Joanna Vargas New York Salon
Lifestyle

JOANNA VARGAS: THE ONE AND ONLY

One of the most frustrating things when you move is finding your new go-to businesses and doctors as your new providers. Even the simple ones like your dry cleaner or favorite grocery store. Most important though, are your doctors, dermatologists and aestheticians. Far more important. I mean anyone can dry clean your clothes, but you can’t just trust anyone with your health and skin. When I moved to New York City back in late 2018 I had some research to do. Enter Joanna Vargas.

Joanna Vargas has long been regarded as one of the most respected aestheticians in her field. She and her husband have built an empire for your skin. From her flagship salon on Fifth Avenue in New York to her outpost in Los Angeles at the famed Sunset Tower Hotel. From there she has her namesake skincare line Joanna Vargas Skincare, complete with every skincare product you can imagine. Author? Of course! Her new book Glow from Within is being released February 11th, which you can pre-order here. In March she is releasing her Magic Glow Wand device, which has not only already sold out online but has a waitlist.

MY INTRODUCTION TO JOANNA VARGAS

Having been using some of Joanna Vargas’ products already, when I arrived in NYC I decided to DM her on Instagram. Not only did she respond to me, but she personally invited me to come to the salon. Talk about five star service! From the second I walked in, I was hooked. Every inch of the duplex spa located in a historic building adjacent to Bryant Park is perfection. Everything is perfectly curated to her taste. Beginning with the fine art collection that adorns the walls, and is curated by her personally. To the chic furniture, and her Insta-worthy bright pink neon sign showcasing #GlowBrighter. From the moment you arrive its evident that no detail has been spared. The immediate impact of this tells you that this is clearly not your average day spa. Not by New York or Los Angeles standards, the Joanna Vargas Salon is something else.

It was very shortly after getting to know one another online that I walked through her doors for my first time in New York. That day I indulged in her signature Supernova Facial, followed by a session in her signature LED beds. This would be a routine I would follow without fail each month while I lived in New York City. Last week being my first time back was no exception. The devotion continues to be so real, that I went into the salon at 7:00 PM the day I landed for my Supernova Facial. I came back the next day (in a torrential downpour nonetheless) at 2:00 PM for the LED bed treatment. Nothing was stopping me from getting to one of my favorite places, and favorite rituals, while I was in New York.

THE SUPERNOVA FACIAL

The Supernova Facial is out of this world, much like the name alludes to. It consists of a 12 step treatment in which she utilizes state of the art, anti-aging technology to increase your skin’s hydration at every level. Beginning with a liquid aqua peel that uses an oxygenating formula of glycolic acid to smooth and prep the skin. After that your face is steamed to open your pores, while applying a triple-layer collagen mask packed with vital nutrients. Once the mask has saturated your skin, electroporation and micro-current is used to stimulate muscle toning to sculpt your face, boost your collagen, & elastin production; all while depuffing the skin. The next step is one of my favorite parts, where they use cryotherapy technology on your face to increase circulation, skin metabolism, and oxygenation.

I have long loved the benefits of a cryotherapy chamber, and love what it does to my face as well. The facial is finished off with medical-grade oxygen for even more added hydration. Leaving your skin visibly brighter, more plump, and noticeably glowing. If you haven’t picked up on this yet, glowing is a running theme with everything inside the Joanna Vargas orbit. As this facial has no down time, it can be done the day of or the day before a big event. Hands down the most luxurious facial that I have had, but its the long lasting results and benefits from this treatment that keep bringing you back.

THE POWER NAP

My love for red light therapy and anything infrared is nothing new. When Joanna Vargas introduced her LED bed treatments into her salon I was in heaven. Its a quick 20 minute session, or The Power Nap, in a full-body Revitalight LED bed. The infrared light activates your body’s natural healing powers. It does this by stimulating cell turnover and jump-starting the reparative process to reverse signs of aging and promote well-being. Its a perfect add-on to any treatment at the salon, and can be done before or after.

JOANNA VARGAS SKIN CARE

One thing that I do know about Joanna, is that when she puts her name on something its going to be created perfectly. For instance her namesake skincare line. It is a complete line of skin care products for your entire face and body, with masks and tools designed to best accompany them. Whether it be soaps for certain skin types, her dry brush, or her upcoming Glow Wand; it has it all.

Already being a diehard fan of her Vitamin C Face Wash and Rescue Serum, it was easy to see why they were already cult favorites. The citrus smell in both the face wash and the Rescue Serum, is so intensely energizing and invigorating, it makes you look forward to washing your face. The latter of the two also provides you with large concentrated and corrective amounts of Vitamin C to help to even skin tone. With the results I was getting was from just those two products, I could only imagine what the results of the other products in her line would bring.

After my first Supernova Facial, I became an instant fan of her Supernova Serum which they use in it. Praised by the likes of Vogue, Allure, and Refinery 29 who stated “that this is how beauty editors take care of their skin.” Hey if it’s good enough for them, am I right? As the pinnacle serum of her product line, it is a multidimensional Retinol that visibly improves firmness, enhances clarity, and restores youthful vitality. I use this a couple times a week and thats perfect for my skin. I now alternate between the Supernova and the Rescue serums about every other night.

NEW ADDITIONS TO MY ROUTINE

After this last visit, I picked up her Rejuvenating Serum and the new Revitalizing Eye Cream. I don’t know why or how I had never tried her Rejuvenating Serum before because I fell in love with it. This must have been the first time during the treatment that I noticed that it had Neroli oil in it, which is one of all-time my favorite scents. I also learned that it aids the body in releasing toxins which I had no clue about prior. I now use this in the morning as my serum and will use the more potent ones at night. It gives you that dewy, hydrated, and highly sought after look that people. Mindy Kaling, a personal favorite of mine and fellow Joanna Vargas devotee told The Fashion Spot, “I love Joanna Vargas and her skin care line. Her rejuvenating serum is fantastic.”

HER INSPIRATION

“When a star explodes, the event increases luminosity by as much as 20 magnitudes,” says Vargas of the inspiration for the Supernova treatment. Like I previously mentioned, it includes an aqua peel, micro-current, medical-grade collagen mask and cryotherapy. “It’s become the treatment to get during awards season. Resurfacing, cell turnover, deep hydration, increased metabolism of the skin cells and oxygenation are all a part of what makes it magic.” It’s no wonder she is on speed dial to many of her clients, from those who started with her to the ones she is prepping for the red carpet.

When she and her husband first opened the Joanna Vargas Spa, they were lucky enough to have early adopters to help them in spreading the word. Rebecca Minkoff was one of them, as were Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal. Jake has spoken about wanting to inspire more guys to take care of themselves with her facials. Not to anyone’s surprise, let alone mine, Joanna Vargas already has a large pool of male clients. From professional athletes, models, and men like myself who like to take care of themselves.

It’s fitting way to end this post on my love for all things Joanna, to refer to her travel go-to’s. Whether it be to Los Angeles for the Oscars, or France for the Cannes Film Festival, her Away Carry-On is her go-to travel bag. Just like me for her in-flight essentials, which I talked about in my “Everything That’s in my Carry-On post,” she also packs a lot of sweatsuits and along with her namesake masks. “I try to stick with a uniform for each trip so I’m comfortable and chic all at the same time,” she explained. Me too Joanna, me too.

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