Pretty Busy: Sofie Pavitt flew to Seoul for 80+ shots of salmon sperm DNA...
And a “diabolically hot” skin treatment.
I’m always curious about how other people move through the world—what fills their calendars, what they do when they’re in between things, and how they take care of themselves along the way. In Pretty Busy, I ask them to walk me through a couple of days in their life, hour by hour. The goal: to see what it really looks like to juggle work, beauty, and everything in between.
Does sofie pavitt really need an introduction? The New York City facialist is the creative director of many a downtown girl’s skin—her client list includes none other than Zendaya and Lorde. Many, including myself, know Sofie as an “acne whisperer,” trusted for her no-nonsense, gentle approach to clearing breakouts. (If you're struggling with your skin, her Acne Program is very much worth looking into.)
That ethos carries through to her namesake line, Sofie Pavitt Face, which was made specifically with “problematic” skin in mind. Personally, I’m never without her mandelic clearing serum—I use it every single day—and her cleanser.
Before she was a facialist, Sofie spent years designing underwear for Abercrombie & Fitch, then handbags for over 15 years. During that time, she traveled to Seoul four or five times a year. When we spoke for The Cut in 2019, she told me, “It got to the point where I would be more stoked on what treatments I was going to get on my trip and what I was bringing back for people than the handbags themselves.” So she enrolled in beauty school.
Sofie returned to South Korea—her first trip in six years—for a skincare research trip with her team in May. Naturally, there was plenty of beauty shopping, incredible food, and of course, a few serious treatments. When in Seoul, right?
She’s now back in New York—in her expanded studio at 241 Centre Street. But before you book an appointment, keep reading for her full Seoul itinerary, including a “diabolically hot” skin treatment, salmon sperm DNA, and multiple trips to Olive Young for K-beauty essentials.
Friday, May 16
5:00am: Landed in Incheon. This has always been my favorite time to fly to Seoul from JFK—you get on the plane at 1am and arrive the following morning. If you sleep on the flight, it softens the jet lag. Then you just have to make it through the day without crashing. We got to our hotel in Itaewon around 6:30am, had breakfast, and relaxed for a few hours.
10:00am: First stop: a skin clinic consultation at Oracle. I’m lucky to be here with my team, and Elaine, our advisor, has family in Seoul, so her aunt took us to her longtime laser doctor in Apgujeong (definitely not a tourist destination). When the doctor asked about my main skin concerns, I told him I was mostly concerned with skin laxity and interested in a tightening treatment plus a skin booster. He told me I wasn’t in town long enough for an ideal treatment plan—these consults can def be on the harsher side!
