Shiri Sarfati

Shiri Sarfati comes from a long line of entrepreneurs. She is a second-generation esthetician with a Masters in Cosmetic & Fragrance Marketing and Management, and is the proud founder of 23 SKIN a fantastic skincare brand centered in the power of nature. For Shiri, motherhood dramatically changed her relationship with time, and her skin care ritual became her only time to focus on herself. Based on her own experience she founded a brand that brings the most potent skin care product into the home of busy moms like her. We asked Shiri about her brand and her experience in mixing her passion and motherhood.

Macy: What is 23Skin?

Shiri: 23 SKIN is a Miami-based skin care start-up offering high-quality DIY beauty products that are practical, affordable and fun. For 23 Skin, ingredients matter and how they are handled and sourced are important in creating truly energetic products. With 23 SKIN, I’m stripping down skincare to only the most potent and best-sourced ingredients and allowing my clients to recreate spa facials and body treatments at home.

Macy: Why did you decide to embark on this entrepreneurship?

Shiri: I was born into a family of entrepreneurs, so entrepreneurship is part of my DNA. I am a second generation licensed esthetician, and my family are skincare developers and manufacturers. It has always been my dream to create my skincare line; I didn’t think the industry needed another moisturizer. 

I am so passionate about this industry, and I grew frustrated with what was happening in the beauty space. There is a lot of a grey area in cosmetic product listings and a lot of “fairy dusting” of sexy ingredients. Just because a product is called a matcha mask or seaweed mask, it’s usually not the first few ingredients in the product listing, meaning it’s not a major percentage of the actual formula.

In the spa, we mix high-quality cosmetic raws with other actives and immediately apply to the client. I wanted to recreate this experience for people to do at home. And that’s how I began creating what is now 23 SKIN.

Macy: Where do you see 23Skin in 10 years?

Shiri: Ten years seems way too far out! I’m just hyper-focused on this year right now. We are looking at expanding our range of products and entering new markets. We are a young company, and I am very energized by the response to the brand. It has been my lifelong passion to create a product line that resonates with people and that I could feel right.

Macy: How being a mom has influenced your work and career?

Shiri: As a mother, it becomes ever-more difficult to schedule time for ourselves. We are constantly doing things for others; our bosses, our spouses and especially our children.  For me, my quiet time is always at night, when the kids are asleep. My nightly skincare routine became my moment of self-care; whether it’s giving myself a full body scrub in the shower or facial masking on my bed, it’s my time where I can recharge, nourish and focus on myself even for 15-20 minutes. 

I truly created 23 SKIN because I knew a lot of people felt the same way I did. They want to take care of themselves, but either doesn’t have the time or money to do so. 

With 23 SKIN you can truly give yourself that spa-worthy treatment at home inexpensively. And my kids love creating recipes with me as well – so sometimes it becomes a fun family project while teaching my children about good hygiene and self-care!

Macy: What advice do you have for other entrepreneur moms?

Shiri: Starting a business is an investment and a commitment.  I had the best example as my mother started her business a year after I was born and grew it to a multi-million dollar international business. 

She always taught me that planning and scheduling are how she was able to “do it all.” The same way she scheduled a meeting, she would schedule time for her family. She lived by her day-planner, and it worked. You have to be scheduled, organized and be able to plan to make time for both your business and your family.