Meet the Team Behind: Beauty Bus

Beauty Bus brings comfort, confidence, and care to patients and their caregivers through free beauty and self-care services, giving them moments of joy when they’re needed most. Learn more here!

Can you tell me about your mission? 

Beauty Bus uplifts patients and caregivers through the restorative power of beauty and human connection – delivering confidence, comfort, and care. We bring the gift and lift of beauty directly to patients and caregivers by utilizing volunteer beauty professionals who deliver salon-quality services where they are needed most. We’ve served over 36,000 caregivers and patients and delivered over 80,000 beauty bags, with our volunteers dedicating over 22,000 hours of service to our cause. 

How did Beauty Bus start?

Beauty Bus was founded in 2009 in loving memory of Melissa Marantz Nealy, whose life was cut short at 28 by a degenerative neuromuscular disease. As Melissa became bedbound, in-home beauty services lifted her spirits and helped her feel “human again.” Inspired by that experience, her family created Beauty Bus to bring the same dignity, hope, and compassion to patients and caregivers who are unable to access or pay for salon services at their most challenging times.

What do your programs entail? 

Our pop-up salons bring professional hairstylists, makeup artists, estheticians, and nail technicians to hospitals and social service partners for a one-day, on-site beauty experience. We also have a weekly drop-in beauty program and partner with the ALS Network to bring beauty professionals into the homes of patients and caregivers fighting ALS. Our beauty bags are thoughtfully curated with donated premium, clean, beauty and skincare products which are distributed to patients and caregivers at our programs and events.

How can individuals get involved in your work? 

There are so many ways you can make a difference with Beauty Bus. Licensed cosmetologists, nail technicians, estheticians, and makeup artists can share their expertise and heart by volunteering at our events. Our general volunteers help pack our signature Bags of Beauty, filled with clean skincare and donated products, which we hand-deliver at events to bring joy, dignity, and care to our clients. High school students can also start a Clean Beauty Club, which shares the importance of clean skincare, philanthropy, and community services at schools while supporting our mission.