Jenni Gilbert I’m a bit of a ballet buff (armchair amateur; no seasoned critic) and had a girl crush on legendary Russian prima ballerina Anna Pavlova (above) after borrowing a book about her from the school library in the early 1970s.
Such was my crush that my brothers gave me an autographed photo of the diva, signed during her Australian tour in the 1920s, and a book written about her and autographed by her husband, Victor Dandre, for my 50th birthday.
So it was some excitement that I discovered Anna Pavlova was the genesis of the facial, as we know it, created by Payot skincare innovator, French-born Dr Nadia Payot, in the early 20th century with her famous 42 movement modelling method.
When she met Madame Pavlova in 1918, Dr Payot observed that the-then 37-year-old dancer had the body of a teenager but her face was prematurely aged.
Dr Payot realised that if daily exercise could preserve the body’s youthfulness, the same should be true of facial muscles.
This formed the basis of her exercises for the face and throat, which led to the development of the now famous 42-step massage and modern-day facial. Payot today has 12 face rituals with active ingredients targeting specific skin concerns, each featuring four phases:
- A prelude massage using seven of the 42 steps of Dr Payot’s modelling massage, using Baume a la Rhodocrosite to de-stress and relax the client.
- Deep cleansing using micro-abrasion to eliminate dead cells, stimulate cell renewal and prepare the skin to receive products.
- A specific modelling massage
- Customised mask
This year, Payot skincare celebrates its 95th anniversary. It has not only held its ground but thrived amid massive changes in the skincare space, notably the cosmeceutical revolution.
Here Clive and Rita Smith, who celebrate their 19th year in 2016 as Payot’s Australian agents, share their insights as to the brand’s enduring success and customer loyalty after nearly a century:
In 1920, Dr Nadia Payot created foundation stones that are still in place for the Payot brand today. And why wouldn’t they be, when you consider she was one of the first women medical doctors in Europe?
She not only graduated as a doctor but also as a bio-chemist and dermatologist in 1912 from Lucerne University, Switzerland.
After Dr Payot met Anna Pavlova in New York in 1918, she applied a similar philosophy of exercise to the face by inventing the 42 step facial massage that led to her creation of the modern day facial.
Alongside this, Dr Payot launched her first skin care range that would treat and protect the skin.
The famous Dr Payot 42-step massage is still trained by Payot today. Dr Payot believed in research and that, to remain a market-leading brand, you have to be aware, worldwide, of what the trends are.
In more recent times, Payot recognised that the market was becoming more price conscious and hence reacted to this.
Payot worldwide has increased its sales by more than 50 percent in the last five years by reducing prices in all the ranges because of this world volume growth.
Our philosophy has always been to provide the salon and spa owner with direct service from our trained brand development managers (BDMs).
By trained, we mean Payot BDMs are all therapists who are skilled to provide in-salon/spa/clinic training to all clients when needed, including products featured in monthly promotions.
Payot also provides formal training via group classes for all Payot products and protocols, as well as a 24/7 training option via Payot’s Academy, E Learning.
This is an internet-based leaning platform exclusive to Payot salons, spas and clinics, where each owner and staff member is given an entry code to an online learning program including training videos of all treatments.
Payot is one of the few skin care companies in the world that has its own laboratories and testing facilities that develop cutting edge ingredients and apply clinical testing to breakthroughs.
The Payot Research and Development Centre brings together dermatologists, pharmacists, chemists, and drug form specialists, who now encompass a true dermo-cosmetics centre.
Time seems to go so quickly and, yes, almost 20 years have flown by with our Payot representation in Australia.
We have grown to become Payot’s worldwide’s Number 1 agent outside of Europe. This is a good effort for a country that only has a population of 23 million.
It is only the support and loyalty of the Australian therapist that makes this possible.
Providing personalised service to salons, spas and clinics via skilled representation from a company perspective is expensive. However, this is our key platform.
Payot has always known this, and our time spent partnering with Qantas First Class, confirm and increases this support to our salons, spas and clinics. [With exquisite synchronicity, our national airline also celebrates its 95th anniversary this year].
Payot supplied the Qantas First Lounge spas and aircraft for seven years and we are now going into Year Nine as the supplier to the bathrooms on board Qantas First Class.
You always have to give 100 percent to be a leader in your field. For Qantas to endorse Payot as the product for their First Class section of travel has to mean something about the quality.
We are constantly reviewing of our marketing plan to give our clients an edge over the competition.
The therapists’ expertise and knowledge is a unique quality they have in this area. These things will keep consumers coming back to salons for repeat sales and treatments, which continually develop the industry.
Summary: Be loyal, be innovative, listen to your customer and potential customer.
