Pietro Simone’s excitement for the epidermis knows no bounds. An esthetician turned brand founder, he is passionate about offering confidence inside and outside of his New York- and London-based clinics. His Instagram presence offers not just lessons in topics such as rosacea or facial massage, but gives viewers a glimpse behind the scenes and into his personal life—a refreshingly casual and personable introduction into his dermatological cosmos.

Simone’s product journey began with the launch of the Essential line for more radiant and revitalized skin, the subsequent Prestige Collection with extended anti-aging targeting, and most recently, the Fierce Collection. The latter sees the introduction of body care products into the brand’s portfolio, as well as the introduction of skin drone technology, an advanced delivery system to allow ingredients to penetrate further into the epidermis. Further ingredients include a bio-fermented reishi compound which aids skin regeneration, and an advanced retinol complex which promises decreased irritation alongside superior stability and bioavailability.

His formulation approach combines biotechnology and natural actives, the pièce de résistance being the patented Italian Bella Complex. Simone having been born and raised in Italy, said creation is not only an ode to his roots and the country of origin for the five-star ingredients of the formula (tomato seed oil, apple annurca, grapeseed oil, edelweiss meristematic cell cultures, and almond oil), but also bears the mark of his multipronged approach to skincare, offering nourishment, wrinkle reduction, complexion brightening, free radical neutralization, and more.

Amidst the launch of his latest product line, Simone sat down with BeautyMatter for a candid discussion about his professional journey.

What was your path to becoming an esthetician?

My personal path has been quite challenging. My father didn’t allow me to join the beauty academy right away, and instead I had to choose another school—so I went to a culinary institute. I worked as a waiter, and used my earnings to buy products, books, and anything I could get my hands on to learn about skincare. When I was 19, I had immense luck to be in a perfumery where I would go and buy skincare for my mom’s friends. The women there took me under their wing, and would send me to an endless number of private training courses. I started my journey there. This was all hidden from my father, but a year later, he accepted my decision.

How would you explain your philosophy that our skin is the theater of life?

The skin isn’t a marketing tool, or a fashion moment. My concept and philosophy, our skin is the theater of life, was born because the skin is an organ and requires careful consideration and decision making—it should not be beholden to trends. For the last 22 years, I have performed facial and body treatments every day. This constant contact and connection has taught me so much about the skin.

I have witnessed evolutions in the skin due to everything from major life changes, to changes in diets, hormonal stressors, and environmental factors. Our skin is the theater of life because the skin reflects what we do and how we feel. Everything can be seen on the skin.

What was the key to keeping your salon business going amidst the pandemic?

Keeping my business going during the pandemic was very tough. I began supporting my clients by sending out products to them directly and would host weekly Zoom meetings to give instructions for at-home facials and massages. Instagram became a powerful part of my time during the different lockdowns in London. I taught my followers about self-care and massages, while also replying to questions about ingredients, skincare products, and Gua Sha techniques. I took the moment as an opportunity to educate and empower my community. I am proud to say that I supported whoever wanted to be involved.

What differentiates your services from other spas? What is your signature treatment?

The main difference is the structure of my facial treatments because I believe in personalization. Customizing every step is important to me, and I combine ancient techniques with the latest technologies available. Facials cannot be precisely the same for everyone, even down to the product application. My massage techniques include dry massage, organic cotton thread exfoliation, deep sculpting massage, and Gua Sha. These are my “secrets.” Compared to other facial massages, I would describe mine as very deep, intense, and highly focused on muscle, fascia, circulation, and more. A facial needs to be a facial: focusing on every single millimeter of the face, neck, and décolletage. Lymphatic work is also a key component of my treatments.

What role does technology play in your line of work?

Technology plays a significant role. Active ingredients, new clean formulations, and professional technologies create pro-aging elements that preserve so much of our youth capital. Incredible stimulations lead to a naturally fresh, healthy look.

What is the balance of spa services versus running a skincare brand in your day-to-day work life?

It certainly makes for intense days! I think it varies, but skincare, ideas, and formulations are constantly in my head.

What is your opinion on the “anti anti-aging” movement happening in beauty right now? How do you as a brand relate to the word anti-aging?

I’m a pro-aging person! There are so many issues with the term anti-aging, starting with the fact that it is mathematically impossible! I don’t “ban” or hold prejudice against things unless they are immoral or wrong, but I prefer a path of serenity and awareness. Personally, I chose a more joyful path of aging gracefully; I love my time with my skincare routines.

What inspired you to incorporate body care into this new launch?

I was inspired by my many years of performing treatments. I was committed to creating body products that would perform exactly like my face formulations. This entailed a ton of research on my end both in terms of ingredients and technologies—supporting the body’s epidermis was my main concern. The Fierce body products have professional-level body compounds that can be used with or without body treatments.

How does the Fierce collection fit into the evolution of your skincare range portfolio?

Fierce fits perfectly as it is poised to respond to a variety of skin concerns that are top of mind for most people. This isn’t a collection for just one target or for a biological age group; this is a very specialized collection that can be combined with the two existing ones to support and cover different skin issues. Fierce is the first line of defense against acne, rosacea, menopause, and more.

What are the innovations in both spa services and skincare R&D that excite you most?

In the spa services area, the most exciting part is teaching my signature techniques. Seeing the faces of the estheticians I’m training for the first time is priceless. It always ends up being an amazing experience, and seeing them excited to make a difference on a face is just incredible. However, whenever possible, the combination of the above with advanced technologies is my forte!

R&D is a nonstop pursuit for me. Fierce is a statement about delivery systems, new forms of active ingredients, more bioavailability, and a significant focus on carriers in order to elevate skin benefits. Fierce focuses on enlightening the different angles of a formulation, its form and structure. To me, this place I am in currently is so exciting as it is one where I am studying and researching for the next evolution of my products.