Aida Bicaj doesn’t shout about her highly sought-after facials over Instagram – nor does she name drop her famous roster of clients in magazines or on TikTok. To know the work of Bicaj – who’s been diligently gracing New York with her aesthetic expertise since 1997 – is to embrace a quiet luxury of skincare, and her waitlist-worthy appointments across two New York spas are proof that she holds the magic of great skin in her strategically caressing fingers.
Bicaj’s journey began with her arrival in New York after fleeing the war-torn country formerly known as Yugoslavia. She teamed up with luxury skincare line Biologique Recherche, and with founders Yvan and Josette Allouche, she discovered an innate love for skincare. As her reputation and clientele grew, Bicaj opened her first spa on the Upper East Side in 2006 followed by an opening in Tribeca in 2022.
Bicaj’s clients – a veritable who’s who of the global elite – appreciate her holistic vision of skincare that includes bespoke regimens at the spa plus lifestyle tweaks at home. Bicaj works at the face, administering serums and masks while pulling the muscle to regenerate cells before applying micro-currents and radio frequency technology. The result is improved skin texture with fewer fine lines and breakouts and smaller pores.
We sat down with Bicaj to discuss her journey into the art of facials, the evolution of the skincare scene and her go-to regimen both on and off the table.
How did you how did you get your start as an aesthetician?
I came to the US during the war. I escaped as a journalist because my father was a journalist. It was the only way I could come. When I arrived, I was introduced to the brand, Biologique Recherche by a woman from my country who lived in Paris. I didn’t see her for many years. When I saw her, I said, ‘What happened to your skin?’ She was glowing. So when she told me about Biologique Recherche, I had to learn more.
I was fortunate to get trained by the owner, himself, who trained maybe 10 people in the world. I was lucky. When I started working with them, I was a receptionist. But when he saw my long fingers, he decided to work with me. He said, ‘When you grab the skin, grab it with the same passion as making love to someone you love very much. You have to feel it in your hands when you grab the skin.’ I worked with him for 15 years before I opened my first spa.
What’s the foundation of that movement?
It’s the idea that you are moving not just the superficial layer of the skin, but the whole skin from outside to inside. So the tissues are breathing, the blood is circulating. You know when you have a good blood circulation. It de-puffs your face and gets rid of dark circles. So those movements together with the products is a miracle.
How would you describe your philosophy around skincare?
It’s about customizing – seeing the person and what their skin needs. I’m looking at the texture of the skin, at the sensitivity, the breakouts and pores. Most of the creams people use sit on the surface of the skin, so they don’t penetrate. The treatments I’m doing stimulate blood circulation. I’m building better skin by enforcing it in a natural way.
My products are also highly concentrated, and I’m incorporating them with the movements. The skin has muscle memory. Every time you do it, it stays up more. It’s like going to the gym and having a personal trainer. This is the same thing, but we’re toning and nourishing the face with a cocktail of serums that go deeper, especially with the radio-frequency and micro-current machine.
What do you think American women don’t understand about aging?
People look to France or other countries to see women who are aging really well. It’s not about the lasers or the fillers, it’s a holistic approach. I see women in New York, and they’re pulled up with a lot of filler. They are the most beautiful woman in the world, but they don’t have the confidence it takes to age. European women are so comfortable in their skin. Women in America look for perfection. Perfection doesn’t exist, and then you end up looking like everybody else. They will pay for the bags and the expensive wardrobe, but they’re minimal on the face, except for fillers and Botox.
How does how does your method work in tandem with some of those more aggressive interventions?
It all works in tandem. We have doctors sending us patients who are getting facelifts. If you do this treatment for three or four months in advance of your surgery, your facelift is going to last longer. You will have a better facelift because the skin doesn’t need to get pulled so much. Then, after the facelift, if you continue to invest in the treatments, you don’t need another one. But we have a lot of woman who get fillers and Botox, and they still want to do this.
Are there certain interventions that are working adversely to your treatments?
Lately, I’m having problems with skin that is over-lasered. Instead of building collagen, it’s breaking the collagen because it’s frying the skin. That’s why it feels tight, but it’s not really tight. It’s like putting a bacon in a frying pan. It makes the skin unbreakable. I speak with some plastic surgeons about it – they’re having a hard time performing plastic surgery when the skin is over-lasered.
Then we have a lot of teenagers who go to the dermatologist, and their skin gets so dehydrated, because the doctors are busy fixing one thing, like acne. But then you have skin getting damaged in a different way. So you may cure the acne, but the rest of the skin is going to be out of balance. And what do we do? In my spa, we take complete care. The main thing is to balance the skin, like balancing the body or gut. When your skin is balanced, you don’t have acne. You don’t have enlarged pores.
I don’t believe in a quick fixes. It’s work. Skincare is homework. These are treatments that you have to be very diligent about. You have to put in the time.
What are the products you can live without?
Currently, I cannot live without the Nescens Zombie Cell Clearing Serum. The line is incredible. I also cannot live without without Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 1970.
How do you care for your skin at home?
One thing that can transform the skin from inside out is a juice of celery, lemon and ginger. I drink it every morning. It’s different when you buy it verses doing it yourself. So I start with that. I also work out every single day. I drink at least three liters of water a day. I’m doing so much more for myself than I used to. I need to maintain.
Where do you fall on alcohol? Do you drink?
Yes. Moderation. Red wine, white wine. But not much. Everything in moderation. And then at night, I do intermittent fasting. I don’t eat after 6 pm, so I drink a lot of herbal teas. It’s boring, but I feel amazing next day. I also take Magnesium, Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamin D3.
Can you share your advice for navigating the world as we age?
Everything is balanced – balancing your body, your skin, your life. I don’t do anything too extreme, but everything has to be in order. You have to be diligent. Otherwise your regimen doesn’t work. You have to have some rules and consistency. If you are not consistent, you will not see results. My philosophy is that skincare is about more than just an hour with me. It’s a different way of looking at beauty, wellness, prevention and maintenance. There are no shortcuts.