked five to ten years younger than they did at the start of the year."
Best For: Loss of elasticity and firmness. Pronounced nasolabial folds (laugh lines). The safe and natural alternative to fillers. One treatment will yield minimal results. Microcurrent facials show their stuff over time, so these need to be repeated. After three sessions laugh lines were smoothed and lifted. There are package discounts.
OXYGEN FACIAL
Joanna Vargas is known for this treatment, and it produces phenomenal results. In fact, our complexion was brighter, skin smoother and clearer. The results lasted all the way up to our next facial, five weeks later! Never before had there been so many comments about our skin looking good. The facial involves cleansing and exfoliating followed by spraying 98% pure oxygen infused with a serum of essential nutrients and antioxidants that repair the skin at a cellular level. Some spa’s advertise oxygen facials, but fail to use the machine. “H2O creams” don’t make an oxygen facial. Be sure to check before scheduling. Joanna Vargas uses the Intraceuticals brand for their oxygen treatments and it really doesn’t get better than that.
Best For: Dull skin. Dehydrated and dry skin with fine lines. Clogged pores (this J.V. facial includes extractions). The safe and natural alternative to botox. If you are only doing one or two facials, perhaps leading up to a special event, the oxygen facial is the best choice. Beautiful, glowing skin is visible immediately.
RADIO FREQUENCY FACIAL
Joanna has said the results of this technology are like Saran Wrap for the face. It’s the key treatment to boost collagen. The technology, which is painless and non-invasive, stimulates collagen production by almost 20%. The beauty of the Forever Facial treatment is the radio frequency helps your body do the work to create the improvements. You’re not injecting something to create the look of collagen. Instead the radio frequency treatments assist the facial skin to lift, tone and tighten. The great thing about this treatment is that once you complete a series of once-a-week treatments, you don’t lose the collagen. You only need to maintain the results with occasion treatments.
Best For: Increasing collagen. Lifting, firming and tightening. Sagging cheeks and jowls. Loss of tone in the lower part of the face. A non-invasive mini-face lift. A series is necessary to reach the maximum collagen-stimulating benefits.
LED LIGHT THERAPY
Science has come to find that when cells in the human body take in LED Light it’s converted into ATP. ATP is what helps the body repair itself, but we make less of it as we age. When LED light therapy is used in a facial, we are giving our skin a boost and it triggers tissue to heal and rejuvenate. It’s non-invasive and will not damage the skin, it does the exact opposite, replenishing cells with reparative energy. The use of the light is simple, (Joanna Vargas’ treatment is called the VitaLight) it is connected to a stand and put over your face for 20 minutes or less. Your skin absorbs the light while you relax. It can be a solo treatment, which J.V. offers with a bit of micodermabrasion. the light session (while you get a foot massage) and then finishes with oxygen. Results for LED Light Therapy include increase collagen & elastin production. It prevents the signs of aging, helps shrink pore size and diminish sun damage.
What’s great about LED Light Therapy is the natural looking improvement in the skin, people can’t put their finger on what is different, just that you look especially good.
Best For: Brightening skin and repairing skin from the inside out. Add it on to an oxygen facial, so you get beautiful clear skin and increase firmness.
J.V. advises that results are cumulative and noticeable changes are usually achieved in 8-10 treatments, however results with LED Light Therapy can vary. I saw results immediately with the VitaLight. In fact, a skin fanatic friend said, “you’re doing something different, you’re using different makeup or something.” However, the only thing done differently in that time period was the VitaLight treatment.
LED LIGHT THERAPY BED a.k.a. THE TIME MACHINE
This bed is exclusive to the Joanna Vargas Salon. It was designed by scientists who worked on special advancements for NASA. The bed includes red and infrared light, which are known to be anti-inflammatory, boost collagen and increase elastin production. The lights never get hot, in fact a small heater runs in the room to keep a chill away. The bed covers the entire body and can reduce cellulite, stretch marks, shrinking pore size and creating smoother and more even skin tone. I noticed a dramatic improvement of the lines on my chest for all side sleepers. Also, any blemishes and small scrapes healed very quickly, like in a day after a 20 minute session in the bed. If you are in New York in the winter months, this is a must. Not only will your entire skin improve during brutally cold months, but the light exposure increases serotonin production, which is a wonderful thing when the sun goes missing.
Best For: All over body tone. A one time session won’t result in visible change. At least six sessions are required to see real improvement.
PRETTY PUBLIC PICKS
Joanna created her own natural skincare line that is incorporated into treatments. Results of any facial cannot be maintained without excellent at-home skincare. The line is available to order online if you aren’t in New York. These three products have become staples in our skincare routine.
A good facial scrub is hard to find, especially one that doesn’t dry out the skin. Joanna stresses that exfoliating is the most important part of skincare, so it’s no wonder she got it so right. The Joanna Vargas Exfoliating Mask is one of the very best we’ve ever used. Gently scrub it onto the skin and then leave it on as a mask for about ten minutes, leave it on up to 20 minutes if you like. It’s not at all drying or rough. It works great on sensitive skin too; if you’re prone to broken capillaries from harsh scrubs you won’t have a problem with this product. No breakouts to report either, just clean skin. The key ingredients of Lactic acid, Kaolin Clay, Vitamin C, and Hyaluronic Acid brighten the skin, decongest pores, kill bacteria and breakdown dead skin cells. Use once or twice a week for best results.
Joanna created the Rejuvenating Serum, because she felt creams on the market didn’t contain enough oil to replace the water loss that occurs with age. As we grow older our natural oils decrease, which causes mature skin to look dry. Even the healthiest people see this change in their skin as they age. This serum has the right mix of ingredients to properly rehydrate the skin to bring back a soft and supple complexion. This is an all-star for dry and/or mature skin. Only a few drops are needed a day. A little goes a long way.
Not all sheet masks are created equal. The Glow To Go Mask Set includes Joanna’s best-selling sheet masks, which target all areas of anti-aging. The ingredients are top-notch and deliver visible results. Celebrities often mention these masks as a favorite at-home treatment. The individual masks are also offered in multi-packs, outside of this variety pack, but we love that you get to try each of her stellar formulas in one box.
The Joanna Vargas Salon is located at 501 5th Ave New York, NY 10017 and recently opened a location in Los Angeles. To book an appointment visit their website or call (212) 949-2350.