There’s no talking around the fact that the beauty industry is on a journey of change, and the founder of Body Catalyst, Samantha Barakat Light, is leading that charge. With nine high-tech offerings from fat freezing to a knife-free skin-tightening facelift, here she shares her vision for future beauty and wellness trends, says editor Trudi Brewer.

Post-pandemic, the world has changed. Even more so has the beauty industry. Right now, it’s going through a rebirthing of sorts. Gone is the demand for fluffy facials accompanied by whale music and scented candles; today, time-poor women want speedy treatments that offer visible results. Precisely the philosophy at Body Catalyst. A self-funded business that started small and is now an Australian wellness empire. Change-maker, Samantha Barakat Light, was never afraid to roll up her sleeves and work hard; that was all she ever knew growing up in a large immigrant Lebanese family. She believes “The best thing anyone can have is a positive self-image.” With high-tech equipment that offers personalised, targeted treatments and a microscope approach to consultation, Sydney-based Barakat Light has 44 clinics across Australia and Auckland, New Zealand, that are delivering on their promises. Read on to learn more.

Image BeautyEQ Samantha Barakat Light and editor Trudi Brewer

What does the future of wellness skin and body treatments look like, and in what direction do you hope it goes?

The most significant change is that people seek results but want safe, gentle, non-invasive and nonsurgical treatments. Yes, some want dramatic change and will get Botox; others want to take control of their bodies that are nonsurgical but do offer results. Also, post-COVID, people want to feel good about themselves again. Remember, we all lost control of our lives for two and half years, and Zoom dysmorphia (an altered or skewed negative perception of your body image by constantly looking at yourself on a screen) is real, so people are saying there are aspects of my body I want to change, and now they can do that. Then once they make that change, they start to feel good about themselves again, they feel better, and that shift is not just a physical change; it’s an emotional shift. Also, with the treatments we offer, people can fix stuff they don’t like about their bodies, which previously you couldn’t. Also, as we age, women are starting to talk more about their issues rather than suffer in silence. For example, with incontinence, the TeslaChair works to strengthen pelvic floor muscles, so you don’t have to leak; there is a treatment that means you don’t have to pee your pants anymore. So there is help out there for them.

As a beauty destination, how would you describe Body Catalyst?

None of us come from the beauty industry. My background is in sports and health science, so when I started the business, I bought a fat-freezing machine and started giving treatments. I wanted to ascertain what this business would be and what people wanted. Then when my clients returned and saw the results, I learnt it was deeper than a physical shift. It was an emotional shift. That is the premise of Body Catalyst helping people feel excellent about themselves. So we are not a beauty destination. We bridge the gap between wellness and beauty; we are a medispa.

do you think the hands on approach of beauty will last?

While there will always be hair and nail salons, that’s beauty maintenance, and people will always want that, but now more than ever, there is a need for wellness. So imagine a beautiful day spa, with magnesium pools and infrared saunas, where you can sip Champagne or drink raw juices, depending on what you want. Be with friends or on your own in an all-in-one wellness/beauty precinct where you can get your hair and nails done and have fat-freezing in one space. Also, this will cater to time-poor women, who can have every service in one beautiful space.

With 42 clinics in Australia and two now in Auckland, where is the next location target?

Currently, the most important thing is building up a hub in Auckland so that the team become a family and supports each other before we expand across New Zealand. So, right now, we are looking North of Auckland in Takapuna and Silverdale.

What’s the most popular treatment you offer?

It’s still Cryolipolysis Fat-Freezing. That will become as common as laser hair removal; it’s phenomenal. There is no other treatment that kills fat cells permanently. Followed closely by TeslaFormer, the muscle-building treatment. It helps with building your core, strengthening pelvic floor muscles, and helps with lymphatic drainage; it tackles areas that exercise doesn’t help with, allowing people to feel more stable and stronger. Next Is HiFu, the non surgical facelift.

WHAT IS ONE COMMENT FROM A CLIENT THAT HAS RESONATED WITH YOU?

There are so many. I learnt long ago that it’s not the physical but the emotional shift for people who go through with the change. So we put lots of energy into creating a space where people feel safe. Where people can come in and be vulnerable, it’s hard enough to look at themselves in the mirror, let alone lift their tops or pull down their pants. So I think the most beautiful thing anyone has said is that it is a sign of relief to come here and feel vulnerable, safe and supported, which is what we have tried to create. We want our staff to be authentic and supportive to our customers who are vulnerable and very courageous coming in here.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU EACH DAY?

With me, what you see is what you get. I want others to feel that way. Women are constantly told how to look and act or be a certain way. I don’t want our clients to feel that way. Being yourself is the most important thing. That is what drives me. Also, empowering my 200 staff. I want them all to be financially independent and successful in their own right. None of our clinics are franchised, so all our clinic leaders have the opportunity to be entrepreneurs. To learn how to work on business and run a business with education supporting their training. That’s a real motivator for me.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

Our philosophy is in line with the lean start-up, having an idea, implementing the idea with the least amount of time, effort and money, understanding what works and implementing that. If it doesn’t work, iterate. Then get through that as fast as you to build a business that people want that hopefully becomes successful. Also, before I started this business, I had nothing. I also came from nothing, so what am I losing? Nothing. My parents are immigrants, so life has always been about working your arse off; I grew up thinking a challenge is what you do in life; there is no easy ride, and that was instilled in me as a kid. So the challenge is the game. I have grown this business without any investment, and we have grown fast on a shoestring. I guess that is why I often still take the bus to work. I started this business to have the freedom to have kids and a life. I didn’t want to go back to my eight to six pm corporate job; seven years on, I can now do that. I am very proud of all of that.

WHAT IS YOUR BEST business LESSON?

Communicate, communicate, communicate. People want to be heard. My staff are in this business and on the front line with our clients, so they are my business and need to be part of the growth and changes. I have always said I don’t know what I am doing, so the way I bring people on the journey is that they are creating that journey with me. Every decision is made in consultation, so people get heard. That’s why one of our philosophies here is ‘rise by lifting others.’

What you can expect to pay

Individual treatments start from $199 and packages from $1,999.

Editor Trudi Brewer and style director Louise Hilsz are both currently undergoing treatments at Body Catalyst. Brewer is getting a non surgical HiFu facelift and Hilsz a combination of Cryolipolysis Fat-Freezing and TeslaFormer. Stay tuned over the next weeks to discover our journeys.