How Shani Darden Preps Celebrity Skin Ahead Of The Met Gala

This Monday, Hollywood’s favorite celebrities will take flight to New York City for the biggest ball of the year: The 2024 Met Gala. Esthetician, to the likes of Sofia Richie and Kelly Rowland, Shani Darden included. “I absolutely love coming to New York and was thrilled to prep some clients’ skin before they head to the Met ball,” she tells ESSENCE. Darden is in lockstep with this year’s dress code, “The Garden Of Time,” as she’s reawakening the skin of the evening’s most flourishing guests. “It’s a big weekend for us and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Below, Darden shares her celebrity skin-approved secrets, the importance of skin prep, and how to recreate her signature facial at home.

ESSENCE: Why did you decide to bring your facial services from LA to New York this weekend? 

Shani Darden: In addition to the Met ball, we also have an event at the Sephora store in Soho all weekend long where people can sign up to receive a mini-facial with my Triple Acid Signature Peel. It’s the next best thing to getting one of my peels at my studio and I’m so excited everyone can experience a red carpet glow from home.

Can you tell us what celebs you’ll be doing facials on?

You’ll just have to wait and see! I am incredibly fortunate to prep the skin of some of the most incredible actors, actresses, artists, and so many more. I know the Met ball is a massive red carpet moment and I never take for granted being a small part of the experience.

How do you prep your clients for the red carpet? Can you give us the key steps behind the facial?

All of my clients get my Signature Facial which is custom-tailored to each client’s skin needs. I like to deliver clear skin that is tight and sculpted with an immediate glow. My facials incorporate vibration therapy, a light chemical peel, oxygen therapy, microcurrent, extractions if needed, LED light therapy, cryotherapy, as well as a few other things.

Before an event, I love to give my clients a lactic acid peel, because it’s great for all skin types and not overly harsh. It doesn’t cause any dryness, you just literally walk out glowing. It’s the best. Clients love it so much that I created an at home version during the pandemic, my Triple Acid Signature Peel. It’s a great skin resurfacer to keep skin glowing and pores clear in between appointments.  

We know celebrities will most likely have full faces of makeup for the Met Gala. Why is prepping the skin ahead of wearing makeup important?

Prepping the skin ahead of makeup application is crucial. You want to create a clean, smooth canvas and hydrated base prior to heavy red carpet makeup. Prior to makeup, I recommend using a cleanser, like my Cleansing Serum, to wash any dirt or impurities off of the face. After cleansing, use my Facial Sculpting Wand to boost circulation, and to tighten and firm the skin.

The last step before makeup is moisturizing. This is one of the most important steps for the makeup to properly blend into the face and not appear cakey or cause creases. I love my Moisture Boost Plumping Serum because it not only hydrates but also helps protect your skin barrier. After a hydrating serum, I go in with a moisturizer such as my Hydration Peptide Cream. It provides 72 hours of hydration but is also non comedogenic so won’t clog your pores.

How can we recreate your Met Gala facial while at home?

The Triple Acid Peel is the perfect at-home facial to recreate that red carpet glow from the comfort of your home. The treatment consists of a 2-step peel powered by a trio of acids to resurface and brighten, plus a neutralizing mask to deep clean and refine pores. 

Step 1: Use the lactic, glycolic and mandelic acid peel that instantly sweeps away dead skin cells across multiple layers. You apply this with the brush provided and leave on for two minutes.

Step 2: Apply the soothing kaolin and bentonite clay mask that neutralizes step one. You will feel a quick intense tingle– this is the neutralization of the peel. It is deep cleaning and refining your pores by removing dirt and oil without over drying your skin. The skin is left renewed, resurfaced and radiant. I recommend doing this every couple of weeks for the ultimate skin refresher.

What are you most excited about for this weekend? 

I can’t wait to see the amazing looks and so curious to see how everyone interprets this year’s dress code: “The Garden Of Time.”