The Superfoods Facial: Why You Need It And How To Make It

Jack-O-Lantern carving season has come and gone, but the perks of the pumpkin extend far beyond Halloween. At the Joanna Vargas spa in NYC, pumpkin is combined with yam and avocado to create Vargas’ signature Superfoods Facial, a vitamin-packed powerhouse for the skin.

“The inspiration for the facial was to combine some of the most effective ingredients that help skin from the inside out,” says Vargas, who is known for her organic-based services and products. This particular treatment is nearly edible, which is part of its power. “Good nutrition is a main component of healthy skin. I’m constantly telling people to throw avocado into their morning smoothies to combat dull winter skin.” She’s not lying—eating right is a best-kept beauty secret. “Beauty from within” is more than just an overused feel-good phrase.

As I imagined pumpkin and yam recipes to nosh on later, Joanna treated me to her multi-step avocado, pumpkin, and yam Superfoods Facial, which also includes a renewing diamond peel, a stimulating paprika mask, and a soothing coconut milk wash, as well as her own creamsicle-scented Vitamin C Face Wash. “Developing facials is like baking a cake,” Vargas says. “I like to make seasonal treatments like this one, because I think they specifically address what the skin really needs at certain times of the year.”

If you can’t make it to NYC, this DIY facial is full of B vitamins and fatty acids to get you glowing even on the coldest of days. We also threw in a splash of antibacterial honey to ward off blemishes, and, inspired by what we learned from Vargas, a dash of paprika to stimulate the circulation of the skin—which allows the moisturizing ingredients in the mask to penetrate more effectively. The only caveat: don’t use on broken skin.

DIY Superfoods Facial

You Will Need
1/8 cup organic pumpkin puree
1/8 cup organic avocado
1 tsp raw honey
1/2 tsp paprika

1: Combine all mask ingredients in a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth and blended.

2: Wash face well with warm water and a mild cleanser (a steamy shower is my favorite pre-facial prep).

3: Smooth the mask over the face and neck, avoiding the eye area. Leave on for 15 minutes. The mask will tingle from the paprika.

4: Rinse off and gently wipe skin clean with a damp cloth.

5: Finish with your favorite soothing moisturizer to lock in moisture.