Silver Mirror Facial Bar is starting to offer nutrition advice, hoping its clients will gravitate toward the inner-outer beauty approach to better skin.
Silver Mirror, which launched in 2016, offers memberships for monthly 30-,50-minute facials ranging in price from $79-$399. The company has significantly expanded over the last 18 months, growing from three locations to nine, including in New York City, Washington D.C. and Miami. In July, Silver Mirror plans to launch sleep products, including masks and pillowcases, and it will introduce its own topical skin-care products by the end of the year. According to Crain’s New York Business publication, Silver Mirror earned $7 million in 2022 revenue and projected $14 million for 2023. Matt Maroone, CEO of Silver Mirror Facial Bar, said the business expects 50-60% revenue growth this year and 100-200% revenue growth in 2025. The company has no outside investors.
Rachael Gallo, COO of Silver Mirror Facial Bar, said the company has over 5,000 paying members, and its core customer base is women ages 25-45. Maroone said he expects 10-20% of members will sign up for the nutrition program.
“Facial bars started with a focus on the ‘fast facial’ — a very quick and easy process, offering no connection [for the client]. What sets us apart is the connection,” said Gallo. “Our facials [can be] quick, but they’re not positioned to be quick. They’re positioned to fit into a lifestyle.”
For example, Silver Mirror’s hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. to accommodate the before- and after-work crowd who can’t pop out for a lunchtime facial.
“The [new nutrition] program is a big part of Silver Mirror’s continuing growth. What does a skin-care lifestyle look like, and what other areas besides facials does it include?” she said.
The virtual nutrition program centers on appointments with a licensed nutritionist once a month. A three-pack of appointments costs around $450 for non-members and $360 for members. The six-pack price is around $1,200 for non-members and $950 for members. The six-pack offering, available later in 2024, includes longer consultations and additional health and wellness services like gastrointestinal health profiling and metabolism analysis through stool and blood testing. The company’s premium-tier facial members will receive three months of nutrition appointments for free, before being offered the monthly member rates for the service. Initial appointments consist of a consultation covering current diet, skin and health concerns, followed by the development of a personalized nutrition program and subsequent monthly check-ins.
An internal note system between dieticians and aestheticians helps facilitate the knowledge of the nutrition program’s impact on the skin. Nutritionists earn a revenue share on purchased sessions and will receive a 100% commission on supplements sold to customers. Silver Mirror plans to launch skin supplements for oily skin in late 2024.
Brands and companies in similar markets have also begun offering nutrition services. In April, at-home fitness studio Alo Moves introduced a wellness program called The Sculpt Lineup. The three-week program offers a comprehensive blend of nutrition, fitness and mindfulness practices. And upscale gyms such as Equinox and LifeTime Fitness have offered nutrition services for several years. In 2018, New York-based dermatologist Dr. Julie Russak, M.D., through her her Russak Dermatology business, began offering a longevity program called Anti-Aging Wellness developed with nutritionist Jennifer Hanway. But nutrition via a fast-facial business has yet to emerge, despite the boom in digestible beauty supplements and the accepted concept of inner-outer beauty. Other fast-facial companies include Heyday and Glowbar.
“We’re further differentiating ourselves [from competitors] and continuing to lean into our clientele, giving them what they’re requesting,” said Maroone. “[We want to] give them as much value as possible.”
Gallo added, “As a company, we’ve been focused on the skin health [aspect] of nutrition. … But whole-body health affects skin health, as well.”
Gallo said Silver Mirror designed the nutrition program based on the increased acne problems its clients are experiencing. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne can occur at any stage of life, and adult acne is increasing, affecting up to 15% of women.
Since the beginning of the year, Silver Mirror has published gut health and skin health blog posts on its website and marketing emails to prepare its clients for the nutrition program. In addition, the program is featured on in-store signage, in paid targeted digital ads, and in out-of-home ads in New York, Miami and Washington D.C. neighborhoods. But because the nutrition service is virtual, it will also afford Silver Mirror to service people in markets without physical facial bar locations. For now, Silver Mirror can provide nutrition services to 15 states, including Texas and Massachusetts, where it does not have a presence.
