Welcome to ON BEAUTY, a monthly feature highlighting creative, like-minded people who inspire us.

French esthetician, Sophie Carbonari, doesn’t just quickly look at your skin to inform the facial that is about to ensue. She takes into consideration your body temperature, extracellular fluid, sugar presence in the blood, contraception, and more.

Based in Paris, Sophie, who recently reopened her atelier post-COVID-19, started her career 13 years ago and trained in her hometown at a Japanese wellness center where she learned their coveted massage technique. The result? Opening her own spa, employing microcirculation alongside custom protocols for each and every one of her clients, and utilizing various plants and oils to help heal the skin.

Here, Sophie reveals why her touch brings in new clients and has current ones coming back, the reason homeostasis is key to her facial protocol, and how she’s innovating non-invasive procedures alongside French plastic surgeon Dr. Mihai Gorj.

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Homeostasis is an Ayurvedic philosophy. It considers the whole body and looks directly at the cause to get to the root of the problem. You have to treat you in a global way to rebalance your system and organism. By doing this, you will heal your body and heal your skin.

You learned your craft in Paris. How does your teachings impact your technique?

I’ve always been interested in Ayurveda and I’ve read a lot of books on the subject. At the same time, I was living in London and started working in a Japanese wellness center and learned more about Japanese facial techniques. I was also blending my own products and mixing and matching with the method. 

I work a lot with microstimulation and I create protocols that are very personal and customized to my clients. I take into consideration the skin condition of my clients, their lifestyle, and environmental aggressors. 

Where would you say your specialty lies when it comes to the skin?

My touch and my massage are what I’m known for. When I first begin massaging, I’m working on the micro-glands and activating the lymphatic system. It’s a very deep massage and I work deep into the muscles. The skin creates a vibration, which improves the lymphatic flow and treats the inner nutrition of your skin and oxygenation.

Your customized facials are based on homeostasis. Tell me what that means and how your facials are a direct correlation to homeostasis?

Homeostasis is an Ayurvedic philosophy. It considers the whole body and looks directly at the cause to get to the root of the problem. You have to treat you in a global way to rebalance your system and organism. By doing this, you will heal your body and heal your skin.

It’s also really important, especially when I have clients with acne or other skin concerns, to ask if they’ve checked their hormones. How’s your period? Do you take pills or supplements? I take everything into consideration. 

I asked these types of questions because it was the way I wanted to be treated. When I read about Ayurveda and started to work in the Japanese wellness center, everything started to make sense because they’re taking into consideration the temperature of the body and the cycle, which in western medicine is a philosophy we don’t have. 

What does a session with you look like?

In the beginning, I always ask how does your skin feel? We are the best witness to our skin as it evolves during the day and during the month, etc. After, I have a look at it under the light and touch and feel. By touching, you can feel the water condition of the skin. 

Then, I start to create a protocol from the moment I finish cleansing. It’s really about what your skin needs. Your facial in April will be completely different from your facial in May. You will rarely have the same type of massage. Even in the movement, it’s completely different. If you have more congestion, I will focus on the jawline area. But the following month or two weeks later, you might have congestion around your eyes and dark circles, so I will focus around your eye area. 

How will facials change post-COVID-19? What precautions are you taking?

I was working like crazy before COVID-19. But I realized, for sanitary reasons, I will not be able to take more than four clients a day. I want to have the time to get rid of certain things and sanitize thoroughly. It also allows me to take more time with my clients. I always take 30 minutes before and after and now I take 1-hour pre-and post-facial. 

We have more time and we chill and I believe people need more quality time. It’s not the best solution for me in terms of money, but it changes everything in terms of relationships with my clients. 

Are there any new modalities or ingredients you’re excited about when it comes to the skin?

I am working with a plastic surgeon named Dr. Mihai Gorj, who applies non-invasive techniques and natural ways to rejuvenate the skin. Currently, I’m working with him to create new massage protocols to match his philosophy. For the massage, I work on tissue stimulation to prep for non-invasive intervention. The protocol is one treatment before the non-invasive procedure and 2 to 3 treatments post-procedure to support the healing process. That’s my new target at the moment. 

We want to provide a new anti-aging procedure and respect the integrity of the person, their face, and skin. The idea is not to create a face we all see out there. You can do an anti-aging procedure without looking like your neighbor. 

Do you have any at-home tips for skin enthusiasts that can't make it to your atelier?

I recommend doing a massage at least once a day. The most efficient protocol is twice a day during your morning and evening routine because it helps to drain and stimulate the glands, moving the lymphatic and blood system.
For the massage, apply light pressure to your jawline and create movement with your palm or finger from the inside out to work the lymphatic flow. Make sure it's not too deep, something where you can feel the liquid moving. When administering massage, I like to use a face oil to help glide. If the client doesn't like oil, then I use the In Fiore Fleur Vibrante Serum Cerate balm, so it's a good compromise between an oil and face cream.

Other things I recommend include drinking a homemade tonic, like turmeric, ginger, and lemon. Something you can keep all the time in your fridge that you can drink all day to activate the cleansing process for your metabolism. I also recommend taking cod-fish supplements, which is very good for the skin. And for vegans, I recommend vitamin B12 and zinc.

Are there any common skin issues you see among your clients?

The biggest issue I see currently is hormonal acne. A lot of women below the age of 50 are struggling with hormonal acne, which is really hard to balance. It can be from pills, stress, or hormones that impact your skin. I like to create a healthy routine, followed by a nice diet for my clients. I also recommend they see a functional medicine doctor to test for hormonal inbalances so they can fight efficiently and bring skin back to a normal state.

If I have clients that suffer from hormonal acne, I like to use microcurrent to help clean and activate the white cells and calm down inflammation. Once the inflammation goes away after several treatments, I use high frequency to help with the surface of the skin. My protocol is to start with the microcurrent and I'll usually see my client twice a week. Once we pass the inflammation, we'll do extractions and high frequency to oxygenate the skin. You shouldn't extract when there is inflammation because the skin is sensitive. You create acne scars.

What is the most common request you get from your clients?

Most of the time, clients come to me and say, "Do your magic." It's something I'm really proud of because they trust me. Sometimes I have people ask for a face massage, but most of the time they say do whatever I want. 

Favorite Ritual?

My favorite ritual is during the evening when I do my skincare routine. I spend 5 to 6 minutes doing my face massage morning and evening. I love music, so I put on music for the time of two songs.

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The skin creates a vibration, which improves the lymphatic flow and treats the inner nutrition of your skin and oxygenation. 

Favorite scent? 

Amber.

Tips for long haul flights? 

Drink a lot of water to get your skin nourished. Also, most of the time, people tend to apply a mask or serum, but I like to protect the skin with a balm or oil as soon as you get on. You’ll create a protection film and then your skin has time to rehydrate. Then rinse thoroughly when you get off the plane because the air is not very clean. 

Favorite beauty food?

I like a rice bowl with seaweed and seaweed is amazing for the body. Sometimes I wake up during the night and I want it. But I also wake up during the night and want ice cream, too. 

What’s your vice?

During the lockdown, I ate like a crazy person. I love food. I like to eat cheese, charcuterie, and bread. I’m French!

Do you have any charms or talismans?

I have a black pearl, which was a gift from my mom and I wear it all the time.