Skin care specials and tips from Sonya Dakar
Sonya Dakar of the eponymous Beverly Hills skin-care clinic says clients head her way after the holidays “with suitcases in hand,” begging her to remedy the effects of overindulging in food and drink and jet-setting from Palm Springs to London.
“People come to me and say, ‘I need a change,’ ” says Dakar, with a laugh. “And like Obama, I bring change.”
Sonya Dakar’s Detox Fitness Facial treatment (on special for $250 through Jan. 31 -- regularly $500) is a “skin workout” that uses hyperbaric oxygen and acupressure along with peels and masks to remedy holiday excess. But Dakar, who’s been an aesthetician for nearly 40 years, also recommends simple things you can do at home to get your skin back in shape.
If your eyes resemble the pillows that you should be hitting longer, Dakar recommends applying chilled zucchini slices soaked in green tea to the eye area. She says it’s OK to pile them on from hairline to cheekbone to maximize the healing effect. For stubborn dark circles, which she likens to tiny bruises, Dakar extols her Eyeposuction cream ($125 and available online Friday), which also contains green tea.
If over-imbibing and noshing have left you with a puffy face, Dakar recommends taking B-complex vitamins and drinking at least eight glasses of water with lemon, which has a natural cleansing and diuretic effect. You might be making quite a few trips to the bathroom, but the skin-care guru says that spa-goers can pay $1,000 for similar treatments.
Southern California may have mild winters, but the weather is still drying. “January is the driest time of the year -- climate-wise -- from Arizona to New York,” she says. For flaky, itchy or ashy skin, Dakar cuts open a tea bag and uses the leaves to exfoliate with oil -- almond, flax or grape seed -- followed by a warm water rinse. She prefers oils to lotions and recommends the Sonya Dakar Organic Omega Booster ($42), made with flaxseed oil, as a super-light salve that can be worn under makeup.
For breakouts, Dakar suggests skipping “junky food” made from refined sugar and cutting out dairy and yeast products, including beer and white bread. To counter an overabundance of yeast as a result of diet, the Israeli native recommends taking acidophilus supplements, such as her signature FDA-approved Acidophilus Flora tablets ($44).
For an angry zit, Dakar’s home remedy is a tincture made from a packet of yeast mixed with chilled water and a drop each of lemon juice and vinegar to be applied directly to the pimple and left on until it dries. She says the yeast aids in drying and fighting the infection, while the lemon lightens the discolored area.
Dakar, who introduced her product line 15 years ago, keeps her skin-care prices mostly in the $40 range, so, she maintains, “high school girls to secretaries can afford it.”
9975 Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 553-7344. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and Sunday; closed Saturday.
EVENTS
Pretty, Organized at Saks Thursday through Jan. 18: Beauty on One experts invite you to bring your cosmetic bag, and they’ll advise on what to keep or toss and suggest new products to buy. Take home a new three-compartment cosmetic bag with a $50 purchase.
9600 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 275-4211. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Agapi Stassinopoulos: An Evening With the Goddesses Thursday: Ports 1961 hosts Arianna Huffington’s sister Agapi Stassinopoulos, who will present a workshop touted to awaken your beauty, love and true identity. Stassinopoulos is the author of “Conversations With the Goddesses” and “Gods and Goddesses in Love.” The participation fee is $60, and the evening will include access to a 75%-off sale of Ports 1961’s current season collection. Beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be served. RSVP to (323) 951-9696.
8483 Melrose Place, West Hollywood. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
SPA
I Medspa ongoing through Feb. 1: Plaza El Segundo spa offers a VelaShape II promotion for $1,500, including consultation and six treatments (regular price $1,999). VelaShape II is a brief, body-contouring procedure and nonsurgical option for reducing cellulite with slimming effects. I Medspa also offers other Food and Drug Administration-approved beauty treatments, including Latisse for lashes, Botox, Restylane and laser skin rejuvenation -- all under physician supervision.
730-B Allied Way, El Segundo, (310) 322-3211. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; noon to 6 p.m. Saturday.
SALE
Brentwood Country Mart Monday through Jan. 31: Merchants at the quaint 61-year-old shopping center unite for their semiannual sale featuring goods up to 50% off, with proceeds benefiting the One Voice program. Participating stores include Apartment Number 9, Broken English, Calypso, James Perse, Malia Mills and Post26. One Voice provides emergency relief services and scholarship programs to Los Angeles families living at poverty level.
225 26th St., Brentwood. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.