Joanna Vargas is a celebrity facialist and founder of Joanna Vargas skincare, made up of products that provide good nutrition for skin. She also has popular salons in NYC and LA, which specialize in non-invasive treatments using cutting-edge technology. While Joanna is now recognized as one of the best in skincare, she originally moved to New York to be a fashion photographer. But, she says, “the second I found the beauty industry, I was hooked.” And she never looked back. How does a star in the beauty world relax and rejuvenate? We asked Joanna to share her best self-care tips with us below.

What are some bad habits you’ve cut from your routine?

1. I have eliminated coffee in the afternoon and substituted that with a green juice – it does wonders for your face. Caffeine is bad for the circulation around your eyes. Coffee, even two cups a day, can make dark circles more pronounced.  

2. I try and avoid sugar, dairy and wheat. All of those things are hard to digest and lead to breakouts even in adult skin! Most people don’t realize that skin directly correlates to our digestive system. If we eat something we can’t digest or have trouble digesting, there are consequences! 

3. Cut back on alcohol and sugar. It’s bad for your collagen and creates inflammation. They are both big reasons people lose elasticity early. Alcohol is horribly drying for the skin, inhibits the digestive system and causes breakouts. Sugar can also cause your skin to break out immediately. 

Good habits you’ve added?

1. I dry brush every day before I get in the shower. Dry brushing with my Ritual Brush before a morning shower takes two minutes and it’s going to increase circulation, stimulate the lymphatic system, increase collagen production and tighten the skin.

2. Once I leave work, I stay off of electronics completely. Family time! 

3. Drinking a green juice every day. It will be a great replacement to your afternoon coffee and it will literally transform your skin in a matter of days. It helps oxygenate the skin and stimulates lymphatic drainage so it’s de-puffing too. My Daily Serum was actually inspired by my love of green juices for the skin and it’s a hero product in my skincare collection. 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.

How do you keep yourself balanced or take care of yourself throughout the day?
I make sure that I take time for myself – exercise is a big part of that, eating right so I feel happy with myself, and also spending lots of quality time with my kids. I also make sure to surround myself with the right people. I have been lucky enough to have met some amazing and inspiring women over the years. I have a very tight knit group of friends who are all CEOs in fashion and beauty who I turn to for advice or just someone to vent to. It’s great because we all understand where we are all at in our careers. I hire women in a similar way that I choose friends – women I respect, admire and can learn from. 

Are there any activities you do to help de-stress?
I love to exercise, read, paint and play the piano. I also take 5 minutes in the morning and at night for my own beauty ritual. In the morning, that means dry brushing before a shower and spending a few minutes massaging the face while applying my skincare products. 

How many hours of sleep do you get a night? 
7 hours is a must! I’m just too busy for any less.  

Is there anything you’d improve about your sleep schedule?
No. I feel like I am taking good care of myself and that’s what counts! 

Do you have a favorite wellness trend? 
I love infrared saunas for detoxing. It’s a great ritual. I also love cryotherapy for increasing oxygenation and metabolism so much, I’ve added it to our facials. 

What is your favorite healthy food? How do you incorporate it into your diet?
Eating healthy is obviously good for many things, but if you want glowing skin, it is more important than you think to have a good diet. I find that the best skin diet is one that involves eating veggies of different colors for every meal and a green juice every day. There is really no substitute and it works on everyone! If I have a client who doesn’t eat salad or drink green juices, I tell them to go to Whole Foods and buy liquid chlorophyll, it tastes like mint, it oxygenates the skin, keeps skin clean, works from the inside out. You will see a huge difference in your skin in a matter of days.