Rightfully nestled between a Whole Foods Market and a vegan restaurant, a new Glowbar location has found its home in D.C.’s Logan Circle. Glowbar, the brainchild of founder Rachel Liverman, aims to provide professional-grade facials at affordable prices. Its first D.C. location opened up in Georgetown in August 2024, and since then, clients have been demanding more.
Liverman is a third-generation esthetician, and she hopes to streamline the skincare process she has grown up revering. The influence of her mother and grandmother provided her with integral insight that aided her founding of Glowbar: “Watching them change the skincare industry and having three generations of skincare knowledge behind me was the foundation that gave me the confidence to start my own business,” Liverman said. Liverman’s grandmother opened the first fully accredited skincare institute in the country, so she has big shoes to fill.
Besides continuing on a tradition of skincare, Glowbar seeks to provide high quality services at an affordable price, making the process more accessible by cutting unnecessary costs and tailoring the procedure to each customer’s preferences. To achieve this vision of streamlining the facial process, Liverman altered prevailing facial customs to ensure customers were getting everything they paid for. Notably, Glowbar features a self-wash station, where customers wash their own faces as they wait for their appointment. During most facials, the esthetician spends significant time cleansing the skin, but by having customers clean their face themselves, time and money are saved to provide more in-depth services. Once the appointment itself starts, Glowbar’s estheticians focus on treatments like “dermaplaning, cavitation, LED light therapy, high-frequency treatments, and NuFACE” rather than massaging. Liverman explained that “taking a no-frills approach allows Glowbar to focus on delivering 30-minute, results-driven facials that don’t sacrifice quality for time.”
This “no-frills approach” also manifests itself in the physical spaces of Glowbar, with its strikingly minimalistic design. The interior of Glowbar’s second location matches its sister stores, featuring smooth white walls and a bare-bones design. Liverman shares that the aesthetic of her esthetics salon “is inspired by skin, from the layered wood that mimics its structure to the porous finish around our wash bar and wallpaper designed to look like skin under a microscope.” While it’s a reminder of the work they do, the design is also practical, as it allows Glowbar to focus their funds on the facials themselves. “We invest in areas most important to our consumers and keep the rest minimal, so the space feels open and breathable,” Liverman said.
On the occasion of their grand opening, I was lucky enough to visit for a facial of my own. At my appointment, my esthetician worked with me to figure out my skin goals and to tailor a service that would best serve my skin. Although the process was concise, no time was wasted on unnecessary or potentially harmful treatments. Liverman upholds Glowbar’s mission of providing a “personalized approach to skincare” and “tailoring skincare regimens to meet individual needs and concerns.” In particular, the range of exfoliators at Glowbar allows people with any skin type to successfully treat their skin. At the end of my facial, my esthetician also discussed with me care instructions for my facial routine following my appointment, recommending various products and giving me tips to best serve my skin. This was completely separate from the facial process, but time was taken to ensure I was well-equipped to stay glowy well after my treatment ended.
To encourage routine care, Liverman has incorporated a membership plan into Glowbar’s business model. This both lowers costs for returning customers while encouraging clients to consistently maintain their skin. Liverman shares that the greatest wisdom inherited from her mother and grandmother was the importance of “maintaining a consistent skincare routine,” especially considering the “ever-evolving nature of the industry.” With trendy skincare fads more followed than ever, Glowbar relies on proven, regular treatments to address the needs of skin. Glowbar’s membership totals at $60 a month, including one monthly facial and 15% off premium-grade skincare products at their stores.
Glowbar’s direct approach to skin comes from Liverman’s desire to normalize skincare as a matter of health, rather than just a soothing practice. “The greatest benefits of a routine facial go beyond just looking good; it’s about prioritizing the health and vitality of our skin, which serves as our body’s first line of defense against external pollutants, UV radiation, and environmental stressors” Liverman said. Accordingly Liverman encourages all to stop by for a visit: “anyone who spends 30-minutes with us will leave feeling just a bit more confident in themselves, whether that means glowing skin, or a moment of self-care that truly makes a difference in their day.” Regardless of one’s reasoning, Glowbar is determined to prove that everyone can benefit from a facial in many ways.
The mission of Glowbar incorporates decades-old wisdom of skincare with premium treatments proven to help skin. As the company expands, Liverman hopes that Glowbar’s services become more and more accessible to anyone who wants a facial. Thankfully for D.C. dwellers, it has never been more possible to treat your skin. With locations open now in Logan Circle and in Georgetown, Glowbar is ready to give you exactly what your skin needs.
