Gwyneth Paltrow’s Facialist Put Me Through Skin Boot Camp—Here’s What I Learned

Are you ready to hear a “fun” fact? Over 415 million people
have rosacea worldwide (me
being one of them). There are over 16 million people in the
U.S. alone. Characterized by easily flushed skin, redness, and
small red bumps
on the face, rosacea is a skin disease often mistaken for acne
or other skin conditions and is one of the hardest to diagnose and
treat. So when I was given the chance to do a six-week skin boot
camp with Sonya
Dakar (one of L.A.’s top estheticians) to help treat my
rosacea, I leaped at the chance.

Sonya has been transforming and treating skin for over 30
years and counts Gwyneth Paltrow, Brittany Snow, and Sophia Bush as
clients. She also developed a
skincare line with pure, clean ingredients to help people at
home keep their skin looking and feeling its best. She’s an expert
when it comes to treating rosacea, acne, and eczema, so I knew I
would be in good hands when embarking on this six-week program.

Keep reading to find out what Sonya did to help calm my
rosacea, as well as the genius skincare
tips I learned for my at-home routine and the lifestyle
changes I’ve implemented to keep my rosacea at bay.

This
is my redness level directly after a treatment with Sonya, in which
she performed extractions, a diamond peel, and LED therapy. As you
can see, my face gets flushed easily from contact.

Let’s back up for a second and explain a bit more about rosacea
for those unfamiliar. Rosacea often begins with a tendency
to blush or flush more easily than other people, with red blotches
appearing on the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. It’s
typically genetic, but there’s no test to determine if the symptoms
someone is experiencing are indeed from rosacea. It’s commonly
misdiagnosed, and equally frustrating is its erratic nature (better
known as “flare-ups”) that can be triggered by both internal and
external factors. External heat and the subsequent dilation of
blood vessels are often linked to rosacea flare-ups.

It’s not just a cosmetic thing though, as the flushing and
redness also cause an intense feeling of heat just underneath the
skin, almost the way your skin feels after a sunburn. So people who
have rosacea deal with not only the external appearance but also
the internal irritation.

Sonya’s skin boot camp program combines in-office treatments
like diamond peels, oxygen facials, LED light therapy, extractions,
and facial massage with at-home products and lifestyle changes to
improve and manage your skin condition. Each week, she rotates
through a few different treatments during your hour with her and
then sends you home with the regimen she wants you to use, such as
her sensitive skin–friendly Omega Oil and Sensi Wash. The

Organic Omega Booster is actually the number one product she
would recommend to anyone with rosacea, as it contains
flaxseed oil, which is rich in essential fatty acids. This
makes it super effective in soothing skin, reducing redness and
inflammation, and calming any itchiness.

She also discussed at length with me the lifestyle factors that
could be making my skin condition worse. For example, hot yoga and
saunas are huge no-nos for rosacea sufferers. Any type of
intense heat (including that from the sun) is going to irritate and
inflame your skin. Another big one is caffeine—too much
of it not only dehydrates your body (which is going to affect your
skin), but it also causes the skin to flush more easily. This was
one of the biggest changes I needed to make as someone who loves
cold brew. Sonya recommended not ditching the habit completely but
limiting it to once daily and making sure I drink a ton of water
to remain hydrated.

After spending six weeks sticking to my recommended skincare
regimen, visiting the Sonya Dakar skin clinic, and eliminating
triggering lifestyle factors, my skin is the calmest it’s ever
been. My flare-ups have been relatively nonexistent, and there is
significantly less redness in my skin. I believe it was the
combination of things Sonya recommended to me that made my skin
look and feel so much better, not just seeing a professional for
treatments weekly. If I had gone in to see her and then
went back to living my life the way I had been before (with a
combination of hot yoga, coffee, and irritating skincare products),
I wouldn’t have noticed the major shift in my skin.

Below I’m outlining the biggest takeaways from my time with
Sonya that I will continue to apply in my daily routine and that
anyone can incorporate into their own to help calm their
skin.

This
is what happens during the LED treatment. You look like a
transformer, but the light is killing harmful bacteria on the
surface of your skin.

1. Avoid or limit external triggers.

As I’ve mentioned, rosacea flare-ups are caused by both internal
and external triggers, so eliminating or reducing these is
extremely important to keep your skin calm. The most common
external triggers include the following:

Sun exposure: While the sun’s UV rays can cause
much damage to skin and worsen rosacea, the damage to blood vessels
throughout the face is the most serious concern—often causing
mild rosacea sufferers to progress quickly into the
moderate-to-severe stages. It’s worth noting that even short-term
exposure of 20 to 30 minutes can worsen a rosacea flare-up.

Windy, cold, dry weather: These are brutal
stressors on the skin and can easily escalate even the mildest case
of rosacea.

Saunas and hot baths or showers: Though these
are quite enjoyable, the prolonged contact with heat will further
dilate capillaries and aggravate rosacea.

Cosmetics and skincare: Especially those
containing alcohol, sulfates, menthol, fragrance, or other known
skin irritants.

2. Reduce internal triggers.

Internal triggers are just as detrimental (if not more) as
external. Things like stress and anxiety are known to heat up the
skin, while things like alcohol are going to cause instant
flushing. The most common internal triggers include the
following:

Stress and anxiety: These are the top internal
triggers for rosacea flare-ups. Stress distorts the body’s ability
to monitor and control proper function. Any pre-existing conditions
are often made worse by prolonged stress.

Alcohol: Alcohol dilates blood vessels, which
will make a red face look redder. Red wine also contains chemicals
called tyramines—a compound that dilates vessels even more. Close
to 90% of rosacea patients who have limited their alcohol
consumption have reported a reduction in the frequency of
flare-ups.

Spicy food: Sriracha and other spicy
foods cause flushing and dilation of capillaries, which amplifies
a rosacea condition.

Medication: Certain medications throw your body
off balance, which in turn can cause flare-ups.

3. Be specific when picking out skincare
products.

Don’t be afraid to use skincare products with rosacea. Just
make sure you choose formulas and ingredients that will help your
skin. It isn’t enough to just cleanse and moisturize with
gentle products. The goal would be to create a regimen with
products that will help your skin become healthier over time. You
want to choose products that will help decrease inflammation, fight
free-radical damage, improve the skin’s barrier, and boost collagen
production. These are the ingredients to look for when shopping for
products:

Omega-3 fatty acids
Green tea extract
Niacinamide
Oat extract
Linoleic oils
Chamomile
Aloe
Resveratrol

4. Avoid ingredients that will irritate sensitive
skin.

Avoid products with harsh, drying, and irritating ingredients.
This means no glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide,
sodium lauryl sulfate, hydroquinone, sulfates, and detergents.
All of these will strip, thin, and irritate skin and trigger
rosacea flare-ups.

Following these four tips will improve your sensitivity and
reduce the frequency of flare-ups. I was shocked (and stoked, TBH)
at how much my skin improved by making a few small alterations in
both my skincare routine and lifestyle.

This
milky face wash removes dirt and makeup without irritating
sensitive skin types. With soothing lavender and oat kernel
extract, it’s suitable for even the most dehydrated skin. The oat
extract calms skin down while strengthening it at the same time to
make it more resilient to future irritation.

I
use this cleanser to remove my makeup, and it takes everything off
in one swoop—even the most stubborn waterproof eye makeup. It
never irritates my skin and has officially become one of my staple
products.

This
is the holy-grail product for sensitive skin types. It hydrates and
calms skin down instantly. It contains flaxseed oil, which is rich
in omega-3s, -6s, and -9s. Thanks to its high concentration of
active ingredients, it’s effective in reducing irritation,
inflammation, and redness—which are all skin issues associated
with rosacea.

This luxurious
facial oil helps keep my skin both calm and hydrated. It contains
antioxidants that protect the skin from free radicals in the air
(which can cause irritation and redness).

This
green gel soothes redness and helps to calm irritated skin while
evening out skin tone.

This
lightweight moisturizer is made with the brand’s Nano-Apple Stem
Cell Complex to deliver all-day hydration without ever feeling
greasy. All of Sonya’s products are 100% natural, so if you’re
trying to switch over to a cleaner beauty routine, these are great
additions.

Another
moisturizer I use regularly is this Drunk Elephant formula. It’s
super lightweight yet feels extremely hydrating. Plus, it’s 100%
clean.

If
you’re looking for a heavier moisturizer, the Omega Sculpting Cream
is amazing. I like this one for overnight because it goes on a bit
thicker and makes your skin feel ultra-silky.

This
mask is ideal for rosacea, as it offers intense hydration, vital
nutrients, plant stem cells, and antioxidants to hydrate and
strengthen skin.

Obviously,
limiting sun exposure is recommended to keep flare-ups at bay, but
when you are out in the sun, make sure you’re protecting your skin
with SPF. I like this one because it absorbs into the skin quickly
and doesn’t look greasy under makeup.