Joanna Vargas Opens Up a New Manhattan Spa—Just in Time for the Holidays
Inside Joanna Vargas’s new 14,000-foot Manhattan skin-care clinic, a neon pink sign flashes in the entryway: Glow Brighter. Having opened her first New York space some 12 years ago, Vargas has long been the mastermind behind many of the radiant complexions that light up today’s red carpets—Dakota Johnson, Emily Ratajkowski, Elisabeth Moss—but with this upgrade, and eight new treatment rooms, she’s setting out to service a much larger clientele base. “We knew we needed more space,” Vargas says as she walks down a hallway painted the same soft rose shade as her signature sheet masks. “I don’t think a huge waitlist is chic.”
At the sprawling Fifth Avenue spa, accented with smudge sticks and sheepskin throws, Vargas’s sought-after facial menu will feature new additions such as the Twilight Treatment, which marries microneedling with radio frequency, cryotherapy, and LED light, as well as fan favorites like the Supernova Facial, a pre-awards-show standby at her Los Angeles location. Deeply hydrating, the 60-minute service begins with an aqua peel and includes a medical-grade collagen mask and an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial oxygen treatment infused with Vargas’s green tea, vitamin, and aloe serum.
Of course, Vargas is not stopping above the neck: “As facialists, we focus so much [on the face],” she says, explaining that the rest of the body often goes overlooked. Now, massage therapy and lymphatic drainage, long essential components of her facials, are being offered for the whole physique, as is cryotherapy, which, she notes, works wonders on rosacea. In addition, prime real estate within the two-floor space is being granted to four LED light beds that have been redesigned to simultaneously treat different zones of the body, say anti-cellulite for the derrière paired with anti-aging on the neck.
With the holiday season on the horizon, consider it the ultimate gift—and one you should consider bestowing upon yourself, too. “I think it’s hard for women to [find] time for [self-care]; it’s much easier for us to make time for other people,” she says. “But addressing yourself, spiritually and physically, is just a really important aspect of growing up. Invest in yourself.”
Joanna Vargas
501 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor
joannavargas.com
