image credit: Fern Olivia
I was invited to experience a lovely facial at the famous Sonya Dakar Skin Clinic in Beverly Hills with all cruelty-free, botanical oils and serums. If you’ve ever driven down Santa Monica going through Beverly Hills, you’ve probably seen her iconic building.
I have heard of Sonya and her famous clientele (Gwyneth Paltrow, Lauren Conrad, and Jennifer Lawrence) but until a gorgeous Friday afternoon last month, I had yet to experience her signature facial.
I arrived to the spa’s stunning rooftop laced with cabanas, day beds, and fresh florals. Often referred to as the “Mecca of Beauty Boot Camp” The Sonya Dakar Skin Clinic is now the most advanced skin care centre in the nation.
It was perfect for my Spa It Girl LA contribution, decadence and well deserved after my long week of giving yoga and reiki sessions, and hosting events.
Thankfully, the incredible Sonya Dakar team had an amazing self-care afternoon planned for me.
The moment I slipped into a cozy treatment chair, slide off my top and covered up in a towel as the radiant sun warmed my skin, I took a deep inhale, exhale, and felt soothing hands on my face.
It was a dream to experience a signature facial and a relaxing body oil treatment, while taking in the views of Beverly Hills, sipping cocktails and receiving a customized summer skincare Rx from the Sonya Dakar team.
Sonya Dakar is a skin visionary. She has been treating skin for over 40 years. What began as a Hollywood secret has flourished into a brand and authority in the skincare industry.
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Having graced the pages of Allure, Vogue, InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, New York Times, People, Us Weekly, and many more, Sonya regularly appears on television shows such as E!, Good Morning America, and Access Hollywood, to name a few. Her expertise is widely celebrated by beauty industry insiders and Hollywood tastemakers alike.
For as long as she can remember, Sonya always knew that she wanted to make people feel and look their most beautiful, and her love for beauty started with skin. Growing up in Tel Aviv, Sonya admired the way her mother took care of her skin, watching as she got monthly facials and often tagging along on her appointments. Sonya began observing and absorbing the techniques and various lotions and potions used.
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When she became old enough to babysit, she decided to save up her babysitting money for one thing: facials of her own. Enthralled with her esthetician and the holistic practices that she used, Sonya decided to become an esthetician herself. She became an apprentice and once she graduated high school, enrolled in esthetics school in Tel Aviv officially beginning her career.
Sonya came to the United States in the late 70s, settling with her family in West Hollywood, CA. With a fast growing client database, she soon opened up her first clinic. Word about her services continued to spread, and it wasn’t long before celebrities took notice. Decades later, she continues to serve Hollywood A-listers and has become a household name in her own right.
The Sonya Dakar Skin Clinic is housed in a 12,000 sq. ft facility located in the heart of Beverly Hills. No ordinary skin treatment center, the 5-level wellness clinic combines the perfect blend of homeopathic remedies, aesthetics and medical science to give clients an answer to all of their skincare needs.
Providing a truly unique and luxury experience, the skin clinic offers an organic spa menu, concierge service and a rooftop deck for al fresco skin treatments and private dining. Making it a “one-stop shop” for head-to-toe beauty, the clinic also boasts a nail salon and hair studio.
Sonya offers a complete skincare product line, NutraSphere, as well as the new Beauty BootCamp supplements designed to keep skin clear, healthy and ageless.
Some of her other signature offerings include a variety of unique and customized facials, oxygen treatments, custom phytic acid and diamond peels, red and blue light treatments, and a Booty Boot Camp 6-week detox program.
Sonya’s daughter, Mimi, recommended I take home the products below for best results and she was so knowledgable about the ingredients and sources.
As a founder of my own all-organic beauty and fragrance brand, Ajai Alchemy, I am very curious to learn about how each product is made and the founder’s personal story and love for the ingredients, so I was very excited to learn from Mimi and experience her vast knowledge of essential oils and botanicals.
Here are some of the gorgeous products used during my superstar treatment:
Organic Omega Booster – This makes my skin so luminous and fresh and no wonder it’s known as “Liquid Gold!” Heralded as a breakthrough skin innovation, this 100% natural, nourishing facial oil hydrates, replenishes and instantly renews a youthful glow. Rich in Omega 3,6 and 9 this light-weight formula is quickly absorbed into the skin and offers daylong hydration.
Besides leaving skin with an undeniable luminosity and exquisite softness, this essential oil formula is ultra gentle, smells heavenly, and solves a myriad of skin problems. Anti-inflammatory properties in skin grade omega oils nourish, soothe, and protect the skin, making it ideal for those with sensitive skin, psoriasis, eczema, and rosacea.
The omega 3,6 and 9 fatty acids, nutritive vitamins, protective minerals, quenching antioxidants and replenishing amino acids prevent dryness and help balance your skin’s oil production.
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Nano Clarifying Hydrator – I LOVE the way this product makes my skin feel! This daily moisturizer is designed specifically for clients with oily/combination skin. Its light formula goes on easy and absorbs quickly.
Patented sebum (oil) regulators reduce excess facial oil and clogged pores, while an active probiotics blend (lactobacillus and bifidobacterium) naturally produces lactic acid that eliminates acne causing bacteria.
What you can expect is a moisturiser that nourishes and protects your skin, reduces oiliness, fights acne and provides a clear and healthy complexion.
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Organic Overnight Sculpting Mask – Plumps, sculpts, and reduces wrinkles – the ultimate beauty find! An intense treatment that addresses the visible signs of aging, deeply hydrates, sculpts, lifts and firms the skin—all during a good night’s sleep.
Formulated with Organic Omega Oil, fermented yeast, hyaluronic acid, and other collagen synthesizing ingredients, this mask defines the contours of the face and neck, creating a lifted, firmed and taut jowl and neck, as well as plumping fine lines and wrinkles from deep within the skin. Organic Omega Oil deeply nourishes, calms, and feeds the skin giving it an incredible glow.
By morning you will see an improvement in skin firmness, hydration and texture, as well as reduced redness and irritation. Ideal for anyone concerned with combating or preventing aging.
The results: One month after my treatment at Sonya Dakar and applying her products as part of my daily ritual, my skin feels radiant, glowing, even, and luminous! I can’t wait to come back to experience more luxurious treatments.