Get Well With: Inge Theron

Founder and Creative Director of FACEGYM, Igne Theron, disrupted the skincare industry by introducing facial workouts in 2015. We asked her about starting a business, her favorite products, how she likes to spend her mornings and more.

Meet Igne, Founder of FACEGYM

What are your daily wellness non-negotiables?
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.

Creating your own brand can be a 24/7 job. What are some ways that you make time for yourself? Do you have a favorite self-care ritual?
Of course it is a juggling act. Alongside FACEGYM, I have my family, my writing, spa designing and programming, plus a number of other personal projects. But taking time for yourself every day is so important, whether that’s in the morning or in the evening. As I’ve mentioned, I’m a big believer in meditation and manifesting. Fortunately, it’s a self-care ritual I can carry with me wherever I am in the world. Just five minutes of ‘you’ time can make all the difference.

What was your biggest hurdle in creating your brand? How did you overcome it?
Definitely the operational side! I just had this great idea and was so passionate about filling chairs during our pop-up – one vivid memory I have is being seven months pregnant and stopping the traffic in Selfridges to try and get people to come to the pop-up and try a workout – but I soon realized I had no idea how to run a business! You need a great team to achieve great success; it’s the heart of a successful operation. So I found my way and built a team, and we got through it. If you have passion, you can achieve anything.

Do you have a morning and evening routine? What do they look like?
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 and start the day with some gentle stretching to release any tension from my night’s sleep and warm up my body and muscles for the day ahead. I do the school drop off every morning with my girls, then I’ll usually walk home, a fast walk, to get my daily steps in. My evenings vary a lot. Recently, I’ve been making some Easter bonnets with my two girls – I cherish those moments that are filled with creativity, warmth and laughter. Other evenings, you may find me working late or going out for a sidecar and dinner with my husband and friends.

How do you incorporate FACEGYM into your everyday life? ‍

‘Never skip face day’ is a mantra we live by as a brand. I’m probably in a FACEGYM studio every 10 days. I’m a huge believer of radio frequency, so our Radio Frequency workout is my go-to for firming and tightening. I alternate it now with ‘Cryo Medi Lift’, as my skin loves that hydrating, high pressure shot of CO2 and hyaluronic acid. Then, if I have a big event coming up that night, the Clean + Lift gets me red carpet ready. I am of course an advocate of FACEGYM techniques at home too, even down to the way I cleanse. Using our Electro-Lite Gel Cleanser, I go in with my knuckles rather than my fingertips to increase circulation and boost collagen. I’m able to depuff my eye area and sculpt my cheekbones, all whilst simply cleansing my face! If I did one of those “What’s in my handbag?” videos, you’re guaranteed to find my Multi-Sculpt contouring tool and Face Coach for results on the go. 

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FACEGYM & The Skincare Industry

What makes FACEGYM different from a traditional facial experience?
“It’s not a facial, it’s a workout” is something you’ll hear us say a lot. Just like a gym workout, our sessions are designed in three sections. Each workout begins with a warm-up to boost blood circulation and ‘start up’ the muscles. Then you’ll move onto cardio – EMS, for example, is something we like to describe as ‘sit ups for the face’ because of the toning effects. Like all good workouts, you’ll end with a relaxing cool-down, featuring softer sweeping and draining movements. Think studio not spa!

‍What was most important to you when creating FACEGYM?
To create a better way to age confidently and beautifully. During my time as a journalist, I tried and tested multiple (often invasive) procedures that left me suffering the impact of ‘injectable abuse’. It wasn’t until one particular face-lifting procedure left me housebound that I realized enough was enough. That was my ‘eureka moment’ and the start of FACEGYM coming to life.

‍How do facial workouts work? Do you see instant or long term results?

Both, our aim is to deliver instantly visible results and long-term benefits. 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 realize 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 to achieve those long-term results. As well as training the muscles, many other skin goals (such as fading hyperpigmentation and dark spots) also require consistency. As you’ll see from our community’s collection of ‘before and afters’, the instant results are incredibly impressive too – everyone leaves our studios feeling better than when they came in. Recently, our Global CRM Manager said that you leave our Cryo workouts looking like a glazed donut – from nails to skin, it’s a hugely desirable finish right now.  

‍What’s the biggest misconception about skincare and antiaging that you’d like to debunk?
I realized that if you don’t actually stimulate the facial muscles, there’s no topical ingredient that can [dramatically] help you when you’re in your late 30s or 40s, unless you do the work. Celebrating and embracing aging is a huge part of our ethos. It’s why the brand came to life. I always say we’re not in the beauty industry, we’re in the confidence-boosting industry – and that spans every age. It's never too late to start adding facial massage into your daily skincare routine – it really does have transformative powers.  

‍The health & wellness industry is constantly evolving. What do you see next for FACEGYM?
We’ve just launched Acne Light Shot – a medical LED device powered by blue light therapy to treat acne. The transformational results we’re seeing are incredible and our community is already obsessed with the hands-free device, so we will continue to innovate. Skincare will be a big focus for us too – whilst we’re renowned for tools and workouts, our skincare range is only just turning 2! So we want to get all these incredible, results-driven formulas into more hands. We’ve already started to see a shift in the approach to Botox and injectables, with many women dissolving fillers in favor of a more natural look. As a non-invasive alternative, I truly believe it’s FACEGYM’s time to shine. 

‍If you could only choose one FACEGYM product to start out with, which would it be?
It has to be Active Blast. It’s a complete game-changer, a world first. You’ve never seen anything like this or results like this before. 14 years in the making, our vegan collagen innovation is clinically proven to deliver smoother, more radiant and more youthful-looking skin. It renews skin in seven days and transforms skin in 28 days. Once you try it, I guarantee you’ll be hooked. 

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