Caithness beautician becomes ambassador for seaweed-based skincare products
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A local beautician has been selected to represent her favourite skincare company at this year's Professional Beauty World exhibition which will be held online this year.
Katrina Sutherland, of the Country Spa, will be among the panel of experts for Repêchage, a skincare brand based on seaweed which has its manufacturing headquarters in Secaucus, New Jersey, USA.
The exhibition usually takes place at ExCel London and is a global showcase for new treatments and latest trends in the beauty world.
Katrina, who usually attends the exhibition as a member of the trade, said: "I love Professional Beauty and I’m so excited to be taking part virtually this year as a representative for Repêchage, my favourite skincare company. For me to be acting as one of the trainers is very exciting – I am totally flattered.
"I have had incredible results with the products, my customers use it at home and tell me all the time how their skin has improved and I have seen it. I think it is really exciting to be recognised for that and given the opportunity to pass it on to other people."
She explained that she had been surprised when Val Cooper, managing director of Repêchage Europe Ltd, had got in touch with her at the beginning of February to ask if she would consider being on their panel of experts. "I am really excited – obviously I would love to do it," she said.
The local beautician was approached due to her knowledge of the brand which she uses at her salon, the Country Spa. Katrina had a Zoom meeting with the American-based company founder Lydia Sarfati, and has also been asked to become the brand's Scottish regional representative.
"At the moment Scotland does not have a representative so I would be responsible for any new accounts – it is really exciting," said Katrina.
"It is my dream to go to Secaucus in New Jersey to look around the headquarters. I have wanted to go there for years and years and years. It is on the bucket list."
Commenting on the local beautician's selection for the worldwide event, Ms Cooper said: "Katrina has been a long standing client of ours for almost 20 years now and we were looking for a good ambassador to represent us at the online show along with myself and our representative from Ireland.
"As we are in the process of looking for representatives in Scotland, England and Ireland – having recently filled Ireland the logical approach for Scotland was to look for someone with expert knowledge of, and passion for our brand.
"I could think of no more excellent a choice than Katrina. We are delighted to have her as our Scotland representative and looking forward to having her aboard."
When her salon was closed during lockdown Katrina started doing regular weekly demonstrations on social media which she feels attracted the attention of Repêchage UK as well as the company's American operation.
She said: "I have done skincare tutorials, including demonstrations on how to do a professional facial at home. I developed a facial at home kit with my regular clients in mind but it is available to everyone.
"I got a really enthusiastic response, they really enjoyed the tutorials. Through seeing the demonstrations online I picked up a lot of new clients and followers, with people as far away as Essex."
The beautician explained that she was extremely impressed with the seaweed-based product which is harvested in a sustainable way, and the brands dedication to scientific research and education. She firmly believes that the nutrients and vitamins of the sea are as close as you can get to the human plasma which she figures must be good for the skin.
"Every year I have gone to the exhibition, I have never found a product that beats this one," pointed out Katrina. She does not usually manage to get to the exhibition in London every year but she tries to go along with her staff members every two or three years.
"They have amazing educational programmes at it so it is worth going to, we are absolutely starved of things in Scotland, although it is better now with things online," said Katrina.
At this year's exhibition the company will be promoting its new line for dry compromised skins which has had all irritants removed from it and is safe for anyone, including those going through chemotherapy.
Katrina has been running the Country Spa at Occumster since July 2007 and has been the largest account for Repêchage in the UK for the last couple of years, selling the most products.
