Here’s what happened when we put our face to work with “Skin Gym”

Our fellow fitness enthusiasts will feel us on this one: How many times a week do you tell yourself you need to go to the gym? We’re constantly jumping through hoops in our schedules to find time to work out because even after a few days off, our bodies crave movement and physical activity. Out of all those times you've put those legs, arms, abs, and ass to work in the gym, have you ever thought about working out your face muscles?

This is not a drill: A skin gym exists. And you can do it from the comfort of your own home. After witnessing dozens of trusted beauty connoisseurs post Instagram stories with the ubiquitous facial rollers for the past few months, we knew it was time to test a few for ourselves.

Skin Gym makes non-invasive beauty tools for facial massage and facial workouts.

Banish eye puffiness: The Rose Quartz Mini Eye Roller

We love eye creams. And pairing it with a crystal roller takes a good thing and makes it even better. Kind of like adding ice cream to pie or getting that extra foot massage when you’re getting a pedi. The surface of the crystal roller is innately cooling, even more so if you follow our lead and stash it in the fridge.

This not only feels nice but is also choice for helping to take down puffiness, fast. The other upshot? Rolling the eye serum on, versus simply tapping it in with your fingertips as you usually would, acts as a little mini massage for the area under your eyes. This, too, is a choice way to boost circulation and flush out the build-up of excess fluid that can cause, you guessed it, a puffy and swollen appearance. This tool was a de-puffing prowess—and we may never want to go back to anything else. Our skin looked perkier after one use, and the process is meditative and relaxing – perfect for the morning and just before bed.

Relive TMJ: The Face Sculptor

Sure, it looks a little scary, but this contraption is the holy grail for any habitual jaw-clencher. Designed to give your face a rejuvenated appearance just like you have after a facial, the Face Sculptor fits the contour of your face and treats the jawline using a firm but comfortable kneading technique, which mimics the fingertips and knuckles from the effect of a professional massage, bringing blood to the surface and unravelling tight muscles.

We used this both with serums and moisturizers and also on freshly cleansed skin using outward and upward strokes along the contours of our face. It was heaven-sent first thing in the morning to alleviate tension in overworked muscles from the night before.

Instant face lift: The Beauty Lifter Vibrating T-Bar

The rose gold plating on the Beauty Lifter Vibrating T-Bar looks incredibly boujis, but that’s not why it’s there. The T-bar wand vibrates to mimic the effects of an authentic Eastern massage, where precise strokes are used to tighten, tone and lift the skin.

Compared to your average face roller, this massager is high-tech. When in use, it pulses with sonic vibrations, effectively reducing puffiness and slimming up any saggy areas. In other words, ions work to brighten and heal your skin, while the pulsations work to tone your face.

Naturally, we felt a little bit intimated and unsure as to how to use it. However, we tried it for a week and realized it was really easy to integrate into our skincare regimen. Right after our serum and evening moisturizer, we simply switched it on and treated ourselves to a much-needed massage. Move it slowly in upwards motions over just-cleansed skin (and never over make-up – the gold may react with your foundation, turning you a sickly shade of green).

 Using this in tandem with the eye roller and face sculptor seemed a bit much for a daily routine so we opted to use this on special occasions when you need an extra boost like before an event.  

The verdict:

First, all three tools really helped our skin absorb the products that we use. We use a six-step routine in the evening, so sometimes it takes awhile for our skin to absorb the serums, boosters and moisturizers we like to slather on. Using these tools, we noticed that the products seeped in faster than usual—there was also no residue or stickiness left on the device. Our skin definitely felt lighter.

Second, it gave us an instant face lift. We realized that this is what makes it different from a typical crystal roller—the latter simply reduces puffiness, whereas the Beauty Lifter Vibrating T-Bar and Face Sculptor Roller visibly lift the face and reveals your in-depth contours.

Depending on your features and your face shape, it may take a while for results to show—but hey, with skincare, it’s always worth the wait.