Talking Shop is our series where we talk to interesting people about their most interesting buys.
When you meet celebrity esthetician Joanna Czech, you’d likely assume that skin care was a lifelong passion of hers. She has encyclopedic knowledge on the industry and a client list that comes from years of dedication (and a top-notch reputation). But Czech says she’s an accidental esthetician. She wanted to be a doctor, but after attending a beauty institute in Poland when she was 21, she fell in love with esthetics and stopped applying to medical school.
Three decades later, Czech has studios in New York City, Dallas and Los Angeles, and she launched her own skin care line in 2021. She’s often called a skin coach due to her holistic approach, which is core to everything she does. “Treating skin is not a luxury — this is wellness and health, and it always has been,” says Czech. “36 years ago when I arrived in the United States, esthetics was about selling lifting creams. But I don’t believe in skin care trends. I believe in consistency and being disciplined because skin care is science.”
To learn about Czech’s all time favorite products, I talked to her about what’s in her toiletry bag, the skin care routine that she never skips and her “Czech-isms,” a.k.a words to live by.
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Czech’s skin care routine is simpler than you may expect from an esthetician. It consists of four-steps: cleanser, toner, a serum (vitamin C in the morning and vitamin A at night) and a moisturizing balm. “These are my favorite things because I’m 61 and I’m post-menopause,” she says. “Skin care, in my opinion, is so individualized, so don’t do what your girlfriend does. That’s one of my Czech-isms.”
The toner, serum and balm in Czech’s lineup are quite consistent, but she switches up what cleanser she reaches for. “I use all different cleansers depending on what’s happening with my skin, like if I was wearing makeup, sweating post-workout or had sunscreen on at the beach,” she says. “I think I have 12 cleansers, and I generally prefer products without scents.”
One of Czech’s favorite options is Wonder Vallery’s Oil Cleanser, which she’s carried at her studios and on her website for years. She says it effectively removes makeup and sunscreen, plus makes her face feel clean without drying it out. The cleanser has a honey consistency when you pump it out of the bottle, but as you lather, it gets milky, according to the brand.
Czech is constantly traveling for work and pleasure. The week I talked to her, she was getting ready to go to Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Poland and Croatia with little to no downtime between each destination. (And after weeks of globe-trotting, she’ll return to California to do celebrities’ facials before The Emmys.)
At this point, Czech is a professional packer. “I have my travel down. I almost never check my luggage, and I try to use only a carry-on whenever I can,” she says. “This one from Away is one of my all-time favorites. It’s compatible at all international airports, and it’s so lightweight yet spacious for quick trips.”
“Every single day, I do a nighttime routine for the face and body. Nipples up, according to me, is the face and that’s our vanity. But taking care of our body is about health, so don’t bring the streets to the sheets — that’s another Czech-ism,” she says.
After Czech showers at night, she applies her body cream and oil, then puts on a pajama set from Pour Les Femmes. “I’m 5-foot-3, and the cropped pants are perfect for me. The cotton is just phenomenal and very light, so I recommend it for everyone, especially women going through menopause,” she says. “If I were to show up on the streets of New York wearing this PJ set with a proper sandal, people would think I’m wearing regular clothes.”
Czech has carried Environ skin care in her studios and on her company’s website for 27 years. “I learned about it at Trudy [Styler] and Sting’s house. I was waiting to take care of Trudy and her Pilates teacher asked me if I’d ever heard about Environ’s skin care line,” says Czech. “She said it was a fabulous line, and it brought me to meeting my absolute guru in the wellness business, Dr. Des Fernandez. Environ is his skin care line from South Africa, and everything is done with tremendous respect to the skin.”
Czech uses a handful of Environ products daily, but one stands out most of all. “I definitely cannot live without this vitamin A, and this particular form is retinyl. I use it every single night. I started with sequence one 27 years ago, and now I’m on sequence four plus, which is the highest.” Unlike retinoic acid and retinol, Czech says this form of vitamin A doesn’t cause sun reactivity or sensitivity for her.
“I love everything from The Row,” says Czech. “I love wearing things that nobody knows what’s up, and my favorite handbag that nobody can recognize is the Astra Bag. It’s light, it has two little pockets and it zips closed so it’s safe for travel. I have them in all the colors.” The bag is also soft and flexible, so much so that she can stuff it into her Away carry-on before boarding the plane.
“I always have my Milk stick with me, especially when I travel,” says Czech. “It’s my very favorite and it fits everywhere. I use the shade Werk [a dusty rose] on my cheeks and my lips.” The stick is creamy and blendable, and it gives you a flush look, she says. It’s made with vegan ingredients, like mango butter, avocado oil and apricot oil, all of which are hydrating for the skin, according to the brand.
RiseWell’s Scrubby Floss earned a permanent spot in Czech’s toiletry bag, as well as in her bathroom at home. “After every meal, I love to use this floss because it’s gentle yet effective, so I don’t dread flossing my teeth every night — I actually look forward to it,” she says. “The floss isn’t waxy, so it really gives you a thorough cleanse.”
Diorshow is Czech’s top mascara for daily wear. She buys it in a brown shade to make her blue eyes pop behind her signature Thierry Lasry glasses, which the brand custom-made for her after she wore a similar pair for about seven years. Diorshow’s formula is buildable, so as you add more coats to your lashes, it builds volume. Czech is also a fan of Milk Makeup’s Kush Mascara, which also comes in brown and a mini size for travel.
“I always have the Hermés perfume holder with me. This is in my handbag every day,” says Czech. “They come beautifully packaged in all different leathers, like the typical Hermes orange color and black. They’re not cheap, but you can give it to someone as a special, great gift, and it comes in the orange box, and you’ll have that elegant bottle forever.” The set comes with three bottles of an Hermes fragrance. Once you use those up, you can refill them with any perfume — Czech says her bottles are currently filled with Mortel by Trudon.
I’m a reporter at NBC Select who writes our Talking Shop series, interviewing people like Chace Crawford, Dorinda Medley, Miranda Kerr, Tiler Peck and Sara and Erin Foster. To write this piece, I interviewed Joanna Czech about her all-time favorite products.
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