History
This prestigious brand was founded by Doctor Nadia Payot in the 1920s. As the first female doctor of her generation, she became fascinated by the world of Beauty Salons in New York in the early 1900s. She worked towards the promotion of beauty and well-being of women by focusing on “joie de vivre” and deep breathing to maintain a balance between body and mind.
Meeting the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova she was struck by the obvious difference between her face and body; her body kept in perfect shape by dance whereas her face betrayed her age and intense fatigue. Over and above maintaining skin tissue, Doctor Nadia Payot then made beauty therapy a serious discipline derived from medicine. She began working with a herbalist and then started to blend certain Beauty Elixirs and finalise a few unique products such as Golden Rays, Nutricia, Pâte Grise and Crème No.
Doctor Payot’s first beauty salon was a great success, expanding rapidly to a grand salon incorporating the world’s first Beauty Therapy School. Generations of beauticians were taught to ‘read’ and know the skin, and to perfect treatment and massage techniques. Revolutionary treatments were developed here, forming the basis of treatments we use today. The Doctor also realised the importance of muscular exercise; leading rapidly to her creation of facial gymnastics, care products and application methods for consumers in the home use today.