VIV Says: Blog

Anyone who has ever had extractions done by Hollywood skin guru Sonya Dakar will never forget the experience. If Dakar were performing her signature “facial fitness treatment” at Guantanamo Bay, there would be cause to alert the Human Rights Commission. Still, you leave the Beverly Hills clinic with your pores not merely cleansed but purged, and Dakar’s A-list clientele — including Gwyneth Paltrow, Drew Barrymore and Debra Messing — adore her for this thoroughness.

For those with acne-prone, sensitive skin — or merely a lower pain threshold — Dakar will be launching a new treatment next month, the Açaí Clarifying Facial ($275). When we tried it, we experienced something we never had before at the Sonya Dakar Skin Clinic: actual relaxation. There was gentle massaging, a barely stinging mask, the coolness of marble stones rolled over our face, and, when it was over, our skin looked more refined, our pores less prominent. The at-home extension of this treatment is the Clarifying Collection, which includes a cleanser ($45), serum ($42) and pore mimimizer ($48). Sulfate- and paraben-free, the Clarifying line contains a cocktail of antioxidants harvested from Brazilian rain-forest plants, as well as salicylic and lactic acids. Look for them on sonyadakar.com.