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 skincare 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 skincare 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 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 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 more elegantly formulated, cool skincare SKUs 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.
