The pre-Oscars facial that gave Cara Delevinge, Hailey Bieber and Lily James tight and bright skin
A-list aesthetician Joanna Czech on what her pre-Oscars facial involved – and the skin tips she gives her clients walking the red carpets
Alongside ethereal statement gowns and slashes of red lipstick, a present theme on the 2023 Oscars red carpet was glowing skin – something not only achieved with make-up.
Over the Oscars weekend, many high profile guests visited the luxury hotel L’Ermitage Beverly Hills for a pampering pre-show facial with one of the skincare world’s most sought-after therapists, Joanna Czech.
The cohort enjoying her customised facial included Hailey Bieber, Lily James, Cara Delevingne, Lily Aldridge and Emma Roberts among other famous faces. “Our pre-Oscars treatment begins with a sculpting and lifting manual massage, followed by exfoliation and a combination of targeted serums chosen for the talent’s skin needs on that day,” Czech tells Bazaar. “My approach to all facials, including pre-Oscars treatments, is always to work on the condition of the skin, rather than the type of skin the client has.”
The advanced facialist then called upon the much-lauded Lyma Laser, “to improve skin elasticity, reduce pigmentation and redness, brighten, and push the actives in the topical products more deeply into the skin”. While this skin-rejuvenating device can be used at home, Czech also uses equipment reserved for clinic use only. “Each facial is incorporated with one or more modalities, which may include various forms of microcurrent, ultrasound, cryotherapy and oxygen infusion,” she says – and that’s in addition to various serums and masks.
While the results of her facial may be transformative, Czech explains that achieving your best skin for an event is a process. As with most lessons in skincare, slow and steady always beats a quick fix. “Weeks and months ahead of the red carpet, I have my clients doing more active treatments such as peels and extractions,” she explains, “and then one-to-two weeks before the event we focus on healing, hydrating, firming and sculpting treatments”. She avoids delivering any harsh treatments the day of an event, instead “to focus on calming, brightening, hydrating, and lifting to get them glowing on that red carpet”.
For anyone else preparing for an event, Czech confirms that “consistency is key”. “I recommend people maintain their day or night routine, practice daily facial massages, eat a healthy diet and avoid salty food, stay hydrated, sleep well, and invest in clinic-grade devices like the Lyma Laser.” Many of her clients have done that latter, she says, explaining that “using it daily will reduce hyperpigmentation, increase elasticity of the skin, even out skin tone and over time reduce the signs of wrinkles and even scarring”.
While the longer it's used, the better the results will look, she reveals that “many of my clients notice a difference within the first six weeks – and what I hear is usually [them reporting] brighter skin that's more hydrated and reinvigorated”. Consider us converted.