We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Alcide recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah , appreciate you joining us today. We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?

There are moments in my career that stay with me because they go far beyond skincare or treatments.

I often see clients become emotional during sessions. There is something about the combination of touch, presence, and softness that allows people to finally let go of what they’ve been carrying—mentally and emotionally. I’ve had mothers coming in completely exhausted from overstimulation and responsibility, women struggling with self-confidence due to skin concerns, and even a client in the entertainment industry who told me she had never experienced being touched with that level of care and gentleness before.

What I notice most is that many women are not just tired—they are emotionally depleted from constantly giving. In those moments, something very human happens: they are allowed to receive.

In my practice, I also integrate Reiki as a healing modality, and I’ve seen clients experiencing deep relaxation and emotional release during treatments, especially those dealing with stress linked to skin conditions like acne, hyperpigmentation, or post-inflammatory marks. When the nervous system relaxes, the skin often follows.

In Judaism, there is a concept called tikkun olam—the idea of “repairing the world.” For me, this translates into something very simple and very personal: helping women feel restored in their own skin again. My version of healing the world is through softness, presence, and care for women who are doing far more than they allow themselves to acknowledge.

Ultimately, my mission is not just aesthetic. It’s about helping people reconnect with how they feel under their skin—so that their outer glow becomes a reflection of something steadier and more grounded.

Sarah , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am the founder of Secret de Beauté, a skincare and wellness spa based in Miami, dedicated to advanced skin treatments and holistic care that bridges aesthetics with emotional well-being.

My journey into this industry began from a deep fascination with both science and human connection. I was initially drawn to skincare through its technical precision—the way skin responds to treatment, ingredients, and consistency. But over time, I realized that what truly transforms a client is not only the protocol itself, but the experience of being cared for. That insight shaped the foundation of my practice.

At Secret de Beauté, we specialize in advanced facial treatments targeting concerns such as acne, hyperpigmentation, melasma, and skin texture irregularities, while also focusing on skin barrier restoration and long-term skin health. Each treatment is customized, combining results-driven techniques with a highly attentive, sensory approach designed to calm the nervous system and support overall skin function.

What sets my work apart is this dual approach: clinical precision paired with intentional softness. I view skincare not only as correction, but as restoration—of both the skin and the person in it. Many of my clients come in after years of struggling with persistent skin conditions or feeling disconnected from their reflection. My role is to help them rebuild trust in their skin, step by step, with visible results and a grounded, supportive experience.

Over time, I also incorporated holistic modalities such as energy-based relaxation techniques into my practice, not as a replacement for dermatological care, but as a complementary layer that supports emotional release and deep relaxation during treatments. I’ve seen how stress and emotional fatigue often manifest directly in the skin, and how important it is to address both aspects together.

What I am most proud of is not a single treatment outcome, but the consistency of transformation I witness: clients who arrive feeling discouraged or self-conscious, and gradually regain confidence as their skin improves and they feel more at ease in themselves.

At its core, my work is about results, but also about reconnection—helping people feel at home in their skin again.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been very simple—and very intentional: mastery of the craft and word-of-mouth reputation.

When I launched Secret de Beauté, I had essentially zero marketing budget. I also didn’t naturally gravitate toward heavy social media self-promotion, which is often expected in today’s industry. Instead, I chose to rely on something more traditional and, in my view, more sustainable: results and client experience.

My approach is rooted in the idea of handcrafted talent. In a city like Miami, where medspas are everywhere and many invest heavily in advertising, I focused on what cannot be bought—precision in technique, consistency in results, and the quality of human care during each treatment.

I intentionally built my business the way luxury services used to grow before digital visibility dominated everything: through trust, referrals, and client loyalty. Every client experience was designed to be detailed, personalized, and memorable enough that people naturally wanted to recommend it.

Over time, this created organic momentum. I didn’t rely on SEO campaigns, paid ads, or influencer marketing. Growth came through reviews, referrals, and repeat clients who became advocates of the work.

Today, I’m proud that within a relatively short time: and starting from a single treatment room—the spa has built a strong reputation locally, largely driven by client trust and word-of-mouth.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your firm or practice?

I didn’t raise external funding or work with investors. When I moved from the south of France to Miami two years ago, I essentially had to start from zero again.

The initial capital came from a combination of personal savings and the sale of my previous spa in Cannes. That transition allowed me to reinvest in what mattered most to me at the time: high-quality professional products, equipment, and the essential foundations needed to deliver a truly elevated service. However, I deliberately chose not to allocate budget toward marketing or external growth strategies.

I arrived in Miami without a financial safety net, without family support locally, and without the typical structures people often rely on when building a business. What I did have was my craft, my experience, and a very strong belief in the value of what I can offer through my hands.

So in a way, my “funding” was not traditional capital—it was trust in my skill, discipline, and consistency. I built everything step by step through the work itself: each client experience, each result, and the reputation that followed.

I also hold a very grounded spiritual perspective on this journey. I believe that what I bring into my work is not only technical expertise, but presence and intention. I often say that what I truly started with was what I carry within me—my hands, my focus, and my dedication to service.

From there, everything has been built organically: reinvesting revenue into the business, prioritizing quality over scale, and allowing the work itself to fund its own growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.secret2beaute.com/
• Instagram: Secret2beaute
• Yelp: Secret de beaute Miami