I have struggled with acne since becoming a teenager. Now that I’m a few months from twenty my skin should be perfect, right? Wrong. Despite searching numerous magazine articles, dermatologists, and over-the-counter products over the years, I have yet to find the secret to perfectly clear skin. Part of the reason: I have no idea what all these products even do. But with the help of Heyday, I’m hoping to conquer my skin once and for all. Heyday, a skincare company founded by Penn grads Adam Ross (WG’06) and Michael Pollak (C’05), offers a new way to view—and do—skincare. At a Baker Executive Speaker Series session last week, the founders discussed the aim of their company. Heyday’s goal is to inform and engage customers in the skincare process to make skincare not a luxury, but accessible for many in terms of income, gender, or experience.
Photo courtesy of Forbes
At the company’s retail locations in Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles, customers receive facials catered to their skincare needs. In other words, customers choose sessions by price and length, leaving the choice of treatments in the hands of the estheticians. Customers receive personalized facials based on their needs for their skin at the current moment, unlike set formulas at spas.
The estheticians explain their choice of ingredients and methods while applying the facials, enabling customers to actually learn in the process. Pollak explained that while someone taught us how to ride a bike, no one taught us how to wash our faces. Heyday aims to fill this gap. The estheticians help customers build a simple self-care routine over time, slowly adding or swapping out products, to gradually help users transition into what works best for their skin.
This personalization and access to information is part of Heyday’s broader effort to “take the facial out of the spa.” Rather than viewing facials as a special treat, the skincare brand wants consumers to engage with facials as a regular part of their self-care routine. The company does so through the physical setting of the retail space and its price points.
Unlike the secluded, dimly-lit spa, Heyday’s semiprivate, ground floor building plans have a more every-day feel. Pollak explained that he and Ross wanted the space to feel both friendly and gender-neutral—a welcoming space for everyone. In fact, many of their clients identify as male, and thus, aren’t the ‘typical’ beauty service customer. The skincare brand also reported that in their first year, 47% of their clients had never had a facial.
Photo Courtesy of Los Angeles Business Journal
In addition to time and convenience, the founders also identified cost as a major obstacle for receiving a facial. The result: Heyday offers a 30-minute facial ($65), 50-minute facial ($95), or 75-minute facial ($140). With Heyday, the service is all about the consumer. Personalized facials are made possible in various time slots and prices, which may be more flexible than traditional spas.
While the company continues to develop a line of skincare products to meet their consumers’ needs, their focus remains on the facial. At the end of the day, to Ross and Pollak, “skin is skin,” and everyone deserves to know how to take care of their skin. As for me, I’m so ready to finally perfect my skincare routine!