Radiant Future
Anej Skin Studio, now with a second location in Princeton, satisfies a growing demand for customized, results-driven skin care curated by founder Jena Salzano.
by Bill Donahue

On November 29, most people were still recovering from their Thanksgiving feasts and reveling in the unofficial start of the winter holidays. Jena Salzano and her team at Anej Skin Studio, however, were ramping up for a monumental occasion: the opening of a second Anej studio in the heart of Princeton’s shopping and cultural district.
 
“I spent a year casually looking for another location so we could build on the momentum we had in Bucks County, but I honestly didn’t think I would open a second location so quickly,” says Salzano, who opened the first Anej Skin Studio in Yardley in 2021. “When I walked by this place on Nassau Street, I thought: This is exactly what I’m looking for. We’ve been open in Princeton for only a short time, but I’m thrilled with the reception we’ve gotten. Clients love the fact that we’re the only studio in the area that does what we do.”
 
Salzano designed Princeton to largely mirror Anej’s original studio in Yardley: a tranquil sanctuary, of sorts, where clients of all ages, backgrounds, and skin types can rest, rejuvenate, and achieve transformative results. The studio is located within an historic building, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the space with natural light.
 
“No matter which location our clients come to,” Salzano says, “I want them to feel like they’ve come to a very special place that they haven’t seen before.” 
 
‘Absolutely Perfect’
Anej Skin Studio embodies Salzano’s commitment to wellness, rooted in the art and science of skin care. As she was breathing life into the Anej brand, Salzano found inspiration in the spas of Europe; not only do European spas take a more “ritualistic” approach to skin care as a linchpin of overall health, but they also use “cleaner” products than one might typically encounter in American spas and stores.

 
“If you go to a CVS, you’ll find maybe 100 ingredients in most of their skin care products, and the percentage of things like vitamin C or hyaluronic acid is very low,” she says. “If you go to Sephora, maybe those percentages are a bit higher. At Anej, the products we use have up to 20 percent of the essential ingredients that are actively working on making changes to your skin on a cellular level.”
 
Among the many iconic products employed by Anej, Salzano is perhaps most excited about a Parisian brand named Biologique Recherche. She cites Lotion P50, a multifunctional lotion that exfoliates, purifies, and rebalances the pH of the skin. Hardly a one-size-fits-all option, Lotion P50 comes in various iterations, each to address a different skin concern.
 
Biologique Recherche is one of the most popular brands available through Anej’s online boutique for facilitating clients’ at-home routines. Other high-quality skin care lines available through Anej include Augustinus Bader, Environ Skin Care, and Valmont, all of which tend to be difficult to find in the United States.
 
Ultra-premium skin care products go hand in hand with Anej’s curated in-studio treatments. Each treatment is tailored to a client’s specific needs to ensure that they leave feeling revitalized and, more importantly, uplifted by the results.
 
“If you go to a med spa or a facial chain, everyone is treated pretty much the same—cleanse, tone, mask, and you’re out the door,” she says. “We’re going to customize their facial to what they want to see change and pair that with their at-home routine. They need to leave here thrilled with the results they see. We call it ‘the Anej glow,’ which comes from a combination of active ingredients, the handwork we do, and noninvasive technology.
 
“When you come to Anej, you’re not just coming in for a facial,” she continues. “From the time they call on the phone to the time they check out, the experience has to be absolutely perfect. Most of our clients aren’t used to putting themselves first, but when you come here, you’re going to put yourself first for 60 to 90 minutes. Besides skin care treatments and at-home routines, we’ll also talk about lifestyle treatments and supplements, because our skin performs better when we take care of ourselves.”
 
One of Anej’s most popular treatments is the Anej Bespoke Facial, an hour-long treatment customized to each client’s individual skin care needs. Another favorite: the Le Lift Facial, which not only exfoliates and hydrate the skin, but also stimulates muscles to lift and reshape the face, neck, and décollete.  
 
“Our aestheticians are such experts at what they do,” Salzano says. “Our lead aesthetician, Alexandra, is a specialist in facial sculpting. She does gua sha, which reduces inflammation and removes the buildup of toxins, and buccal facials, which uses intra-oral massage to release any tension in the jaw or remove excess fluid; it’s like a natural face-lift. Alexis, who is our director of studios, has been with me since we opened, and she does everything. Clients adore her, and I owe a lot of success to her.
 
“All the rest of our staff are highly trained and have tons of experience, and they do continuing education every month,” she continues. “For something like a Anej Bespoke Facial, I train all our staff, so I’m able to share all of my experience from 20 years in the industry. We’re all constantly learning, and that has helped us bring new things to the community, like noninvasive body sculpting.”
 
Looking Forward
Salzano’s interest in skin care began at a young age; she started doing skin care rituals at home with her mother as young as eight. She came of age thinking she would pursue a career in fashion, though she had little interest in uprooting her life and moving to New York. To her, though, fashion and beauty/wellness went hand in hand. She enrolled in the Rizzieri Aveda School, where she excelled.

 
She hasn’t looked back since. In fact, she can’t help but look forward. Having grown up in Mercer County, she says the opening of the Princeton location feels a lot like coming full circle.
 
“The first [skin care] jobs I had were in Pennington and Princeton, and a lot of those clients are still with me 20 years later,” she says. “Nassau Street was a big deal when I was growing up, and it’s having even more of a revival now. I’m very proud to have my own studio right on Nassau.”
 
Of course, Salzano wants to remind her Bucks County clientele that the Princeton location represents an expansion, not a relocation.
 
“I’m excited about building our community in Princeton much like the one we have in Bucks County,” she says. “When we opened our first location, I never thought I’d open a second. Who knows? Maybe we’ll open a third one down the line.”
 
Anej Skin Studio
anejskinstudio.com
 
19 E. Afton Ave.
Yardley, PA 19067
 
10 Nassau Street
Princeton, NJ 08542
 
Photos by Alison Dunlap
 
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, December 2024.