our story
We’re Elizabeth and Maureen, friends from high school who met up in Chicago after college. Young and broke and full of energy, in our off-time we started a community garden, drank a lot of cheap wine, and tried a bunch of crafts - making soap was one of them! The soap was a hit with our friends and family, and it inspired us to clean out the excess personal care products in our homes. Losing all the plastic and unnecessary stuff was freeing, and replacing it with simple, homemade multi-taskers was a fun challenge.
building a brand
We were shocked with how much our skin was thriving in the absence of all those unnecessary products. We found ourselves digging deeper into the idea of a super-simplified skincare routine, and slowly, consciously, added to our product line. Drawing on Maureen’s chemistry background, we made small batches of face oils, body scrubs, and soaks - all from scratch in Elizabeth’s kitchen. We focused on plant-based edible ingredients from our community garden and local farms, sticking to basic, staple products that were necessary, sustainable, and gentle. We started selling on Etsy in 2011, and finally made the move to our first brick and mortar shop in 2015.
the Mask Bar is born
Once we had a retail space, we hired estheticians to offer services using our goods - simple facials using our clay masks and face oils. But customers still had questions about how to mix up their masks at home, and these facials always turned into mini-coaching sessions. One day, Elizabeth came in with a wild idea - she turned our two salon chairs to face the wall and hung a mirror in front of each. ‘We need to teach them how to make this mask themselves,’ she declared. 'People can get good facials anywhere - we need to help them elevate their everyday.' We worked with our estheticians to create a script for this new ‘class,’ working in real facial techniques as well as product information. And the Mask Bar was born!
at home in the West Loop
Over the last few years, the mask bar has evolved into what it is today - a self-service, interactive skincare experience. With requests for larger groups, we searched for a larger space, moving through a few pop-ups before settling into our current home at 847 W Randolph. Here we offer an expanded retail section, a 36-seat mask bar, and a separate event space for private parties and community-focused wellness programs. We’re so proud of the company we’ve created, and we love sharing our products, knowledge, and community with you!