Cardio session for my… face? Stretching out my cheekbones? Massaging away decongestion and puffiness? Put the weights down and save all the heavy lifting for the long awaited {FaceGym} which has finally landed at Cult Beauty HQ! Proving that Pilates is not just for your body, but for your face too, their wide and ever-growing range of high-performing skin care must-tries works to define, sculpt and stimulate the 40+ muscles in your face.
Housed in hard-to-miss red, white and chrome packaging, FaceGym offers a skin-strengthening line up of serums, cleansers, creams, cutting-edge tools and more! Harnessing the power of the latest Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) technology and skin-ergy boosting blends of biotech enzymes and actives, performing your very own at-home facial workout just got… better.
My personal favourite? {The Youth Reformer Firming Vitamin C and Nootropic Oil-in-Serum} is where yoga meets HIIT. I prefer to apply at night after a long day to soak up the energy-restoring palo santo blend which is a great way to allow my skin to exhale with me. Loaded with moisture-locking {sqaulane} along with a neurocosmetic cocktail of {hyaluronic acid} and microalgae molecules, this collagen-boosting formula leaves my skin feeling plumped, zen and incredibly hydrated. Did I mention how cute this looks in my gym bag?
As a regular gym attendee myself, I know a thing or two about pumping up my quads and stretching out my hamstrings but until I caught up with Sophie, the Senior Global Training & Development at FaceGym, I had a no idea how to conduct an at-home facial workout from the comfort of my bathroom.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to take your face to the gym:
What’s the difference between a regular facial and a facial workout?
“Regular facials are fantastic for improving overall skin health, using certain products and devices to promote a healthy functioning skin. However, a facial workout achieves these results by working that much deeper, targeting the scaffolding of the face with muscle manipulation, deep tissue massage and electrical modalities to lift, sculpt and define the muscles to which our skin sits on top of. In short — happy facial muscles = happier skin!“
We run on the treadmill when we want to burn some fat on our bodies and improve our stamina. That being said, what exactly happens when we give our facial muscles a cardio session?
“The cardio session in a FaceGym workout mirrors the energy of that at the gym, it’s exactly like running on a treadmill to kickstart your skin’s metabolism and stimulate circulation. By boosting circulation and detoxification you’ll help to wake up the skin cells, stimulate collagen and elastin production for an overall brighter, clearer and healthier-looking complexion. You’ll finish the cardio session with that post-exercise radiant glow.“
What’s the most effective way to perform an at-home facial for a beginner?
“Facial workouts really are for everyone. There isn’t anyone who can’t benefit from a little bit of facial exercise. Even just five minutes a day can deliver results. If you’re a beginner try adding just a few minutes of facial massage a day into your routine. Try out some of our most popular hand movements from jawline sweeps and cheek hooks to eye lifts and whipping.
Remember to always use a facial oil like FaceGym’s {Face Coach} to get the perfect workout slip and glide on the skin before working out. If you’re short on time, you can add some massage moves to your cleansing routine with FaceGym’s {Electro-Lite Energising + Brightening Gel Cleanser}. Apply to the skin and follow our facial knuckling method to really work the formula into the skin and help to activate the ingredients for a deeper, more effective cleanse.
The FaceGym digital studio runs classes daily to help you work on your techniques and the trainers will cherry pick key movements to focus on for certain needs. Every skincare and tool product also comes with a scannable QR code on the packaging to show you how to amplify your results in this exact way.”
What are the benefits of an at-home facial workout?
“The list of benefits from at-home facial workouts are endless! Firstly, there’s so many skin benefits such as boosting our natural functioning systems like our lymphatic system for example. All FaceGym workout moves try to improve the function of this system by boosting detoxification, depuffing and helping clear congestion. Stimulating blood flow with massages helps to oxygenate your skin’s hydration from within resulting in a plumper, healthier-looking glow!
We all hold a lot of tension in our muscles and it can noticeably change our face shape, however with repetitive motion we can release a lot — if not all — of this. By using moves that will help to ease this build-up of tension, we can improve the appearance of our facial contours, manually tone our muscles and reduce stress.“
When would be the most ideal time/point in our skin care routines to implement a facial workout?
“Facial workouts can be very therapeutic, so it’s best to slot this into your schedule at a time when you can soak up all the calming properties that come with this self-care ritual. We’d recommend early in the morning during your AM skin care routine to wake up your muscles or before bed as you unwind and de-stress from the day.
To get the most from your at-home facial workout and product ingredients, your serum/moisturiser application is an ideal time to get to work with some sculpting techniques.
{Oil-based products} are the best for a ‘slip and glide’ effect on the skin and my go-to is the Youth Reformer Vitamin C and Nootropic Oil-in-Serum. Paired with the {Multi-Sculpt High-Performance Contouring Tool}, you’re in for an enhanced face lift, super sculpt and chiselled contour. With six unique edges designed to target specific areas of your face, this is the ultimate at-home contouring tool that everyone needs!”