I’ve just woken up after one of those super-vivid and very hectic early morning dreams that has left me feeling like I’ve been hit by a bus. Not only can I not stop thinking about the psychotic dream, but my head is tight with tension and I feel completely dazed.
A few weeks ago, I was sent a weighted face ball from FaceGym, a new brand launched into beauty department store Mecca, and now seems like as good a time as any to see if some tension-release facial exercises will help get my brain out of this dream-induced fog.
FaceGym products are all designed with facial exercise in mind, with a line-up including sculpting tools, micro-needling rollers, electrical muscle stimulation masks and the 250g weighted ball. Alongside the tools is a skincare range designed to work as the “nutrition” part of your facial workout regimen.
FaceGym studios, where customers can experience facial workouts with expert trainers, are located in London, New York, Los Angeles and Sydney, but for everyone else, QR codes can be found on the product packaging for step-by-step online workouts you can do from home.
The weighted-ball tension-release workout proves to be a real treat — the video guiding me through muscle release in the trapezius muscles of the shoulders (where I, like many people, hold all my tension), the neck, jaw, cheeks, forehead and brows. The areas with the most tension feel tight and a bit painful as I follow along with my ball, but I can immediately notice the tension melting away and I do feel less sluggish after finishing the seven-or-so-minute workout.
I spoke to FaceGym founder Inge Theron about the concept behind the brand and she explains that the studio sessions are designed to mirror traditional gym workouts with three sections of technique — warm-up, cardio and cool down — with skincare applied throughout to target each person’s own skin goals.
“We deliver deep-tissue muscle manipulation to train the facial muscles in order to lift, sculpt, tone and tighten the face like never before, with instantly visible results and long-term benefits for both the muscles and the skin,” says Inge.
Like any kind of gym workout, she explains that there are instant benefits that come after a session (like the tension release I noticed), but it’s over time that you’ll start to see a real difference in the look and feel of your facial muscles.
“Facial massage and exercise are key for the function of healthy muscles, skin and collagen production. Most people don’t know but we have more than 40 muscles in the face, and facial massage works to keep them firm and toned thanks to the repetitive movement providing oxygen and energy for optimal muscle health,” she explains.
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Advertise with NZME.FaceGym may be the original facial workout studio, but it’s certainly not the only brand offering tools for exercising the face. In fact, since the brand launched in New Zealand, I have noticed many similar offerings popping up online, particularly as I scroll through Instagram. O Cosmedics has Rejuv, an electrical muscle stimulation device with red and blue LED light to lift, plump, firm and tone the skin; there’s an app called Glowbe, with 75k Instagram followers, which shares facial yoga techniques; and Sephora stocks a brand called Skin Gym, which has a microcurrent Face Trainer wand to help firm and lift the skin.
Holistic facialist Ashleigh Scott offers a yoga facial at her Auckland clinic The Facialist. Having always favoured massage-based techniques, she developed her own signature treatment to work on eliminating tension and increasing tone in the muscles of the face.
“The idea for the yoga facial came from thinking about how we treat the body and how the muscles of the face are no different,” explains Ashleigh. “We go to the gym and work out the body to create tone and definition in our muscles. The muscles of the face also need to be worked in order to stay toned and lifted.
“The yoga facial mimics that of a workout. We begin with cardio-like movements to wake the skin up and boost blood circulation. Then we begin to sculpt, lift and tone the muscles, focusing on the jawline to create definition and release tension. Then we move to the cheekbones to sculpt and work around the eyes to lift and release tension. Clients will walk out looking and feeling the difference. The face looks a lot slimmer and more sculpted, and they will feel more lifted.”
While there are plenty of tools and products on the market to encourage the practice of facial exercise, Ashleigh says getting the benefits is as simple as spending a few minutes massaging your skin daily — and in fact, you don’t necessarily need anything other than your own hands to get results.
“Massaging your face at home is so important,” she says. “It doesn’t need to be anything fancy; the simple act of stimulating blood flow has a beautiful result on the skin.”
Get in training mode with these facial tools
FaceGym Weighted Face Ball, $51.
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