Have you ever heard of a microcurrent facial?
If not, I’ll best describe it as a “workout for your face” using very low voltage electricity currents that leaves skin depuffed and glowing. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know how obsessed I am with depuffing. As someone who is extremely sensitive (to lack of sleep, salty food, anything) I’m up for any opportunity to test out a noninvasive skincare treatment that promises to eliminate inflammation and slim your facial lines. So when Joanna Vargas reached out about trying the popular “Triple Crown Facial” I was game.
If Joanna Vargas is ringing a bell, it’s because she’s a celebrity aesthetician (her clients range from Naomi Watts and Julianne Moore to Karlie Kloss and Dakota Johnson, to name a few). She’s known for her noninvasive approach to anti-aging and uses a range of technologies in her facials like microdermabrasion, oxygen therapy and microcurrent. Her skincare line is organic and plant-based, and she’s especially known for her sheet masks. All this is up my alley, and I’d actually already tried one of her products: the eye patches (that I ADORE), which I included in my beauty gift guide and love to travel with.
I arrived to the salon at the Sunset Tower Hotel here in LA on a very rainy day, ready to give microcurrent a go. My only caveat with housing a skincare spa in a place like Sunset Tower (if you live in or have been to LA, you know this hotel is an uppety Hollywood hangout spot) is that its the type of place you go all dressed up and and made up, ready to see and be seen, and not particularly with a bare post-facial face. As I hand my keys to valet I have a few flashbacks to getting a couple bad facials as a teenager (not from anyone I still go to, obviously) that left me beet-red and scabbed. Since every review of the Triple Crown touts glowing post-treatment skin, I figure I won’t have a problem, ha.
I am greeted by the small but beautiful check in area – think marble, roses, products lining the walls. The treatment room is the best part: a chic little vanity area to undress and stash your bag, a bathtub next to a bowl of roses, a bathrobe hanging in the closet and candles lit. I felt instantly relaxed. My aesthetician arrived and introduced herself and I immediately noticed how bright her own skin was, which is always a good sign (Joanna herself works out of the New York City salon, so she has a staff of trained specialists in LA).
She first used microdermabrasion (before even cleansing!), which felt amazing – it was a little diamond-tipped wand that gently sloughed off dead skin. Next was a cleanser, then oxygen therapy, which I usually have in my facials and love for its instant brightening effect. Next came a mask, and then the best part – the microcurrent. With two small metal wands, she strategically gently pushed and lifted areas of my face – for example, moving the wands up the cheeks, holding one under the cheekbone and one above, etc. It didn’t hurt one bit, and we chatted while she did the whole face. The wands felt a bit warm but I couldn’t actually feel the electricity pulsing.
I know people make grand statements about skincare treatments like “I looked completely different after, believe me!” Here is my truthful conclusion: I still looked like myself of course, with my own skin – but, there was not an ounce of puff under my eyes, the line of my cheekbones were noticeably more defined, and my face overall looked slimmer. My skin was plump and calm, no redness (this is also because we didn’t do extractions, since the facial is focused on brightening). And it was soft – very, very soft. My face looked the best it had all month, super glowy and revived.
As a beauty blogger, the facial was offered to me complimentary, but I wasn’t paid to review it or recommend it – I just love trying new things to share with you, and educating myself about the latest technologies in skincare to know what’s out there and what works. I gravitate toward clean, natural ingredients and nontoxic solutions that can still offer results, so this experience was my kinda thing! I think the Triple Crown facial yields immediate results, and I’m sure that those who come more often have longer lasting results. Microcurrent is meant to work as a sort of more natural, non-invasive version of Botox. Joanna says clients like Julianne Moore don’t prefer injectables and do this instead – and clearly it’s working for her.
On to the products: I left with three. The Daily Serum, which is like a “green juice for your face” – I’m obsessed with the texture, lightweight, almost slippery, that soaks in fast and feels airy. It’s full of antioxidants and vitamins and works on any type of skin, from acne-prone to dry, normal and combination. The Exfoliating Mask, a grainy scrub to be used weekly, and the Dawn Sheet Masks.
My ultimate conclusion: I will definitely be back for another Triple Crown facial, most likely before an important event or trip, and I’ve incorporated the Daily Serum into my everyday routine. I’ll be traveling with the sheet masks and eye patches. If you’re in LA or NYC, I recommend checking out Joanna’s salons for the Triple Crown; she also has a full menu of other treatments. If you’re out of state/country, I’d suggest trying her sheet masks – they are the most similar effect to a facial! The Eden Lift mask is great for brightening and firming, The Twilight mask for deep hydration, the Dawn for gentle exfoliation and the Forever Glow for anti-aging.
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