23 SKIN FOUNDER AND REPÊCHAGE SKINCARE PARTNER SHIRI SARFATI SPEAKS ON LIFE IN THE EVER-EVOLVING

Repêchage Skincare partner Shiri Sarfati PHOTO BY STELLAR MEDIA AGENCY

In recent years, we’ve seen a growing awareness from consumers regarding skincare and the ingredients in our products. But for Shiri Sarfati, a second-generation licensed esthetician and founder of 23 Skin (@23_skin) and Repêchage Skincare (@repechage) partner, understanding skincare is literally in her DNA. Experiencing her first facial at the young age of 3, Sarfati spent her youth traveling around New York and attending beauty and trade shows while meeting industry icons such as Essie Weingarten, the namesake behind Essie nail polish. While working overseas in Harajuku, Japan, traveling worldwide and teaching at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Miami-based Sarfati shares with us how she’s seen the beauty industry evolve and some insider secrets to achieving flawless skin.

What was it like growing up in the beauty sphere?

I grew up in the industry as my mother owned a skincare clinic in Manhattan and launched her professional skincare brand a year after I was born. So I was literally born into the beauty industry. Today, our global, family-owned company, Repêchage, is found in over 50 countries. In fifth grade, I thought I could do our signature Repêchage Four Layer Facial on a classmate. I slathered the masks on her, and it ended up all in her curly blond hair; I quickly realized esthetics wasn’t as easy as it looked. I lived in Japan during college and worked at Japanese beauty counters. Once I joined Repêchage full time, it felt like I lived on an airplane, meeting with spas and distributors and educating estheticians and beauty professionals worldwide.

PHOTO BY STELLAR MEDIA AGENCY

What inspired you to become an esthetician?

Being in the business and regularly working with licensed professionals and spas, I knew I had to get my license. I was conducting global training and was often required to demonstrate facials. I could never find the time in my schedule to commit to the hours of education. I finally did when my youngest son started nursery school. The day I enrolled him was when I decided to enroll in esthetics school. There were times when I felt I could have taught the class, but I always took my studies seriously. During school, my skin broke out because of the products we used. I realized how important it was to work with highquality products and take care of our skin routinely.

How has the skincare industry evolved throughout your career?

Consumers today are much more educated on ingredients and products than ever before, asking for products based on featured ingredients. Repêchage has been at the forefront of trends for years, formulating with the ingredients that are now becoming buzzworthy, like seaweed, niacinamide, lactic acid, hyaluronic acid and glutathione. We pride ourselves on doing the work, research and development (which we do in-house at our laboratories), and developing high-quality products that work.

PHOTO BY STELLAR MEDIA AGENCY

What are your skincare musts?

See a skincare professional for a proper skin analysis; gentle exfoliation; avoid the sun; destress, whether it’s by getting a massage, taking a bath, exercising, laughing or having sex; and stop seeking a quick fix.