“There is no magic product” for healthy, beautiful, youthful skin, Dr. Philippe Allouche said more than once as he addressed dozens of attendees at a cocktail party-style event held at Karina NYC Skin Clinic in Huntington. But an excellent skincare protocol with high-quality products customized to your skin type can produce wonderful results, said Allouche, who is the research and creative director of French luxury skincare brand Biologique Recherche.
Allouche was the guest of honor at the event, which was held in early May. As an authorized Biologique Recherche spa and retailer, Karina NYC uses the manufacturer’s lotions, cleansers, masks and other products in its spa treatments and offers them for sale at its three locations. Esthetician Karina Freedman launched the first location of KarinaNYC in Manhattan in 2015, followed by Greenvale in 2018. The third retail location, at 345 New York Avenue in the heart of Huntington Village, opened for business in 2022. Freedman and her team provide a full menu of facial treatments, lash extensions and touch-ups, eyebrow shaping and tinting, and waxing services at the three locations.
The Huntington building has been owned by the Freedman family since the late 1970s; it previously housed the multi-generation family business B. Freedman Jewelers, until that store closed in 2014. When Karina NYC was looking to expand, the Huntington building was the natural and nostalgic choice.
“Even though it wasn’t our first location, we consider it our flagship location,” says Karina’s husband, Maurice. “It’s our largest location and the closest to our home and our hearts. When my daughter works here occasionally, I like to say she’s the fourth generation of her family to work at this location.”
At the recent event, Karina and Maurice Freedman welcomed guests at the door as if they were family. Customers and other friends of the spa sipped Champagne and snacked on cheese, crackers and other light bites as they mingled in the attractive storefront and entered their name in a raffle for prizes.
About halfway through the festivities, Karina Freedman addressed the group and introduced Allouche. Standing among the attendees, Allouche talked briefly about his company and his philosophy and answered guests’ questions about their personal skincare and Biologique Recherche products. Guests listened attentively as he spoke; one woman said she wished she had brought a notebook to take notes.
“At Biologique Recherche, we are all about passion, and we are all about science and research,” Allouche told the guests.
The company was founded in the 1970s by Yvan Allouche, a biologist, and his wife, Josette, a physiotherapist. Philippe, the founders’ son, is a medical doctor with a background in internal medicine. He takes a holistic approach to skincare, focusing on pure ingredients and tailoring treatment protocols and products to the individual. For instance, Biologique Recherche’s best-selling P50 line of lotions includes different options for different skin types. P50 lotions gently exfoliate, balance excess sebum, moisturize and help maintain the skin’s acidic pH. In all, the company offers in excess of 200 skus and has more than 300 retail partners in the United States, according to Ana Clemente, trade marketing coordinator.
Guests left the event armed with goody bags along with more knowledge about how to care for their skin.
