Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing, said Dr Albert Schweitzer (French-German philosopher and theologian). And Gene Mauch (acclaimed American Major League Baseball manager) once said, “You can’t lead anyone else further than you have gone yourself.”

It would seem that Sothys’ Group president Frédéric Mas is holding on to the same credo.

According to Mas (right), the skincare, body care and cosmetic products that Sothys offers have to satisfy him first before they are shipped out to at least 115 countries that currently carry this luxury brand. He even stocks some of the new products in his own bathroom to personally test their efficacy.

“I’m currently trying out the new C-renewal products, which might make it’s appearance in Malaysia soon,” he said.

A president of a leading cosmetic international company who doubles up as a “lab rat” for the “goods” sounds like a good enough endorsement, doesn’t it?

In fact, when he was growing up (or, as he put it, “born in the Sothys jar”), his father, Bernard (Sothys, chairman who has since handed over the reins to Frédéric and his brother Christian), used to bring back products to be tested by the family. No wonder the 34-year-old Mas, with his cheerful countenance and good complexion, is a living testament to Sothys products.

Sothys is still very much a family business even though it employs over 500 people worldwide. Apart from Mas' brother, other relatives are very much involved in the company as well, including Mas’ Japanese wife. But, as Mas puts it, the staff are considered the extended family. This was evident when Mas took a group of journalists on a tour of the company at its headquarters (housed in a stately 19th century building) in Brive, south-west of France.

Besides having the distinction of being the first beauty salon in the world, Sothys’ renowned institute - the equivalent of professional salons in France - in Paris is located at the prestigious address: 128, rue du Faubourg (pronounced Faw-bog) Saint-Honoré. Today 128 Faubourg Salon by Sothys is famed for its professional treatments.

The time is right

Five years ago, Sothys opened what they claimed to be the first salon exclusive for men €"128 Faubourg, For Him (www.128faubourg.com.my). It shares the same address but has a separate entrance for men. Discretion is the hallmark of the institute where they even schedule appointments so that their clientele, some of them quite high-profile, don’t bump into each other.

“We didn’t start catering to men earlier as the market was not mature enough. But with the onset of the metrosexual movement, we found that men were more accepting of the need for skincare.

We also had to learn a lot about the expectations and needs of men. They are quite immediate in their wants and we have integrated that in the way we service them,” pointed out Mas.

“For my generation, we do facials frequently but the next generation of men might be born with (the need for) it.”

Besides the “cut to the chase” style in the service and treatment, the interior of the men’s institute is also quite different. The women’s institute is very feminine in terms of decor and colour, but the men’s side is more stark and business-like, though both have plush surroundings.

The core customers from the women and the men’s segments are in the 30-to-55 age bracket. He said that the brand and their products have a strong point of differentiation, and are seen as professional products available only in salons, not retail. Sothys caters to very specific individual needs, rather than provide mass-market solutions.

Sothys considers its flagship salons as the perfect platform to showcase the efficacy of its products and to highlight the benefits of their treatments and the service of their therapists. Their main revenue, though, comes from their products, which can only be obtained from their professional salon partners; customers can carry out the treatment regime at home.

“Even though they are cosmetic products, they are produced at a high level of quality, like that of a pharmaceutical product.”

Mas maintained that while their corporate philosophy will never change, they adapt constantly to the needs of the market.

“The consumer is more aware and more demanding (nowadays), and they want results. And local needs and expectations might differ from region to region. We must be able to meet those needs.”

Those needs have to be addressed on a case-by-case basis. He also said that it makes sense to start skin hygiene as a teenager, when skin issues start to surface.

Mas himself uses products from the various ranges: the Hydroptimale hydrating cream (on a daily basis), the body-sculpting serum (to keep the fat away, he laughed) once a week, and the Noctuelle cream at night occasionally. He slots in facials when he has the time.

But if a man were only given one choice for a skincare product, Mas recommends the Hydroptimale comfort cream, which keeps skin hydrated.

Given the heat wave and temperatures reaching 35°C in France when we were there, keeping our skin hydrated wasn’t just an indulgence but a necessity.