Facialist Joanna Czech on Her Needle-Free Approach to Halting Wrinkles

Joanna Czech, facialist to Penélope Cruz, Cate Blanchett and Anna Wintour, doesn’t believe in skincare trends.

“I love and believe in fashion trends; I don’t believe in skincare trends,” states celebrity facialist Joanna Czech. “Messing up your skin because everybody else is putting golden sparkles or whatever on their face doesn’t work for me. I believe in science.”

Over her decades-long career as an aesthetician with an incredible zeal for human physiology, Czech, who splits her time between Dallas and New York, has earned herself a big-deal reputation in the skincare world and among countless boldface names. Her customized facial approach — combining state-of-the-art technologies like LED therapy, cryotherapy, ultrasound, microcurrent and radio frequency with her signature facial massage technique — is trusted by the likes of Penélope Cruz, Cate Blanchett and Anna Wintour and has become a requisite treatment before events and awards shows, from the Met Gala to the Golden Globes, to help de-puff, smooth and lift and give skin an immaculate glow.

When it comes to preserving a youthful-looking complexion, Czech says that her philosophy revolves around three main principles: “respect, support and protect” — especially surrounding skin cell energy and its vital role in the aging process.

It has been well documented that our skin relies on the daily regeneration of a whole host of different cells to keep itself in tip-top shape and maintain its protective barrier against rogue free radicals. In order to carry out this renewing function, explains Czech, each individual cell produces charged molecules known as ATPs (short for adenosine triphosphates), which, beyond cell turnover, also assist with collagen and elastin production, keeping skin naturally tight and firm. In other words, ATP energy is the gateway to putting our brightest, bounciest and plumpest face forward.

But as skin ages — a natural process that begins to rear its head by our late 20s, confirms Czech — levels of ATP decrease, which leads to a decline in overall cell function and sets the stage for fine lines, wrinkles, dullness — the list goes on. And with each new decade, ATP continues to plummet, causing deeper crevices and sagging to enter the equation. “I’m 57, and my cell energy is most likely about 50 percent less than that of someone half my age,” explains Czech. That’s why targeting ATP production is central to the skin guru’s in-demand facials. “For the past 20 years, speeding up cell energy has been my goal,” she says. “I use technologies like LED light with ultrasound because when they are combined, they stimulate ATP, among other things.” Skincare products that continue her skin-revitalizing handiwork post-treatment are also key. “When I can send clients home with something that’s going to continue to support the stimulation of ATP, that’s an ideal thing.”

One of Czech’s at-home recos is Dior’s new Capture Totale Super Potent Rich Creme. This luxe and firming facial moisturizer’s star ingredient is longoza flower extract, a resilient botanical proven to help supercharge skin cells and rev up cell turnover. What’s more, the moisturizer also harnesses the power of nourishing glycerine, strengthening peony blossom and plumping hyaluronic acid. “I don’t talk about skincare lines just for the heck of it,” she says. “Finding out about the science behind Dior’s energizing complex for cells was such an amazing discovery for me.” She adds that the silky formula is ideal for treating water-depleted, dehydrated skin — an all-too-common condition (no matter your skin type) that not only exaggerates dullness and wrinkles but can also further exacerbate the depletion of ATP cell energy.

And Czech can’t stress enough the importance of a thorough product application that incorporates below the jawline — a delicate area that’s especially prone to signs of aging due to a thinner skin barrier. “For me, your face starts with the nipples and ends with the hairline,” she announces. “What you do for your face, you should do for the neck and décolleté.