Ever wondered how celebrities look so fresh, lifted, and, well, flawless on the red carpet? For some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, the answer is Iván Pol, an elite aesthetician and skin expert who’s perhaps better known by the moniker The Beauty Sandwich.
Whether it’s Emma Stone, Kim Kardashian, or Victoria Beckham we’re talking about (his A-list client list is endless), he’s a sought-after skin expert who specializes in “snatching” faces, aka lifting, sculpting, and contouring them—all without a drop of makeup. Along with his revolutionary facial, he has developed a line of effective skincare products (or “sauces,” as they’re known) to deliver tight, plump, and protected skin at home.
Since he is the beauty industry’s not-so-secret authority on all things skincare, I was beyond excited to interview him for The Who What Wear Podcast. During our long convo, I asked him my burning questions, and he answered. Ahead, learn some of his best skincare advice, including how to replicate the effects of his iconic skin treatment without an appointment, which at-home devices are *actually* worth the investment, and why the “glass skin” trend is overrated.
(Image credit: Mike Zahar)
First, I needed some background on how Pol became The Beauty Sandwich. After all, you don’t become Hollywood’s go-to aesthetician overnight. Interestingly enough, Pol started out as a makeup artist. He moved to New York City and began his career learning from some of the biggest names in the business, including Trish McEvoy, Laura Mercier, and Bobbi Brown. “I would spend way too much time on the skincare. I was that makeup artist that was all about glowing skin,” he said.
After moving back to South Florida, Pol met Jennifer Lopez. “I get booked to do her makeup, and she walks in with this incredible, gorgeous skin.” After he asked her how she achieved it, Lopez said she got a facial before getting her makeup done. “I saw my whole life kind of flash before my eyes. I said, ‘This is what I’m going to do. I’m going to create the ultimate red carpet facial,'” he said.
Pol went back to school, earned his aesthetician license, and began working with the head of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, Martin Zaiac, MD. He became the aesthetic director of the practice, learning from Zaiac (or “Dr. Marty,” as he lovingly refers to him). Pol began combining modalities (or “sandwiching” treatments) to deliver dramatic lifting and sculpting effects on his clients’ skin. “It was a time when you would only do one thing,” he said. “You would go in and do a Fraxel (treatment), but all of this had so much downtime. That’s when I saw there was really a need for a truly noninvasive procedure.”
Kim Kardashian getting a Beauty Sandwich facial
Skin Tip #1: Radio Frequency Is a Powerful Lifting and Sculpting Technology
While the Beauty Sandwich treatment is a combination (or “sandwich”) of modalities (including LED and infrared light), radio frequency is the cornerstone. Radio frequency is a noninvasive treatment that uses heat energy to stimulate collagen and elastin production, improve skin tone and texture, and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin. “I didn’t invent the technology,” Pol said. “The technology was there. I revolutionized the way that radio frequency was used. I was using these devices as a highlighter, as a contour stick, to create what we now know as a snatched face.”
Elastin and collagen are structural components of the skin. “Elastin is what gives our skin that bounce and plumpness and then collagen creates that tightness and firmness,” Pol said. “As we age, our collagen levels start to decrease. If you start early enough, you can kind of maintain, in my opinion, this kind of bouncy, glowy, delicious skin.”
As such, each Beauty Sandwich treatment relies on a general “recipe” that Pol customizes for each client, depending on their beauty aesthetic and goal. “It’s about elevation, not augmentation. There’s something very powerful about receiving a treatment like mine, and when you’re done, looking in the mirror, it’s still you.”
Anna Sawai getting a Beauty Sandwich facial
Skin Tip #2: Always Be Gentle With Your Skin—Being Harsh Does More Harm Than Good
“I always recommend people do things in a gentle way,” Pol said. “This is about the long haul.” That’s why he uses lower settings on his devices than many other skin experts, including when it comes to radio frequency. “When you think about radio frequency, think about a hot tub. What happens when you first get into a hot tub? It feels hot. That heat level kind of stays consistent. It should never feel super hot. If you feel you’re getting burned, you probably are.”
However, the same can be said for any skincare product or device. “I think what we should be doing at home is repairing,” he said. “Stay away from anything too aggressive. Don’t start at the highest setting.”
Emma Roberts getting a Lyma Laser treatment as part of a Beauty Sandwich facial
Skin Tip #3: The Key to Flawless Makeup Is in Your Skincare Routine
As a former makeup artist, Pol knows what it takes to create a lifted, sculpted face with contour, highlighter, etc. However, he’s interested in delivering the same results with skincare alone. His facials are designed to “tee it up” for makeup artists ahead of the red carpet. The idea is that the more lifted, sculpted, and radiant someone’s skin is, the better, easier, and more flawless the makeup application will be. It makes sense, right?
That’s another reason he developed his own skincare products, or “sauces.” “When your skin can truly digest, makeup can then lay on perfectly, and it’s not going to digest the makeup,” he said.
Oh, by the way, Pol said the “glass skin” trend is overrated. He cautions against getting a glass-skin facial before a big event. “Everyone talks about glass skin. If you get a glass-skin facial right before getting your makeup done, you’re almost too shiny,” he said. “Shine picks up your flaws. You want to do the opposite. You want to have skin like fine china. You want to be like a beautiful porcelain plate. It picks up the light, but it looks perfect.”
The Beauty Sandwich Products
The Beauty Sandwich
Amuse Bouche Facial Mist
Skin Tip #4: Feed Your Skin’s Microbiome
Let’s begin with The Beauty Sandwich’s Amuse Bouche Facial Mist. Designed to be “the first thing that should your face” each day, this high-tech mist supports the skin microbiome—an often overlooked yet incredibly important aspect of the skin. “An amuse bouche opens the appetite,” Pol said. “Just like how the gut gets sluggish, (the skin’s) digestive system gets sluggish. You need to ignite that. That’s what Amuse Bouche does.”
The mist uses a whole host of natural yet effective ingredients. Peony flower is a standout. It bolsters the skin’s own hyaluronic acid for plump, smooth, and hydrated skin. Pol keeps this by his bedside to use first thing each morning. “I don’t cleanse in the morning. I go straight to Amuse Bouche,” he said. Then after working out, he cleanses his skin, uses Amuse Bouche again, and goes straight into his “sauces.”
The Beauty Sandwich
SS01 Secret Sauce
Skin Tip #5: Use The Beauty Sandwich’s Sauces to Achieve A-List Results at Home
This is the original skincare product Pol launched back in 2022. The SS01 Secret Sauce is just that—the secret sauce to his iconic skin treatment. “I wanted to create a skincare line that would feed your face, that would give your skin vitamins, minerals, the essential fatty acids. That’s what the sauce does. It feeds your face fat—fat from omegas 3, 6, 9, and a very rare omega 5 and 7, that will help you with inflammation.”
Inherently volumizing and plumping, this sauce “seals” in hydration and gives the skin a red carpet–worthy glow. Because, as Pol put it, “You can’t lock a glow in without fat.” It’s also designed to keep the skin calm and healthy despite classically disturbing situations like travel and stress.
The Beauty Sandwich’s SS01 Secret Sauce is full of ingredients like rose hip, sea buckthorn oil, red raspberry seed oil, and more. “When you blanket your skin with these delicious ingredients, your skin won’t be as prone to this inflammation cascade. … That was what the original sauce was about. I wanted to create a filter for your face.”
The Beauty Sandwich
SS02 Snatching Sauce
The second sauce that Pol released is the SS02 Snatching Sauce. True to the name, this one is all about lifting, contouring, and sculpting the face. Pol calls it “shapewear for your face,” and he recently used it on Sabrina Carpenter ahead of the MTV VMAs. It’s all thanks to the active ingredient, hazelnut oil, which has a tightening effect on the skin. “You’re going to feel that tensing effect on the skin,” he said. “It also double-duties as a beauty armor because it has so many antioxidants.”
Emma Stone after a Beauty Sandwich facial
Skin Tip #6: You Can (and Should) Mix Up Your Daily Skincare Products
Most people say consistency is key when it comes to skincare. While that’s true in certain situations, Pol believes in the power of customization and feeding the skin exactly what it needs on any given day. “It’s about how your skin feels that day,” he said. “Are you going to throw cashmere on every single day? No. Are you going to wear a jersey every single day? Are you going to wear cotton in a winter storm? No. You want to have a sauce for the way you feel.”
You can swap out the sauces as needed or combine them to achieve the ultimate plump, glowing, yet “snatched” look. Here’s how Pol recommends doing it. Use SS01 from the cheekbones up to plump and volumize the upper half of the face. Then, use SS02 from the lower face down to the neck and chest to contour and tighten the skin in that area. This will create the desired V-shape that his clients come to him for.
Adria Arjona after a Beauty Sandwich facial
Skin Tip #7: Beauty Comes From Within, so Focus on Wellness Practices
Pol is a big believer in caring for the skin from the inside out, and he knows how major basic lifestyle habits like exercise and sleep can be for the complexion. “You want to reduce inflammation in your skin (at home),” he said. He recommends sweating regularly, either from exercise, sitting in an infrared sauna, or both. “We want to sweat. To me, that’s one of the most underrated things is just sweating. That’s how your skin can detox. With the power of either cryotherapy or cold plunging, it can be very anti-inflammatory.” He said this combo of heat and cold is a skincare “hack.”
Qure
Micro-Infusion System – 1 Month Supply
Skin Tip #8: Try At-Home Micro-Needling
Pol is a massive proponent of at-home micro-needling but not with a traditional derma-roller, because it can be too aggressive and unhygienic. Instead, he recommends using Qure’s Micro-Infusion System because it’s “highly effective and gentle.” Instead of a rolling motion, it uses a stamping motion to infuse a built-in serum deep within the skin and promote collagen production. Plus, the stamping heads are one-time use, which means you don’t have to worry about cleaning anything or bacteria getting on or in your skin.
“I really love that micro-needling system because it uses 24-karat-gold-plated needles to stimulate the skin and infuse the serum, which is going to help you achieve that really dewy, delicious, glowing complexion.”
There are two serums to choose from. The Hydrating Serum contains beta-glucan, which is an effective moisturizer and skin-soother. The Rejuvenating Serum contains epidermal growth factor, which is one of Pol’s favorite active ingredients. “(The Qure Micro-Infusion System) was my hero during the Met Gala,” he said. “I use it on all my famous faces.”
Lyma
Lyma Laser Starter Kit
Skin Tip #9: Invest in the Right At-Home Skin Devices
When I asked Pol what at-home skin devices he loves, he was quick to mention the Lyma Laser. This just so happens to be one of my favorite skin devices, so I was thrilled. “They took low-level laser therapy, a technology like radio frequency that’s been around for 50 years, and they revolutionized this technology similar to what I did with The Beauty Sandwich,” he said. “They fragmented the laser beam 25,000 times so that there’s no heat emitting out. It’s healing. It’s going all the way from bone up. You’re going five millimeters into the dermis up.”
Because there’s no heat, you don’t have to worry about it doing damage to the skin. As Pol puts it, “It’s safe, gentle, and effective.” Over time, it promises to target everything from lines and wrinkles to hyperpigmentation, redness, acne scars, and more. It’s a true multitasker.
On the flip side, Pol recommends steering clear of certain skin devices that stimulate facial muscles. “You don’t want to stimulate the wrong muscles. You don’t want to stimulate the depressor muscles, which I feel some of these other modalities tend to do. They’re stimulating the muscles that actually pull the face down. You want to relax those muscles as much as possible.” Luckily for us, he hints at some upcoming innovations. “In the future, there will be some Beauty Sandwich tools, so I say wait for those because they will change your life.” I believe him.
The Full Podcast Episode Featuring Iván Pol of The Beauty Sandwich
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