I Asked NYC's "Acne Whisperer" to Explain Her 2025 Treatment Plan—4 Tips for Clear, Glowing Skin

Browsing the social media feeds of celebrity aestheticians is my sport of choice. It's mostly because I want to know all their trade secrets when it comes to treating the skin of my favorite stars, but on top of that, I make it my business to know exactly what they're using on their own skin too. After all, their skin is so flawless that it looks airbrushed 100% of the time—a feat I've been trying to accomplish since starting my career as a beauty writer. One such celebrity aesthetician who always acts as a source of inspiration for me is Sofie Pavitt.

Affectionately known as NYC's "acne whisperer," Pavitt is a wizard at clearing even the most stubborn breakouts with her brand's cult-loved Mandelic Clearing Serum ($54). I'm a huge fan of her eponymous skincare line, Sofie Pavitt Face, but was even more elated when she shared her personal laundry list of skincare treatments she plans to get this year. I definitely took a few notes, and I had to share her treatment plan and tips for any other beauty enthusiasts looking to up their skincare game this year.

Pavitt broke it down for me and shared her best skincare tips below.

Pavitt's 2025 Skincare Treatment Plan

Pavitt stated on her Instagram that she splits her year into "protect" and "correct" seasons. "I tell people I'm high-maintenance to be low-maintenance," she says. "I hate wearing lots of makeup, for example, and getting my skin in great shape allows me to be pretty barefaced." Colder months are when she does her big corrective treatments, and warmer months are for preventative care.

Correct Season

During colder months, Pavitt opts for the following treatments. First, she does a series of three micro-needling treatments spaced four weeks apart to stimulate collagen production in the skin. In January, she also likes to do a peel (specifically BioRePeel) at her studio. She then does two additional facials. She plans those two weeks after micro-needling, and depending on what she needs, she might do a maintenance deep clean or cryofacial. During Q4, she usually does her yearly CO2 laser treatment and lots of LED light therapy.

Protect Season

During warmer months, Pavitt does Botox (twice a year), a deep clean if she has any events, a microcurrent treatment, and dermaplaning. She also does a light peel if she needs one, hydrating treatments like CO2 Lift Pro, and liquid micro-needling (like Cellstory).

Pavitt's Best Skin-Maintenance Tips

I know everyone may not have the means to indulge in this many treatments in a year, so I asked Pavitt for her best skin-maintenance tips.

1. If you do treatments, break them up into protect and correct seasons like Pavitt.

As Pavitt mentioned above, spring and summer are months when you want to focus on protecting the skin. If you do decide to get laser treatments, you'll want to do that when temperatures are cooler and you're spending less time outdoors. Like every other skincare expert, she says that summer is for SPF. "If I'm spending a lot of time outdoors, I tend to simplify my routine to be hydrating and sun protecting. Alternatively, I'll get more aggressive with exfoliation and actives in the fall and winter," she says.

2. Stick to fragrance-free, noncomedogenic, gentle products when healing after treatments.

If you're on a budget but want to get serious about healing your skin, you can pick one treatment to do per season that feels realistic for your budget. Once you decide on your treatment, Pavitt recommends using gentle, fragrance-free, noncomedogenic products and no actives when you're healing to avoid damaging the skin. This is especially true if you're receiving treatments to heal acne.

3. Use cryotherapy and anti-inflammatory ingredients to calm active acne.

You can use products like Sofie Pavitt Face's Nice Ice Frozen Toner Pods ($68) after a treatment or as part of your regular weekly skincare routine to calm inflammation, redness, and active acne. "You store them in the freezer and use them to de-puff and revitalize stressed skin. Plus, they feel amazing on an irritated face," she says. Look for ingredients like niacinamide, or you can use a jade roller fresh out of the fridge.

4. Hydrating home treatments should be your new BFFs.

This might seem obvious, but Pavitt stresses that hydrating home treatments are absolutely everything—especially during corrective seasons. She loves sheet masks for this and shared her favorite products below.

Pavitt's Skincare Recommendations