School Upholds Christine Valmy's Standards & Legacy

Christine Valmy began developing her own skin care treatments in Romania in 1944, using natural ingredients from her own garden. In 1961, she emigrated to the U.S., where four years later she opened the first American esthetics school in New York. Fast-forward to 2012, as more than 75,000 students have graduated from the Christine Valmy International School of Esthetics.

A high degree of professionalism and detail are evident as soon as the elevator doors open at the school located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. A flexible schedule is offered to students and thorough curriculum that includes: esthetics, makeup, nail artistry, waxing, spa treatments, as well as CIDESCO and ITEC certification. It also specializes in the finest natural ingredients and botanicals used to make all Christine Valmy products at its Pine Brook, N.J. laboratory.

“While keeping my mother’s spirit and methodology, I’ve made it more user-friendly … we really prepare our students well, we invest in people properly and make sure they understand the material very well,” Director Marina Valmy de Haydu said. She upholds her mother’s standards and legacy as an educator and innovative chemist who balances a full schedule in the lab and at the school. She’s been in attendance this week at the International Beauty Show in New York. “It has been great, very exciting as a lot of former students come by to say hello. A lot of fun and very hectic, very busy,” she said.

Students learn ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic traditions along with the latest advances in biology, chemistry, herbology, nutrition and real salon “know-how.” Feng shui design principles and eco-friendly “Green” construction set the school apart where a meditation room is on site amid its classrooms. Valmy de Haydu added that her mother was instrumental in changing legislation to establish an esthetics license in New York state, creating the curriculum, which other states would later follow, and implement.

“We really are helping people to develop skills. We give options to people, especially women, to empower them … so they don’t depend on anyone else and have a career,” she explained. “You have to follow your passion and have the opportunities … that’s very important to really develop it.”