"Since the launch of Repêchage in 1980, my personal commitment has been to provide the most innovative and effective skin care products. This commitment stems from two things: from my background as an esthetician and from my own personal experience of the sea."— Lydia Sarfati
Lydia's Life Story
Lydia Sarfati was born in Legnica, Poland, a city close to the Czech and German borders. As a young girl, she was an avid student of the sciences, especially chemistry and biology, as well as of the arts, in particular literature. This was the beginning of her life's passion of combining her creative energies with her thirst for scientific knowledge. She has found that knowing how and why things worked has been the driving force behind creating and formulating new products.
Coming to the USA in the summer of 1970 gave her new opportunities to put her knowledge and passion for beauty into practical use. After receiving a cosmetology license, she began her first job as a makeup formulator and creator, blending cosmetics on Madison Ave. After working as a lead esthetician in one of the top NYC spas, she ventured out on her own, opening her first spa in 1977 on 53rd Street and Madison Ave. She quickly became the "it" skin care expert to the social set and celebrities. She introduced the Four Layer Facial in 1980, an entirely new concept in uni-dose facial applications born from the need to assure consistent, 100% efficacy, satisfaction and cleanliness for each client. This facial, based on layer upon layer of freshly harvested seaweed extract (including our best-selling C-Serum) and a thermal mineral lift off mask, proved to be the treatment that would change professional skin care forever.
"I don't know anyone in the industry as forward-thinking as Lydia. 30 years ago, she created a mineral mask when no one was doing it, and now that is all anybody is talking about today. Lydia has been my beauty icon." — Andrea Robinson, Former Beauty Editor, Vogue Magazine
A Family Business
Today, Lydia's vision and passion is shared with her husband, David, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, and daughter Shiri Sarfati, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. They oversee a 50,000 square foot, ISO 9001:2015 certified, manufacturing, research, development and training facility in Secaucus, NJ. Repêchage is now the leading professional skincare brand based on seaweed, combining natural ingredients with high tech research and development, utilizing a proprietary seaweed extraction method that yields the highest quality seaweed that is used in all the company's products and treatments.
"Over the years, Lydia Sarfati has not only brought enormous contributions to this industry, she has also set the standards on how it should be done."— Joel Gerson, PhD, Author, Milady's Standard Textbook for Professional Estheticians and Milady's Standard Fundamentals for Estheticians
Lydia's Passion for Esthetics
Sarfati is one of the pioneers in the field of esthetics in the U.S. setting the professional and business standards for the industry. Her skincare methods are practiced by top estheticians around the world and are taught in over 200 schools in the US and globally. Sarfati serves as Chairman of CIDESCO Section U.S.A, the world's major international beauty therapy association.
Sarfati was honored with the prestigious CIDESCO Medaille du Merite, and was presented with the “Polish and American Woman of the Year 2019” Award by the Polish & American Women Entrepreneurs (WE). In 2020, Sarfati received the ROI-NJ Champions of the C- Suite Award, honoring the top influential CEOS in NJ.
Sarfati is also author of Success at Your Fingertips: How to Succeed in the Skin Care Business. Written to help salon and spa professionals achieve professional success. She is also a contributing author to textbooks, including the Milady Standard Esthetics: Fundamentals, Twelfth Edition, (Cengage Learning, 2019) and Oncology Esthetics®, (Oncology Training International, 2020).
Lydia's Mission
"Since the launch of Repêchage in 1980, my personal commitment has been to provide the most innovative and effective skin care products and treatments that truly WORK. This commitment stems from two things: from my background as an esthetician and from my own personal experience of the sea. I always want my clients leaving a professional facial treatment looking and feeling better than when they first walked in, and to see continued results days after they left. This was my goal when I first opened my skin care clinic and it is still the reason I continue to develop and create innovative treatments and products today. "Sea" for yourself why Repêchage is your second chance for a beautiful complexion. You will love the difference."— Lydia Sarfati
