Sofie Pavitt Will Fix Your Skin—No Appointment Required

Perrie Samotin
·10 min read

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Meredith Jenks

As part of our third annual By Women series—which spotlights the best women-owned products and companies—we sat down with Sofie Pavitt, celebrity aesthetician and founder of two-year-old skin care brand Sofie Pavitt Face. With this series, we’re committed to giving female founders who own 51% or more of their business a platform. This not only allows them to introduce their brilliant products to a wide and potentially new audience, but it also helps you—the discerning shopper—discover the best stuff out there.

If it seems like every skin care enthusiast you know—or at least follow—is talking about Sofie Pavitt, that’s because they are. After a decade of treating the world’s most elite faces as a celebrity aesthetician and acne specialist in her exclusive New York studio, Pavitt took the plunge in 2023 and launched her own skin care brand, Sofie Pavitt Face. In just two years, her professional-grade products are on the shelf at Sephora, in addition to her own site, giving anyone who wants it a chance to experience her signature approach, no appointment required.

“Believe it or not, I didn’t set out to do this for money—this is bigger than that,” Pavitt says of her brand. “I wanted to help people solve a problem and to have a slice of that Sofie Pavitt skin care studio on their bathroom shelf.”

Each product in the purposefully curated line is designed for all skin types but leans toward those with acne-prone or, as Pavitt calls it, “problematic” skin. Although the ingredients differ, the innovation is a constant. The Mandelic Exfoliating and Clearing Serum ($58), Pavitt’s first and arguably most popular product, is formulated with 5% mandelic acid, which is considered by many to be an unsung acne-targeting hero. The Nice Ice Frozen Toner Pods ($68) are literally pre-packaged ice rounds to soothe and depuff skin, which are a godsend first thing in the morning. You could use a standard ice cube, but those aren’t packed with hardworking ingredients like niacinamide to moisturize, glycerin to support the skin barrier, and green tea and ashwagandha to calm.

Below, Pavitt—known in certain circles as “the acne whisperer”—talks about the challenges of starting her business, her morning routine, her productivity POV, and more.

Why did you feel like it was a good time to launch a company when you did? Was it a scary proposition?

It was the COVID lockdowns that got me thinking about starting a product line because I couldn’t do in-person facials and I was taking virtual clients to help clear their acne by suggesting products and routines. When I saw the results I was getting with really basic products, I realized there was a space for a more elegantly formulated, cool skin care line for problematic skin. I started loosely designing the first product—our Mandelic Clearing Serum—and launched it in March 2023.

It wasn’t scary because I worked in design and product development as a handbag designer for 15 years prior to working in beauty, so I knew the ins and outs of design and retail. The one challenge was getting a contract manufacturer [the people who physically make the products] to take me seriously and to work with that first initial order. Nobody wanted to even have a meeting with me. The minimum order quantity was 10,000 units and I was so stressed. Two years later, our orders are much higher.

Do you think consumers care about who actually owns the businesses they spend on? If not, should they?

There’s so much to consider regarding a customer’s purchasing power. For one, the beauty industry is so saturated that nobody has any business starting a product line without intention and integrity. Every piece we retail is so considered, and we don’t follow industry trends. My biggest brand flex is that we have this incredible studio—a lot of founders will story-tell about their personal experience with something that led them to create their line—but my lived experience is my clients and community here at the studio. My team and I see over 400 people a month, all dealing with problematic skin. Our line is created for them and their needs. That’s a massive research and development lab built right into our line. And it’s priceless.

What’s a key piece of advice you’d give to other women looking to start their own business?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I get emotional thinking of all the founders who have given me advice for nothing in return. The beauty industry is so kind—I want everyone to win! But also, going back to my previous answer: Make sure you’re building something with integrity. What makes your brand different and unique? Be authentic.

What time do you get up in the morning?

I’m scared to answer this because it makes me sound frightening, but I’m the best version of myself between 4:30 and 5 a.m. I’m answering emails and telling my husband about my calendar at an ungodly hour. I have small kids and it’s the moment before the chaos where I can drink my coffee, figure out my day, and be ready to go. I like to go to bed around 9 p.m.

What’s your typical morning routine?

I wake up super early, fix my coffee, which I’m very addicted to—it’s not a secret, I’m the most caffeinated person in the world. I also like to eat immediately when I wake up so I’ll have some eggs on toast and start my emails. My kids wake up around 6 a.m. and I’ll feed them and get ready for work and the school run. My kids go to different schools, so my husband and I tag team that and I’m at the office by 8.30 a.m.

I like to work out four times a week and might do a bootcamp across the street from my office or see my personal trainer. By the time my team gets in at 10 I’m ready to go. I work on the product line three days a week. I still work for a dermatologist’s office one day a week and then I see clients one day a week. Now that we’ve launched in Sephora (!!!!), visiting stores and meeting managers and customers is a wonderful part of my calendar too.

Sofie Pavitt Face Mandelic Clearing Serum

$54.00, Sephora

Sofie Pavitt Face Omega Rich Moisturizer

$64.00, Sephora

How do you take your coffee?

Very hot with a big splash of whole milk (acne sufferers—you can have a splash of cow milk in your coffee—oat milk is super inflammatory and might be breaking you out more than dairy ever would but that’s a story for another day :-)).

Your childhood dream job was…

My mum will laugh at this, but I really wanted to be an ear piercer when I was little after having my ears pierced at [UK department store] John Lewis in Cardiff in 1987.

Your first actual job was…

Washing ladies’ hair in a hair salon above my parents cake decorating/kitchenware shop. They would come in for a weekly wash and the tea was piping hot. Old ladies are ruthless with the gossip, and it was very fun. Hair salons were the inspiration for my studio. Our studio opened in New York before the chain facial studios that are so popular now. I wanted the rooms to be open and collaborative between aestheticians and clients. It feels like a beauty parlor.

How do you typically deal with rejection in your field?

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that you don’t have to be everyone’s ideal. It sounds so obvious but getting comfortable with the fact that not everyone is going to be into what you’re doing is okay and normal. Some people don’t align with the way I work—but a lot do. Fundamentally, I’m an aesthetician, and forming a relationship is like finding a hairdresser you like—it’s personal and it’s okay if my clients go see another person or another studio—there’s a lot of faces in New York to go around. As for the product line, the same philosophy stands: I’m crystal clear about my brand—if you don’t like it, there are plenty out there to choose from. But a lot of people like it and that’s incredible.

The best piece of money or career advice you’ve ever gotten?

Someone told me once, when I was feeling overwhelmed about launching the line, to think of it like a huge chocolate cake. What if you eat the whole cake in one go? You’re going to barf. But if you have a little bite every day you’ll enjoy it and it won’t feel so crazy. I think about that a lot still when a project feels insane. Little bites every day.

What’s a memorable piece of parenting advice you’ve gotten and want to pass on?

So cliché, but the newborn phase is so fleeting. My boys are six and four now, they’re growing every day and changing so much and every phase is a wonder. Sleepless nights turn to packed lunches very quickly. I still remember the way my babies smelled when they were tiny. Drink it up. Also take photos of yourself with them. Proof of mom is important.

What’s your go-to office look?

I’m always in a dress with tights; I almost never wear pants. I love the Sandy Liang Hauge dress; I have it in a few colors. It’s knit and so comfy with a loafer.

What’s the last great book you read?

I read Miranda July’s All Fours like everyone else—it was great—and now I’m reading The Rules of Fortune by Danielle Prescod.

Sofie Pavitt Face Clean Clean Cleanser

$34.00, Sephora

Sofie Pavitt Face Acne Mask

$.00, Sephora

What’s the last thing you bought you were excited about?

Okay, fun story. Sue Williamson, our creative strategist, lives in San Francisco and she sent me an SOS text frenzy a few weeks ago telling me these coveted Gucci platforms I love were on sale at her Neiman Marcus for, like, $400. They’re still online for $1,600. A few frantic texts later, she got them for me, and I’m still reveling in that bargain. But you can’t walk up San Francisco hills in five-inch platforms! I know because I tried last week at Sephora’s brand summit.

Explain the moment you realized okay, I might actually be successful…

Seeing our brand on the big screen at Sephora’s brand summit was an out-of-body experience. Reading customer reviews online and seeing how much we’re helping people gain confidence and clarity with their routines is so affirming. I’m a Cancer, I like taking care of people. This is it on a big scale.

Your favorite low-stakes treat after a productive day is…

A low-dose hemp-derived edible at the end of a day. It opens up my creative channels and relaxes me. I’m 42 and I’m trying to live until I’m 100 years old. I think we all need to break up with alcohol in a big way. I do like a martini now and then, though.

What’s your go-to thank you gift?

Flowers every time. Boring answer but always thrilling to receive.

Finish this sentence: People would be happier at work if...

They realized that even if you don’t think you’re in the right role or position right now, it will lead to something else that will lead to something else. Trust the process. And that you can always pivot and change your mind. You can have many lives. Nobody can stop you from doing that.

If you weren’t in your current career, you’d be a...

Contractor. One day I’m going to learn how to rip a bathroom apart to the studs and learn to tile.

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Originally Appeared on Glamour

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