The owner of a now-defunct Passaic County skin care spa has agreed to a 10-year ban from operating a similar business in New Jersey after allegations she illegally provided invasive beauty treatments, authorities said.
As part of a consent order with the State Board of Medical Examiners and the State Board of Cosmetology & Hairstyling, Rasha Abdul Basuf will also pay a $10,000 civil penalty, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced. July 10 press release.
After a tip from the public, the Department of Consumer Affairs launched an investigation into Basuf’s business practices at Skyn Spa in Clifton, finding that she was illegally providing beauty services without required business licenses, Platkin said.
Between March and December 2023, Basuf and her salon also provided services beyond what was allowed under the salon’s specialty skin care shop license and provided services that only licensed health professionals are allowed to provide, according to the attorney general. Basouf is neither a licensed cosmetologist nor a doctor.
Platkin said those services include:
- Botox and dermal filler injections
- Body outline
- Laser hair removal
- Teeth whitening
- Permanent makeup
- Microblading
- Microneedling
- Platelet Rich Plasma Facials, also known as “vampire facials”
Skyn Spa has since begun the process of dissolving its corporate entity and also granted its skin care specialty license. This license allowed her to offer waxing, eyelash extensions, conventional makeup applications and facials.
Serious threat
The terms of the settlement with the state prohibit Basuf from representing herself as qualified to practice medicine and surgery or to provide any service that constitutes the practice of cosmetology and hairdressing.
Basuf and Skyn Spa neither admit nor deny the investigation’s findings, according to authorities. Legal representation for Basuf was not known as publication.
“No matter how fancy or professionally staffed a ‘med-spa’ may appear, without proper supervision and guidance from licensed, licensed medical personnel, consumers can be exposed to dangerous treatments that could have serious long-term consequences,” Platkin said.
“As the medical spa industry continues to grow and evolve, we will continue to investigate and hold accountable individuals who provide beauty services that they are neither licensed nor qualified to provide,” he said.
In the past year, the state has taken enforcement actions related to alleged unlicensed medical practice in connection with “medical spa” treatments involving needles, syringes and scalpels or prescription drugs such as Botox and lidocaine.
Other businesses brought under the scrutiny of investigators include:
- Carolina Nunez Skincare in Union – agreed to pay $22,500 in civil penalties in October 2023 to resolve allegations of providing services without a license.
- Marysol’s Beauty Works in Union – fined $17,650 in June 2023 for practicing without licenses.
- Katica Body Contour Salon in Elizabeth – agreed to pay $20,000 in February 2023 to resolve allegations that it offered services that exceeded the scope of its professional licenses.
Cari Fais, deputy director of the Division of Consumer Affairs, urged the public to thoroughly check the professional credentials of professionals before undergoing invasive beauty treatments, especially when the treatments offered are at discount or club prices.
“If you suspect someone is providing medical or cosmetic services without a license, please let us know. As the action announced today shows, a single tip can help us stop illegal activities that pose a serious threat to the public,” Feiss said.
