Sofie Pavitt — Local services in New York

I do extensive research before making a purchase or decision. I’ve seen great reviews about Sofie’s studio, it was included on a few “best of" lists, and I was also recommended by a friend. I’d been looking for somewhere to get a facial for a long time after having an average but very expensive experience at another studio, so I decided to take the leap and I purchased an SPF facial, the one that is supposed to be tailored to your needs, with Rebecca. Rebecca was incredibly kind and insightful. It was really reassuring to hear her own experiences with acne that motivated her to do her work. She asked me about my skincare routine and talked to me about different ingredients and things that I might want to avoid or want to include.

However, despite purchasing a personalized facial, I couldn’t help but think that she did a very general regimen. Obviously, there is a limited amount of products available and the steps of a facial are pretty standardized, so I get that. But she barely asked me any questions about my skin before jumping right into treatment. Some of the products she used were pretty fragrant, which I didn’t know until I smelled them on my face, but if she would’ve asked she’d know that fragrance really irritates me. She eventually said, “your skin is really reactive,” after she did something that caused intense stinging and she noticed redness, which I couldn’t help but think could’ve been avoided if we talked about my skin and needs more. (For example, I know that BHA exfoliations are way more irritating to me than AHAs, and even many AHA treatments need to be a very low concentration for me).

And while she talked to me about different ingredients and gave me a few suggestions, she didn’t really explain too much of what she was doing while she was doing it. I asked her questions and she gave me some explanations, but it was hard to take it all in and remember everything she was saying, especially pertaining to ingredients that have complicated or long names. She said she would send me a list of ingredients to avoid and the suggestions she mentioned during the facial, but she never did.

After the facial, I was red for a few days, which totally makes sense. But after a week or so, the redness didn’t go away, and I soon realized it was because the facial triggered an intense rosacea flare-up, probably from something fragrant and something too intense for my sensitive skin (the cleanser, chemical exfoliation, or the hydrojelly mask which was fragrant). It also damaged my moisture barrier, which I can tell because I’ve been extremely dry since the facial and haven’t changed anything about my routine: I wasn’t absorbing products well and my usual products were triggering redness and breakouts. It’s been almost two months and I’m still trying to repair my moisture barrier, I’m only cleansing and moisturizing with extremely gentle products until my barrier is better.

I don’t write reviews because I think people can be too harsh and judgmental. This was also during a pandemic, so everyday the studio risks their health and safety for people to receive the luxury of a facial. They should always be met with grace and compassion, but especially right now in the pandemic, and maybe Rebecca was having an off day. I appreciate Rebecca’s knowledge and her kindness, she was very gentle and warm and obviously she knows what she’s doing. But I wanted to share my experience for anyone considering going here that has sensitive skin or wants a more informed and specialized treatment for this price. Maybe the studio is better for people seeking treatment for intense acne, which they do advertise. I have acne but it’s more related to my papulopustular rosacea and also usually hormonal. So overall, it was an average experience for a decent but steep price that ended up harming more than helping my skin.

(I'm not using my real name on this review but I promise I received treatment here - I've noticed Sofie respond to reviews so I don't want to jeopardize my chance at getting another appointment if I ever do...

I've been seeing Sofie since 2020 for facials and I can say without hesitation that she completely transformed my skin. When I first started seeing her, I had developed adult hormonal acne that resulted in painful cysts on my face that were hard to get rid of and would leave scarring. Sofie taught me how to take care of my oily, inflamed, acne-prone skin by thoroughly educating me about the products that exacerbated my symptoms, steering me towards a regimen that would lead (after not much time, mind you) to completely clear, bouncy, healthy skin. When I leave my appointments with Sofie I truly look like a walking Glossier ad--I kid you not that I've even been stopped on the street and complimented. She has an incredibly gentle touch but is very thorough, and best of all, she is kind and nonjudgmental about any insecurities you may have about your skin, and when I've come to her panicking about something ultimately small, she is so helpful, comforting, and funny about it. She has a wide variety of services, including an acne support program that also transformed my husband's skin. It was so exciting when she released her line of products that actually work, particularly the incredible mandelic serum, which is a gentle but effective option for daily exfoliation key to keeping acne at bay. As a self-proclaimed skincare obsessive I have tried most of the biggest names and procedures in New York City, and as excellent as those services have been, I keep coming back to my girl Sofie for her personal touch, her vast knowledge, her price offerings, and long-lasting results. I would have written a review sooner but I'm one of those jerks who gatekeeps favorite recs, but after the most recent treatment (liquid microneedling!), I can't keep it to myself any longer. Run, don't walk, to make an appointment with the reigning queen of facials for problematic skin, my gal Sofie Pavitt. I promise, you won't be...

I had my first appointment with Dihan on 9/17/21. I waited a long time for the appointment and it wasn't cheap, but overall I was pleased with the service provided. I tipped 20% and I booked a follow-up appointment that same day for 11/16/21.

Emily Smith reached out to me via email on 10/28 and said that the studio would be closed on 11/16. As an alternative, Emily offered me an appointment on Friday, 11/19, which I accepted via email 48 hours later. I never got an email confirming my appointment the week of, as I did the first time, so I reached out to Emily to confirm. Emily told me they didn't have it "logged" in their system and offered me another appointment that didn't work with my schedule.

After they canceled my appointment twice, and a bunch of back and forth emails, the only resolution I was ever offered was to be put on the waiting list. After waiting two months for an appointment, I don't think it's fair to expect me to wait for a canceled appointment and drop everything I'm doing to go.

Cut to Tuesday, 11/16 (the date of my original appointment) and I see on Sofie's Instagram that she is re-posting stories of people who are receiving treatments. Dihan admitted to me via email this is because they canceled my appointment due to a private event. I get it, I'm sure there was more money to be made from this event and they did not think twice about canceling on me. However, I think the least they could have done was make sure that I was taken care of with another appointment or at least have the foresight to not post on Instagram.

Sofie Pavitt's business philosophy seems to be, "I'm really busy, so take whatever appointment I give you. If you don't, someone else will." The treatment was nice, but I would much rather be treated with respect. This isn't the only game in town, so I'll take my business where it is appreciated. I suggest you...