Repêchage – 1980 To Now
1970s: The Beginning of the Entrepreneurial Spirit
Lydia Sarfati began her career in beauty as a makeup artist and skin care specialist in 1971, custom-blending cosmetics in a Madison Avenue salon in New York. She received her license in cosmetology, and in 1975, became the skin care manager in a top NYC Salon.
In light of her mission to educate her clients on the importance of professional skin care, Sarfati wrote her first booklet on the truth about skin care, educating clients on the proper way to treat blackheads as well as prevent wrinkles and sun damage. As her clientele grew, Sarfati realized she needed her own platform to both provide service and educate her clients.
Starting a business in New York in the 1970s was a daunting task for a woman. In a time of male-dominated business, breaking barriers was second nature to Sarfati, who faced the adversity head on.
In 1977, at a time when only men were allowed to sign for bank loan, and New York City was in the midst of a deep recession, Lydia opened Klisar, her first day spa in Manhattan on 53rd Street off of 5th Ave. Without a large staff or capital, Lydia and her partner did everything, from performing intensive, transformative facials to cleaning the floors and linens. Her hard work paid off. Klisar became a huge success, proof that you don’t have to be big to be successful, a life lesson Lydia shares with estheticians from all backgrounds around the world.
After traveling with her husband David in Israel in the late 1970s, Sarfati was inspired by the nutrient-rich soil in the deserts, discovering that Israeli farmers used seaweed as a bio-stimulant. This was her “aha” moment, traveling to the source of seaweed on the Brittany Coast of France to negotiate the production of the first seaweed based skin care line.
1980s: The Birth of Beauty from the Sea
July 23, 1980 – Sarfati launched the iconic Repêchage® Four-Layer Facial® based on her company’s exclusive Laminaria Digititata seaweed filtrate and an entirely new concept of unidose applications that assured both quality control and consistent results.
Sarfati soon became the leading esthetician in the country, featured in major media such as Vogue, InStyle, Glamour, Elle, Allure, and the New York Times as well as on CNN, CBS, and FOX. Cosmopolitan UK has called the Four-Layer Facial® “the best facial of the century.”
Repêchage also launches its original skin care collection, including the iconic Hydro-Complex® PFS, C-Serum® Seaweed Filtrate, and Honey and Almond Scrub
1981 – The Repêchage Four-Layer® Facial is launched in Japan, their first international distributor. The Four-Layer® Facial is a natural fit and a huge success due to the predominance of seaweed in traditional cuisine and culture, and the understanding of the benefits of seaweed in Japan.
1986 – Repêchage addresses the needs of combination skin with the launch of T-Zone Cleansing, Toning and Moisture Complex.
1989: While raising her two daughters, Ires and Shiri, Sarfati continued to build her business, opening the new Repêchage® Spa de Beauté on Third Ave in NYC, her first street-level day spa concept.
1990’s Repêchage Expands
1990 – Repêchage celebrates its 10th Anniversary in glamorous new loft-space offices spanning 15,000 square feet in NY’s flatiron district. The company has grown to roughly 10 times its original size and introduces Algo Mist®, creating a new product category; a delicate mist that tones, hydrates, and adds instant moisture.
1991 – Lydia is honored by Dermascope as a “Legend” for her fundamental role in raising the bar in esthetics education and skin care development in the industry.
1992 – Repêchage launches in Korea, Singapore, the Philippines and Greece.
August 12, 1995 – Repêchage is way ahead of the .com curve and officially launches repechage.com for web commerce, winning the American Beauty Association ABBIE award for Best Electronic Advertising for Salons/Internet for repechage.com the following year.
1995 – Lydia returns to Poland, bringing the 1st International Congress of Esthetics in Warsaw.
1996 – David Sarfati, Lydia’s husband joins Repêchage after two years of consulting and decades of support. David begins to develop a new business plan to incorporate full service distributors. Together they develop the Spa de Beauté program, a marketing support plan for spas and salons fully dedicated to the Repêchage line of treatments and products.
– Repêchage launches Rapidex® Marine Exfoliator With Phyto-Marine Actives, the first safe and effective unidose program based on phyto-marine extracts and natural fruit acids to gently exfoliate the skin, helping the skin to appear more even in tone and texture, feel softer and smoother. Lydia created Rapidex® Marine Exfoliator to provide a controlled application process because she observed that clients were over-exfoliating their skin, whether with microdermabrasion, chemical and acid peels or laser resurfacing procedures.
– Repêchage also launches the Peppermint Sea Twist, the award-winning, iconic, and refreshing body treatment that combines peppermint oil with freshly harvested seaweed to stimulate and rejuvenate the appearance of the skin.
– Repêchage becomes the first professional skin care company to join forces with professional hair and nail distributors and by the end of the decade Repêchage has 20 full service distributors.
– Repêchage launches in the U.K.
1997 –Joel Gerson, Ph.D. presents Lydia with the prestigious Les Nouvelles Esthétiques Crystal Award in recognition of her contributions and achievements in the field of esthetics.
– Repêchage introduces the Opti-Firm Collection for Mature and Photo-Aged Skin combining seaweed with Ginkgo Biloba and Gotu Kola.
1998 – Repêchage opens the Repêchage Spa de Beauté inside the Galleria Building on 57th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues.
2000s: Repêchage Reaches New Heights in Excellence
2000 – Lydia and David Sarfati open their new headquarters, a 50,000 square foot manufacturing, research and development and training facility in Secaucus, NJ that includes the Lydia Sarfati Post Graduate Skin Care Academy.
– Repêchage launches the professional Hydra 4® Facial for Sensitive Skin as well as the retail Hydra 4® for Sensitive Skin and Hydra Refine for Combination Skin product lines, based on seaweed and the most advanced natural ingredients, as well as the professional Sea Spa Glow Natural Exfoliator with Dead Sea Salts.
2001 – Lydia Sarfati granted the ICMAD’s Cosmetic Entrepreneur Award for Leadership
2003 – Repêchage launches in Australia
2003 – Shiri Sarfati joins Repêchage as Director of Communications.
2003 – The original Hydra Dew® Collection for Dry Skin is launched to address dry skin conditions, as well as the professional facial treatment, the Hydra Dew® Express Lift Moisture Mask.
2004 – Lydia and David Sarfati are honored at the 19th Annual Beauty Ball at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. They are the first honorees from a skin care company to be recognized at the gala. The Sarfati selected the Make a Wish Foundation to be the organization to receive proceeds from the event.
2003-2005 — Repêchage makes a splash in the media with appearances on CBS, ABC, FOX, and two features on the Dr. Phil Show.
2005 – Lydia brings the 54th CIDESCO World Congress to New York City during the International Beauty Show and is name chairman of CIDESCO Section USA.
2005 – Lydia writes her first book, Success at Your Fingertips: How to Succeed in the Skin Care Business.
2006 – The full Repêchage® Vita Cura® Collection, as well as the breakthrough Vita Cura® 5 Phase Firming Facial with Micropeel are launched. The award-winning antiaging facial includes the Enzymatic Micropeel, made of pure papaya enzyme that provides a mild, vegetable-based peel so that even sensitive skin can enjoy the benefits of mild exfoliation. The facial and skin care collection contains nurturing seaweeds and other skin softening ingredients with pentapeptides to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
2008 – Repêchage launches the Facial Bar Concept in the United States, a revolutionary concept of bringing the facial treatment out of the back room and onto the salon floor.
2008 – Shiri Sarfati promoted to Vice President of Sales and Marketing, responsible for developing direct sales for salons and spas.
2008 – Repêchage launches the Hydra Medic® Facial for Oily/Problem Skin as well as the Hydra Medic® Retail Collection for Oily/Problem Skin. This professional facial and retail product collection is the first to use seaweed and other natural ingredients to truly maintain proper moisture on the skin while addressing oily skin needs.
2009 – Lydia presented with the prestigious Chevalerie “Knight Award” by Intercoiffure Mondial as the first and only skin care professional to be recognized by the organization for outstanding contributions to the industry.
2009 – Lydia was honored at the Seventh Annual “Top Women in Business” Networking Awards Dinner presented by the Queens Courier, Queens Business Today and American Airlines.
2010s: World Expansion and Commitment to Renewable, Sustainable Seaweed
2010 – Shiri Sarfati is appointed Vice President of Sarkli/Repechage, Ltd. to oversee all aspects of the Repêchage brand and new business opportunities.
2011 – Repêchage launches the Biolight® Collection for Dull, Uneven Skin as well as the Biolight® Miracle Facial with Glyco-Sea® Peel, utilizing the latest in brightening science and innovative marine bio-technology to help control the appearance of uneven skin tones and dark spots.
2013 – Repêchage launches in Dubai, India, Poland, Romania, and Trinidad.
2014 – “Layer Upon Layer of Luxury…” The Repêchage® Vita Cura® Triple Action Body Collection is launched.
– Repêchage becomes ISO 9001:2015 certified, assuring the highest standards of operation. Repêchage is re-evaluated every year to renew certification.
– The Polish version of Sarfati’s book, Success at Your Fingertips: How to Succeed in the Skin Care Business is launched at the Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw, Poland.
– Lydia Sarfati was named Honorary Ambassador to Legnica, Poland, her home city, by the President of Legnica, Thadeusz Krzakowski.
2015 – Repêchage launches SeaSmooth Artisan Seaweed Wax® featured on EXTRA TV and voted Best of New York by New York Magazine and the Hydra 4 Red-Out® Collection for Hypersensitive Skin.
2016 – Repêchage launches FUSION™ Express Bar & Spa Masks, FUSION™ All Natural Face Moisturizer, FUSION™ All Natural Face and Body Wash and FUSION™ Face Masks.
2017 – Repêchage launches in Russia and Antigua.
– Launch of the Repêchage Triple Action Peptide Mask and Biolight® Luminex Mask
– Lydia Sarfati honored at the 9th Annual Golf Outing, hosted by the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County.
2018 – Lydia Sarfati launches the Italian edition of her spa business book, Success at Your Fingertips: How to Succeed in the Skin Care Business, at Cosmoprof Bologna.
– Launch of the Repêchage Biolight® Express Brightening Facial, Red-Out® Express Soothing Facial, Biolight® Brightening Sheet Mask, Red-Out® Soothing Sheet Mask, Lamina Lift Hydrating Seaweed Mask (retail) and Repêchage Perfect Skin Mineral Makeup including the Perfect Skin Liquid Foundation and Perfect Skin Conditioning Lip Gloss and the FUSION™ Face & Body Sugar Scrub Collection.
– Lydia Sarfati Receives 2018 ACG NJ Corporate Growth Award.
– Launch of Glow and Go Services, an entirely new menu of express services that incorporate the new express facials and sheet masks to combine the benefits of massage and skin care.
2019- After years of tireless campaigning and soliciting of state boards, Lydia Sarfati helps launch the CIDESCO USA Certificate at the prestigious Bellus Academy in San Diego — the first school in the U.S.
– Launch of Triple Action Peptide Serum.
– The Society of Foreign Consuls in New York presents Lydia Sarfati with a Certificate of Recognition “For her Outstanding Achievements and Contribution to Community Empowerment” at the Society of Foreign Counsels’ Celebration of International Women’s Day, hosted by the Philippine Consulate General in New York City.
– Lydia Sarfati Serves as Contributing Author to the Milady Standard Esthetics: Fundamentals, 12th Edition.
– Shiri Sarfati is appointed Co-President of Repêchage®.
– Launch of the Vita Cura® Gold Collection, combining the highest level of Laminaria Digitata Seaweed extract with Vitamin B3/Niacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid.
– Lydia Sarfati Honored with the Prestigious CIDESCO Médaille du Mérite Award at CIDESCO World Congress.
– Lydia Sarfati Receives “Polish and American Woman of the Year 2019” Award.
