3 days ago
Face Foundrié Is Transforming Skincare With Fast, Affordable Facials
Face Foundrié offers quick and comparatively inexpensive facials.
For decades, facials have been indulgent, high-end treatments—complete with private rooms, fluffy robes, and triple-digit price tags. For many women, it's a special-occasion luxury rather than a regular part of a wellness routine.
But Face Foundrié, a fast-growing skincare franchise is planning 120 new locations this year offering affordable, efficient facials that make skin care as accessible as a monthly manicure.
It's a model that caught the attention of Heidi Jaquin, a serial entrepreneur with a knack for spotting a smart business concept. After running a chain of Jimmy John's sandwich shops in Washington State (she has also operated Teavana and 7Brew Coffee franchises), she was ready for a new challenge. The idea for Face Foundrié came via her daughter, who discovered the concept in Minnesota and figured running a spa couldn't be that different from running a sandwich joint.
'She came home and told me, 'Mom, this place is totally different—cool, affordable, exactly what my generation wants,'' Jaquin says. 'I had to check it out.'
At first, she was skeptical. After all, she wasn't someone who often booked facials, let alone thought about opening a skincare business. 'I'm the type of person who thinks, 'I'll get my hair done later.' I never really prioritized facials,' she says. But once she experienced Face Foundrié's fast, no-frills approach—50-minute treatments, under $100, with shoulder massages and hydrating serums included—she was hooked.
She has since opened a Face Foundrié location in San Francisco's Marina district, with plans for two more opening soon in the Bay Area in Marin County's Corte Madera Town Center and Santa Rosa's Montgomery Village.
Her daughter Hayley, now a recent college graduate with a degree in marketing and entrepreneurship, runs the social media and marketing side of the business. Meanwhile, a close friend—formerly —serves as the operating partner, managing the day-to-day logistics.
'It all came together in this perfect, kind of unexpected way,' she says. 'My daughter brings the Gen Z perspective—she understands how social media drives trends, what brands younger women trust, and how to create excitement. And my friend is a natural at operations—she's the glue that keeps it all running.'
That multigenerational approach mirrors the Face Foundrié customer base: a mix of younger women looking for preventative treatments (yes, hydrofacials at 22 are a thing), and older clients interested in maintenance and self-care without breaking the bank.
Costs to open a Face Foundrié franchise run from $200,000 to more than $350,000, including an upfront franchising fee of $44,000. A 7% royalty fee and a 2% marketing contribution are continuing costs. Franchisees must have a net worth of at least $350,000 plus $150,000 in liquid assets to be considered.
Face Foundrié's menu includes oxygenating facials, lash lifts and tints, brow tinting, and even services like ProCell Microchanneling, a gentler alternative to microneedling that uses ultra-fine stamping to boost collagen production. There's also the Sculpt facial, which incorporates a Hungarian massage technique designed to 'pull out your lines.' And unlike many spa facials that stretch to two hours, Face Foundrie's treatments are designed for efficiency. You're in and out in under an hour, no robe required, and some treatments even manage to squeeze in a shoulder, head and arm massage.
The open-concept treatment areas with curtained beds, rather than private rooms helps keep costs down at the outset, since they don't have to construct individual treatment rooms. Prices at the new San Francisco location start at $89 for a basic facial and go up to $259 for a hydrofacial, which is still below the typical market rate in the Bay Area.
Michelle Henry launched Face Foundrié in 2019.
Naturally, product sales are part of the business too. Face Foundrie offers a mix of its own line (co-developed by founder Michelle Henry and dermatologists) and clean, science-backed brands like Bioeffect (an Icelandic brand using barley-derived growth factors), Holifrog (inspired by the permeability of frog skin), and PCA Skin.
Henry previously owned a small chain of 'cheap and chic' clothing boutiques in Minnesota called Primp, which she sold in 2019. Face Foundrié is a natural next step—the cheap and chic version of facials.
For Jaquin, it represents more than just a smart business opportunity—it's a chance to build something with her daughter, mentor a friend, and create a space where skincare feels approachable, not intimidating.
'I used to spend $300 on a facial and feel like I had to block out half my day for it,' she says. 'This is totally different. It's affordable, it's fast, and you still get that relaxing, pampering experience—without feeling like you're splurging.'
And while running a facial franchise is a far cry from managing sandwich shops, she sees more overlap than you might expect. 'At Jimmy John's, we were obsessed with speed and consistency—making sure every customer got the same sandwich, fast. Face Foundrie is the same idea, just a different product. We're delivering a great experience quickly, at a price point that makes people come back.'
For a generation raised on wellness routines and skincare influencers, that model is hitting the right notes. And with nearly 50 Face Foundrié locations already open nationwide—and that number more than doubling this year—the facial industry may be catching up to what consumers really want: a facial that's almost as easy and affordable as grabbing a sandwich.
