I’ve Tried a Lot of Treatments—This is the Only One That’s Truly Transformed My Damaged, Acne-Prone Skin
My favorite part about covering beauty is learning about cutting edge treatments that provide real results. My own personal skin journey has been long and often times extremely frustrating. Because of this, I take any opportunity I can to try something new if it will help me achieve clear, glowing, healthy skin. Recently, I learned about a treatment from my incredible aesthetician Sonia Vargas. Created by legendary skincare brand DMK, this treatment is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I always like to say that the brand is the industry’s best kept secret. I’d heard from industry professionals that its treatments are out of this world because they provide visible results in a short amount of time. Its home prescriptive skincare can also only be purchased through a licensed aesthetician. It’s very exclusive, but worth it because it’s incredibly effective. DMK takes an integrative approach to skincare, combining innovation with traditional holistic ingredients—my favorite type of brand.
The treatment I received is called StemZyme. Now having experienced it for myself, it’s totally under-hyped IMO. Vargas told me that StemZyme is a wonderful treatment for aging skin, but it’s also equally amazing for skin that’s damaged and in need of a reset—a.k.a my skin. I had the privilege of doing the full DMK StemZyme program with Vargas and the results speak for themselves. If you’re curious to learn more about this treatment, what it can do, and to see my before and after photos, keep scrolling. I’m sharing it all ahead.
What is DMK Stemzyme Therapy?
StemZyme is one of the most unique treatments out there because it can tackle so many different concerns at once—from dark spots, inflammation, uneven texture, and acne to fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin. The brand calls it the ultimate age management system because it reduces the effects of impaired stem cell function in the skin.
Stem cells in the skin are responsible for differentiating into many cell types for the skin’s specific needs. StemZyme therapy works at the cellular level to help refine skin cells’ life cycle at every stage. It assists with stem cell renewal, stem cell differentiation into the various skin tissues, immune response, aging management, and more. While this advanced treatment process is essentially the same for everyone, the amazing thing about it is that it’s personally tailored to you as Vargas said the stem cells will provide aid where they’re most needed in your particular skin.
Additionally, StemZyme is also great for extremely sensitive or hyper-reactive skin as it works to correct this response in the skin. This is what I was most excited about because I’ve struggled with extremely damaged, sensitive skin for years now.
If you opt to do the full StemZyme program, it’s a 50-day commitment. The initial treatment consists of one stem cell activation facial and four follow-up facials spaced out every two weeks. For the follow-up facials, you receive DMK’s Enzyme #1 Masque, a detoxifying treatment that stimulates the internal processes of the skin to help provide oxygen and nutrients to boost cellular activity and repair.
There’s also a pretty extensive home care component. You receive a kit of DMK products to use throughout the program and you should refrain from using any other skincare as not to disrupt the StemZyme process. While it does sound like a lot initially, the home care instructions are easy to follow and your practitioner will give you detailed guidance so you know exactly what to do and when. More on my experience below.
My Experience Getting DMK Stemzyme
When Vargas first told me about the treatment, I was immediately interested. After showing me results some of her other clients had gotten, I was blown away. While this treatment is fantastic for things like fine lines, skin sagging, enlarged pores, I was curious to see what it could do for my type of skin.
To give you a bit more background on my own skin journey, my skin is pretty prone to acne and congestion, but it’s also extremely sensitive. It’s been hard to find a routine that works for me, but doesn’t cause irritation or damage at the same time. I used tretinoin daily for years and to be perfectly honest, it totally ruined my skin. My moisture-barrier was completely shot and my skin became even more sensitive, reactive, and prone to inflammation. It seemed like nothing I did helped or corrected the damage as much as I hoped until I tried this treatment.
The idea of stem cell therapy sounded exactly like what my skin needed. I’d never gotten anything like it before and, since my skin was so low-key traumatized, I knew I could use a regenerative treatment that worked at the cellular level to help perk it up. To start me off, Vargas detoxified my skin with DMK’s Enzyme Mask #1. I already noticed a big decrease in inflammation after that one treatment alone and was excited to continue with the program.
After the initial detoxification session, then it was time for the fun part. Special StemZyme serums were then applied to my skin to initiate cell signaling. Then, contrast therapy was applied to my skin (alternating intervals of a heat pack and ice pack) which was a little intense because it caused slight discomfort, but it was over pretty quickly. After a few cycles of this, that completed my first initial treatment. I was then sent home with a follow-up kit containing the at-home topicals to use along with two twice-daily supplements to take for the rest of the program.
Like I mentioned above, I then received four follow-up facials with Vargas and my skin looked better and better after each session. I started to really notice a difference after two weeks. I did experience a bit of skin purging, but Vargas told me this is normal as your skin starts to detox and release any congestion that might be inhibiting your skin’s renewal cycle.
Vargas also told me that StemZyme keeps working for up to six months after you finish the program so your skin will only continue to get better and better. As you can see in the photos above, I was really struggling with dark spots and inflammation. It seemed like no matter what I used, everything made my skin angry.
Doing this program was the gentle reset that my skin desperately needed. During the 50-day program, I used only a super gentle exfoliant, but sometimes, I felt like I didn’t even need it. Some days, I would wake up and bumps I’d had the day before would be completely gone. My dark spots started to disappear around the two week mark and I noticed my skin was less reactive to everything. Most importantly, it reduced redness pretty dramatically for me. The photo on the left was taken before my first treatment. The above photo on the right was taken immediately after my final session so my skin does appear a bit red but in the photo below, you’ll see it really changed my skin for the better. While my skin isn’t 100% perfect and I still have some work do to, this treatment provided the most dramatic results for me.
My skin’s texture also really suffered after that initial tretinoin damage and, again, it seemed like nothing I did for a while really helped until I got this treatment. I used DMK’s Wetter Than Water ($80) during the treatment program and the first time I used it, my skin’s texture improved drastically the next day—no joke. All of DMK’s products are designed to work seamlessly with the program and I was shocked by how well it boosted the StemZyme treatment. Again, my skin isn’t perfect and I still have a bit of low-level congestion I’d like to correct, but I can’t say enough good things about this treatment. I struggled with inflammation and acne for so long it was hard to see an end in sight. But, after doing this program, my skin continues to improve more and more each day. I also now find that exfoliants don’t irritate my skin like they used to and I can even tolerate using a gentle one day.
While this treatment is definitely expensive (the full program, if you book with Vargas is a $5,000 investment), I can say with full confidence that this is one of the few treatments I’ve gotten that I consider worth the price. It targets exactly what you’re looking to target, works at the cellular level to promote long term skin health, and keeps working long after your final session.
Vargas is also so skilled at her craft and her approach to the process gave me so much confidence. I knew my skin would be in good hands and I can thank her for introducing me to DMK’s incredible professional treatments. Next, I plan on getting a DMK peel with Vargas to further enhance my results. Like I said, I’ve tried a lot of treatments at this point in my career and honestly, have been underwhelmed by the results at times, but this is not one of those times. This is a treatment that’s great for damaged skin. If you’re struggling with it like I did and have the money to spare, don’t hesitate to try this one out.
(Image credit: @shawnasimonee)
Products I’m Using Post-Stemzyme
This spray is amazing. It provides deep hydration to the epidermis, but also gets deep into the dermal layer of the skin to help improve moisture retention and skin texture.
This is one of DMK’s signature formulas. It’s also one of its most popular. It’s designed to support sensitive, reactive, damaged skin by stimulating the Langerhans cells, the skin’s immune system. It promotes regeneration and healing in the skin and is now a staple in my routine.
ANUA
PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum
I’m also obsessed with Korean skincare and am particularly intrigued by the use of salmon-derived PDRN for skin regeneration. I’ve been using this serum for two weeks post-treatment and I’ve already noticed that my skin is firmer and its texture is improving more and more every day.
ANUA
Heartleaf 77 Clear Pad
These exfoliating pads from Anua are so impressive. I’m always scared to try new exfoliants because my skin is so sensitive, but the formula here is unreal. The pads are so gentle, calming, and hydrating but work so well on texture and blackheads. I couldn’t believe what a difference they made after one use and all without causing any redness or disruption to the skin barrier. Korean exfoliators truly are superior IMO.
ANUA
Heartleaf 70 Intense Calming Cream
This hydrating cream for sensitive skin is also great for damage and inflammation because it contains a hefty dose of heartleaf extract, a botanical traditionally used in eastern medicine to treat burns. It’s known for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterials, and antioxidant properties. It’s also Anua’s start ingredient, featured in most of its products. It has become a staple ingredient for me because it calms my skin instantly and this cream leaves it feeling soft, refreshed, and hydrated.
