FACE GYM COMES TO MECCA | SYLVIA PARK

If ‘go to the gym more’ made an appearance on your resolutions list this year – again – then prepare yourself. With the launch of next-gen skincare brand FaceGym at MECCA, the whole concept of exercise is getting a facelift (excuse the pun). And it’s one every beauty obsessive can get behind… Yes, it’s an exercise routine for your face that you can do at home with FaceGym’s dedicated line of products! “There’s no heavy lifting involved,” promises founder Inge Theron. You won’t even need your activewear. Instead, FaceGym draws on Theron’s personal experiences gleaned from over a decade of writing as ‘The Spa Junkie’ for UK newspaper The Financial Times. Curious? Read on to learn more about how Theron brought FaceGym to life…

“A procedure left me housebound”

“During my time as a journalist, I tried and tested multiple (often invasive) procedures that left me suffering the impact of ‘injectable abuse’,” Theron says. “It wasn’t until one particular face-lifting procedure left me housebound that I realised enough was enough, and I decided there must be a better way to age confidently and beautifully. That was my ‘eureka moment’ and the start of FaceGym coming to life.”

“Face muscles are the same as the muscles in your body”

FaceGym’s revolutionary approach to training the facial muscles just made sense to Theron: “I’d been thinking about the body and the gym and the endless benefits we see for our muscles and skin when we regularly work out,” Theron remembers. “And I thought, ‘Why don’t we do the same for our faces too?’ Our face is made up of more than 40 muscles. If you train the muscles in your face consistently, it can help to prevent sagging. I want people to realise that the face muscles are the same as the muscles in your body. You need to adopt a facial fitness routine just like you do in the gym.” While Theron’s career had given her an extensive knowledge of the skincare and wellness worlds, it was a long road from lightbulb moment to FaceGym’s launch. “I worked with every expert imaginable, from scientists, ‘biohackers’ and holistic therapists to physiotherapists, doctors, scientific formulators and tool technologists; they all supported me, and together we made the FaceGym dream a reality.”

“The breakthrough success came from the celebrity fans”

“The first 12 months were really tough,” Theron says of FaceGym’s early days. “One vivid memory I have is being seven months pregnant and traffic stopping in [UK department store] Selfridges to try and get people to come to the pop-up and try a workout. During the first year of the brand, I essentially had three babies: my two young daughters and FaceGym.” But the workout’s turning point came via a surprising plot twist. “The breakthrough success really came from the celebrity fans,” Theron tells us. High-profile actors and models like Kaia Gerber, Nicole Kidman and Elizabeth Olsen are all converts of the regimen, incorporating it into their pre-red carpet routine for events like the Golden Globes and Oscars. “They tried it, loved it, and started spreading the word about this new ‘gym for the face’,” Theron remembers. “It snowballed into a huge deal! From then on, we took off on an incredible trajectory.”

“It’s not a facial, it’s a workout!”

So, how exactly do you work out your face? It’s a combination of FaceGym’s signature facial massage techniques (you can find tutorials on the FaceGym website) and skincare products, available exclusively at MECCA.

“These techniques and products help to encourage collagen, stimulate the skin and boost radiance,” says Theron, adding, “We think of skincare as the nutrition – the fuel you need to train your skin when you’re working out in order to see consistent, visible results.”

“You can’t be half in”

So how did this beauty entrepreneur revolutionise the way we do skincare? She says it’s all about dedication. “You can’t be half in. You have to be 100 percent fully committed. I’ve always been an early riser – my usual wake-up time is around 6:15am. I like to get up a bit before everyone else to give myself an hour to get ready for the day before my girls wake up around 7am.

“My morning routine mainly consists of meditation, manifesting, journaling and chanting. I do these things every morning to make sure I start my day in the best possible mindset and to set myself up for a successful day ahead. Taking time for yourself every day is so important, whether that’s in the morning or in the evening. Just five minutes of ‘you’ time can make all the difference.” And if that five minutes includes a FaceGym workout, all the better!

Start your facial fitness journey with FaceGym at MECCA.