Written & Photographed by A Wild Dove
There’s a reason Naomi Watts and Julianne Moore entrust their skin to Joanna Vargas, facialist and founder of Joanna Vargas Salon and Skincare Collection. Not only are her products amazing, but Joanna’s philosophy centers around caring for the complexion from the inside and out. It’s not enough to have great serums and eye creams, but our diets must reflect healthy choices that will make us glow. So given the rising temps, we asked Joanna for a little advice on how to weather the summer transition and what it means for our skin. Her answers, below.
A Wild Dove
Ok, so we all need a skin detox after winter. Your Spring Clean Detox Facial sounds like magic. Can you tell us more about it?
Joanna Vargas
I love seasonal product changes and treatments. The skin changes so much depending on weather and humidity levels. Detoxing after a long winter is something I think everyone should do, and greens are an excellent way to do that!
A Wild Dove
Greens inside and out! For in-home maintenance, it sounds like the Daily Serum, aka "green juice for the skin," is an extension of the facial. Can you describe?
Joanna Vargas
My all-natural Daily Serum is packed with vital greens and is inspired by my love of green juicing. It contains oat grass juice for the lymphatic system, chlorophyll for oxygenation, vitamins A, C, E, and F found in leafy greens, and hyaluronic acid. My favorite ingredient is galactoarabinan. It causes more cell turnover than a glycolic but it’s anti-inflammatory, so it doesn't cause irritation. It's the top selling product in my salon because it works for everyone and it’s my secret weapon for dull skin.
A Wild Dove
That sounds amazing. How do you refresh your skin to transition it into spring/summer? Either through treatments or product changes?
Joanna Vargas
Spring and summer skin needs less moisture but just as much TLC because of our increased exposure to the environment. A change in the weather really changes the needs of our skin. Once the weather gets warmer, I suggest changing your skincare routine to just serums. In addition to my Daily Serum, I also have a nighttime formula called 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 rose hip oil for environmental protection. It improves your skin’s ability to heal and the texture of the skin.
I also always encourage people to carry a little bottle of rose water spray in their bag. Rose is awesome for hydrating skin when mixed with water and feels incredible when you are getting sticky from walking around outside.
A Wild Dove
Wow! Well, we love it and now we know why! What are some the ways we can avoid breakouts and oily complexions in the summer heat?
Joanna Vargas
Summer skin gets stressed immediately after our first big weekend in the sun. Not only does our skin have to adjust to the drying effects of air conditioning, we have the sun, sweat, pollution and sunscreen all attacking our skin! It's hard to maintain great skin in the summer, but a good start is to exfoliate twice a week to clean pores and get rid of the dry dead cells on the surface of the skin.
The Joanna Vargas Green Juice Recipe
4 leaves romaine
1 stalk celery
1 whole cucumber
A handful of spinach
A handful of parsley
A handful of kale
1 whole apple
A dash of lemon and ginger