December 2018, Secaucus, NJ — International skin care company Repêchage® launched their new Repêchage® FUSION™ Face & Body Sugar Scrub Collection at their Power Lunch, an annual business event for beauty professionals held on Monday, December 3, 2018 at the Repêchage® Headquarters in Secaucus, NJ. Beauty professionals from Ghana, Italy, Romania, Trinidad, Poland, Mexico, the United States, and special guests Agata Golubiewska, Chairman of the Polish and American Women Entrepreneurs Association, and Maciej Golubiewski, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York, attended to get inspiration and insights for 2019. This year’s guest speakers included Lydia Sarfati, Repêchage® CEO and Founder, Dr. Leon Alexander, President of Eurisko Design, Lois Christie, Owner of Christie & Co. Salon and Spa in NYC, and Gordon Miller, CEO of Hairbrained™. Their presentations reported on trending topics affecting the beauty industry.
Sarfati kicked off the event with her presentation Sugar & Spice Up Your Spa Business. In her presentation, Sarfati discussed how body care is now the second most popular product purchased at retail in spas and salons, and how body care services are the second top grossing service at the spa and salon¹. To capture this market, Sarfati explained how professionals can offer facial and body exfoliation treatments and products. “Exfoliating treatment and products are a critical element for healthy skin and all skin types for several reasons,” said Sarfati.
- Industry Insider Report by American Spa, https://www.americanspa.com/american-spas-industry-insider-2017-report
- Aging skin: Cell renewal slows down causing dull, flaking skin.
- Oily skin: This skin type has excess oils that tend to saturate dead skin cells, making it difficult for these dead cells to fall off naturally.
- Dry skin: This skin type has dry, dead skin cells that accumulate too quickly on the skin surface, which can make skin look dry and dull.
These conditions can occur on both the face and body as well. Understanding this need led Sarfati and Repêchage® to expand their natural FUSION™ skin care collection with the FUSION™ Face & Body Sugar Scrub Collection, available in both back bar and retail sizes. Within this collection will be the FUSION™ Chocolate Espresso INVIGORATE Face & Body Sugar Scrub and FUSION™ Matcha Lemongrass DEEP CLEANSE Face & Body Sugar Scrub. These deep cleansing and invigorating, soft, creamy formulas gently exfoliate rough, dry skin, combining softening Sugar with sustainably-harvested Seaweed extracts and other natural ingredients, including Matcha, Cocoa, Coffee, and a Multi-Fruit AHA Complex. These scrubs are powerful, antioxidant-rich, gentle, yet effective: the perfect addition to spa menus as a stand-alone treatment, during a pedicure or manicure service, or as an add-on service. Skin care professionals can also use these services as an opportunity to introduce clients to the new retail at-home scrubs.
Dr. Leon Alexander, who has a Ph.D. in Behavioral Psychology and is the Founder of Eurisko Design, followed with his presentation: A Window into the Consumer’s Mind. Dr. Alexander highlighted how consumers have changed today as a result of the digital world we live in, and how this will affect the future of the beauty industry. Key changes that Dr. Alexander foresees affecting spa business and retailing include:
- Mobile technology that includes devices which provide consumer entertainment, education, product knowledge videos and promotions.
- RFID (Radio Frequency Information Device) embedded in store front windows, mirrors, retail shelves, and products.
- Self-checkout.
- Virtual personal stylists.
- Spas providing “entertainment” that will make them shop and stay longer. This will come in the form of digital displays and touch screens with videos, as well as offering other retail items and services such as wine and coffee bars.
To capture consumers, Dr. Alexander pointed out the “three E’s” that are essential for salons/spas:
- Entertainment will keep people in a store longer.
- Experiences ensure people will share and connect positively with their social network.
- Education will create a higher average ticket.
Lois Christie, Owner of Christie & Co. Salon and Spa followed Dr. Alexander with Think Differently: How to Succeed in a Competitive Market. Christie provided professionals with tips on how to beat competition and retail disruptors like Amazon:
- Provide personalized customer service.
- Elevate the client experience —Make sure the client has an experiential visit with scents, texture, look and touch.
- Have fun and inviting displays visible at reception and throughout the spa and salon.
- Create personal relationships and build trust with clients.
- Show you care — Follow through with clients and do follow-ups to see how they enjoyed their experience and if they are enjoying their products.
- Create loyalty by knowing your clients on a personal basis and providing recommendations.
Christie also discussed how important it is for salon and spa owners to adapt to change. “Change should be constant,” said Christie. “You must adapt and find a different way to create success.” Christie provided examples with changes her salon has made in response to clients being concerned with how long services will take, more so than how much they will cost. To maximize their time, the salon has recently launched the Repêchage® Glow and Go concept. The salon combines Repêchage® sheet mask treatments with an eye brow treatment, hand massage, and flash makeup service. Other combined services include a hand mask while getting a pedicure, facial mask with a hair color treatment, and their “Signature Treatment” which includes a facial mask, anti-aging hand treatment and hair treatment.
Gordon Miller, CEO of Hairbrained™ followed with Future Proofing in an Age of Disruption. Miller discussed how the age in which we live in has evolved and changed. “Advances in technology are changing the world in ways that were unimaginable a few years ago,” said Miller. “Social media, as one example, is changing not only who we connect and communicate with, but in doing so, is fundamentally changing the world order.” Giving other examples like how Uber, Airbnb, and Amazon have disrupted the taxi, hotel, and retail industry, Miller pointed out ways this major shift is affecting the salon and spa industry:
- Clients aren’t as loyal and will search Google to find a new salon or spa if they’re unhappy with services.
- Clients can use social media (Instagram, Yelp, etc.) and like, share, check-in, or leave reviews of services.
- Clients can buy retail products online.
To keep up with these changes, and learn how to react both offensively and defensively, Gordon advised the audience that professionals must continue to stay educated about what is new in the industry.
The evening finished with a special Q+A with Lydia Sarfati, led by Gordon Miller. Some key takeaways included:
What inspired Sarfati to start Repêchage? “I saw that the skin care market was going to start to grow in the United States, and that a uni-dose treatment that assured consistent results did not exist,” said Sarfati. “This was the same strategy implemented by McDonald’s for consistency and this inspired me to create the Four-Layer Facial®. The Four-Layer Facial® changed the way estheticians would perform facials.”
How did Sarfati discover seaweed? “Thirty-eight years ago I was ahead of my time. When I first discovered seaweed, everyone thought seaweed? Yuck! No one ate sushi or seaweed salad at the time,” said Sarfati. “My eureka moment with seaweed and skin care actually happened in Israel. In the arid desert farming communities, farmers were growing and harvesting delicious vegetables. I was curious as to how this was possible in such a dry climate. We discovered that they used seaweed as a bio-stimulant for the plants because seaweed retained water longer and the elements of seaweed were very nutritious for the plants. Here we are 40 years later.”
What is one piece of advice for salon/spa owners serving millennials, the hot topic of today? “Make it fun and be efficient with their time,” said Sarfati. “Don’t tell them they need to come in for three hours — give them a fun experience that offers multiple services in an hour.”
With education being at the core of Lydia Sarfati’s values, Repêchage® will continue to provide opportunities for beauty professionals to come together and learn from one another. Save the date for the Repêchage® 21th Annual International Conference for Salon & Spa Professionals to be held on Monday, May 6, 2019 in NYC!
For more on Repêchage®, visit www.repechage.com
For high resolution images, please contact info@repechage.com
About Repêchage®: Since 1980, Repêchage® has created a full range of seaweed-based skincare products featured at top spas and salons globally. Forerunners in sea plant technologies and pioneers in seaweed treatments and cosmetics in the US, Repêchage® researchers seek out specific seaweeds beneficial for a range of skin care concerns. Repêchage® seaweed is sustainably harvested from the coast of Maine, USA and France, and then processed with a proprietary extraction method at the ISO 9001:2015 certified Repêchage® manufacturing facility, located at the Repêchage® Headquarters in Secaucus, NJ, USA. Through this proprietary extraction process, Repêchage® seaweeds retain 12 vitamins, 18 amino acids, 42 trace elements and minerals, and phlorotannins – the only elements your skin needs for deep surface hydration and balance.
