Lydia Sarfati
Encyclopedia
Lydia Sarfati is a Polish-born American esthetician, entrepreneur, consultant and author. She is credited with having introduced seaweed-based skin treatments in the United States, and known as a pioneer in the field of modern cosmetics. In 1980, she founded the Sarkli-Repêchage cosmetics company, together with her husband David. Sarfati is a member of several professional associations, a consultant for the spa industry and author of several books on cosmetology and wellness.
She is the daughter of Polish Jews Szloma and Sofia Mops, both of whom were survivors of the Holocaust. Her father's family was almost entirely killed by the Nazis, while her mother had been hold prisoner in a labor camp in Russia during World War II
. Lydia grew up in Legnica
; during her time in Poland, she took her first professional training, a medically-oriented skin care course.
Due to a growing anti-Semitic atmosphere in her native Poland, Lydia emigrated together with her parents to Italy, after a brief period spent in Vienna
.
In 1970, the Mops family got the opportunity to leave for the United States, and settled in New York
, where Lydia got her first job as a makeup artist in a salon
on Madison Avenue.
In New York, Lydia met her future husband, David Sarfati, and the two married in 1972.
A year later, the couple had their first child Ires, and 6 years later they had their second child Shiri. To support them, Lydia worked as an esthetician in Queens
and, in the evenings, she received private customers at the makeshift beauty salon she had improvised at her home.
The next step for Sarfati was to establish her own line of cosmetic products. In 1983, she gave up on her successful salon business, and sold her share to her partner. Her goal was to produce and market a facial product that could be easily applied even by beginners, and still provide excellent results. The result of her efforts was the four-layer facial produced by the Repêchage company, which she founded together with her husband.
In addition to facials, Repêchage manufactured basin cleaners, lotions, moisturizers
and other skin care treatments. One of the most successful products was the full body treatment based on seaweed
, the use of which Sarfati pioneered in the United States. Besides seaweed, Repêchage and Lydia Sarfati also popularized other ingredients used in thalassotherapy
, such as sea water and salts.
Today, Repêchage has established an international presence, with treatments and cosmetic products marketed in 30 countries. The company's headquarters are located in Secaucus, New Jersey
, where Repêchage runs a 50,000 ft production facility, as wells as research laboratories and an esthetics school.
For her contributions to the advancement of esthetics in the U.S., Sarfati has received several awards, including the DERMASCOPE Legend Award and the National Cosmetics Association's Pillar Award for Education Leadership.
Sarfati is also an author; she published Success at your Fingertips, which covers all aspects involved in running a skin care business.
Early life
Lydia Sarfati was born in Poland.She is the daughter of Polish Jews Szloma and Sofia Mops, both of whom were survivors of the Holocaust. Her father's family was almost entirely killed by the Nazis, while her mother had been hold prisoner in a labor camp in Russia during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Lydia grew up in Legnica
Legnica
Legnica is a town in south-western Poland, in Silesia, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa and Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship. It is currently the seat of the county...
; during her time in Poland, she took her first professional training, a medically-oriented skin care course.
Due to a growing anti-Semitic atmosphere in her native Poland, Lydia emigrated together with her parents to Italy, after a brief period spent in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
In 1970, the Mops family got the opportunity to leave for the United States, and settled in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where Lydia got her first job as a makeup artist in a salon
Beauty salon
A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for men and women...
on Madison Avenue.
In New York, Lydia met her future husband, David Sarfati, and the two married in 1972.
A year later, the couple had their first child Ires, and 6 years later they had their second child Shiri. To support them, Lydia worked as an esthetician in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
and, in the evenings, she received private customers at the makeshift beauty salon she had improvised at her home.
Founding of Klisar and Repêchage
In the late 1970s, Sarfati noticed that skin care was still largely neglected in the United States. Together with a friend, Shoshana Kliot, she opened a salon, the Klisar Skin Care Center, in September 1977, and in just a few months, some of New York's most glamorous figures came to receive the novel skin treatments created by Sarfati. The popularity of the salon only grew when magazines such as Vogue, Mademoiselle, Harper's Bazaar, and the New York Times Magazine wrote about Sarfati's advanced esthetic services.The next step for Sarfati was to establish her own line of cosmetic products. In 1983, she gave up on her successful salon business, and sold her share to her partner. Her goal was to produce and market a facial product that could be easily applied even by beginners, and still provide excellent results. The result of her efforts was the four-layer facial produced by the Repêchage company, which she founded together with her husband.
In addition to facials, Repêchage manufactured basin cleaners, lotions, moisturizers
Moisturizer
Moisturizers or emollients are complex mixtures of chemical agents specially designed to make the external layers of the skin softer and more pliable, by increasing its hydration by reducing evaporation. Naturally occurring skin lipids and sterols as well as artificial or natural oils,...
and other skin care treatments. One of the most successful products was the full body treatment based on seaweed
Seaweed
Seaweed is a loose, colloquial term encompassing macroscopic, multicellular, benthic marine algae. The term includes some members of the red, brown and green algae...
, the use of which Sarfati pioneered in the United States. Besides seaweed, Repêchage and Lydia Sarfati also popularized other ingredients used in thalassotherapy
Thalassotherapy
Thalassotherapy is the unproven medical use of seawater as a form of therapy. The properties of seawater are believed to have beneficial effects upon the pores of the skin. Thalassotherapy was developed in seaside towns in Brittany, France during the 19th century...
, such as sea water and salts.
Today, Repêchage has established an international presence, with treatments and cosmetic products marketed in 30 countries. The company's headquarters are located in Secaucus, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, where Repêchage runs a 50,000 ft production facility, as wells as research laboratories and an esthetics school.
Awards and recognitions
Lydia Sarfati is the President of the Estethics Manufacturer and Distributor Alliance (EMDA) and the honorary chair of EstheticsAmerica/CIDESCO USA. She is a member of several other professional associations of the cosmetics and wellness industries.For her contributions to the advancement of esthetics in the U.S., Sarfati has received several awards, including the DERMASCOPE Legend Award and the National Cosmetics Association's Pillar Award for Education Leadership.
Other activities
Lydia Sarfati is a speaker and consultant for the spa industry, being invited to attend conferences and other industry activities.Sarfati is also an author; she published Success at your Fingertips, which covers all aspects involved in running a skin care business.
External Links
- LydiaSarfati.com - Personal website
- Repêchage.com - Company website
- Repêchage - Skin Care - YouTube channel