Holly Willoughby said it reminded her of a Pilates ball, but does this weighted face workout ball really soothe jaw tension and lift your cheeks?
Face Gym’s Weighted Ball , £25, is having a moment. The shiny, squishy red orb is a weighted revamp of the facial workout brand's classic Face Ball , £25. Both were designed to be rolled on your cheeks and forehead to relieve muscle tension and tone your face. The weighted ball launched quietly just before Christmas but has now hit its stride as we rediscover our workout mojo and all the weird and wonderful ways we can look after ourselves in 2022. When it comes to facial workouts, it couldn't look more fun than this. Face burpees anyone?
Presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield tried this sculpting facial exerciser on ITV’s This Morning last week. Phil seemed sceptical asking, "What the hell is it?" however both presenters seemed quite taken with the feel of the massage, rolling the ball back and forth across their necks, chests and faces.
How is it different to the original Face Ball? It's filled with sand and therefore heavier, weighing 250g. “The added 250g weight provides improved grip and greater pressure, which allows for greater tension and stress release,” says Sophie Perry, global training development manager at FaceGym.
If you’re new to face balls and think they seem like another beauty tool that will gather dust in your bathroom, let us explain.
@getthegloss The #HollyWilloughby approved face tool. Link in bio to read. #thismorning #facegym #facesculpt #hollyandphil #facesculpting #facetension #fyp ♬ original sound - pradasaint
What do face balls do?
They ease muscle tension
If you suffer from tension headaches, it could be down to jaw clenching. “When we clench our jaw we overuse our jaw muscle, making it tense,” explains By Dr Aneka Khaira, aesthetic doctor at Harley Street Dental Studio . “Clenching the jaw muscle can result in both jaw ache and headaches.”
The Weighted Ball works to gently stretch out tense muscles, working out tightness and loosening them to relieve the build-up of tension, helping ease headaches. Sophie says adding the weight provides improved grip and greater pressure, allowing for greater tension and stress release than a non-weighted ball.
Think of it like adding ankle weights to your workout regime – it makes your moves work that little bit harder.
They rejuvenate your skin
As well as relieving tension in the jaw, there are skin benefits to face balls too. “A weighted ball can improve circulation, lymphatic drainage, cell renewal and support collagen production,” says Dr Aneka Khaira.
By rolling the ball across your face and jaw (Face Gym has guided tutorials on how to do this via a QR code you can access when you buy the ball) you can help decongest and clear the skin because it boosts micro-circulation and increases blood flow for a clearer, brighter-looking complexion, according to Sophie.
“By using a tool like the Weighted Ball, you’re also working to firm and tone the muscles, giving a more sculpted and defined appearance,” she adds.
They help you relax
Holly pointed out on This Morning the weighted ball can act as a self-massager. If you press it firmly into your chest and roll it back and forth, you can almost feel the tension melting away.
How do you use a weighted face ball?
They are not just for your face. You can use weighted balls on your shoulders and neck too as demonstrated on This Morning. When you scan the QR code that comes with your ball you there's a short video that teaches you all the moves.
There is the chest press, where you press the ball into your chest and roll it in circles and back and forth to release tension, the frontalis lift, involving rolling the ball from between your eyebrows and sweeping upwards towards your hairline to ease the tension around the eyes. For headaches, Face Gym recommends temporalis rolls, where you roll the ball around the temples.
What do we think of the Face Gym Weighted Ball?
I'm fairly lazy when it comes to beauty tools; I haven't even got on board with gua sha, despite everyone on team GTG singing its praises for sculpting. But I have to say, the Weighted Ball is more fun than most tools. When it's as simple as rolling it along your jaw, I can definitely see myself committing to using it regularly, especially as like a stress ball you can have it next to you on your desk (don't forget to clean it though).
The key is to do it on dry skin so it can grip, rather than slide. It's made from BPA-free PVC, has no plastic smell, and didn't drag my skin, but I could feel the pull of it doing its job.
Sophie says that if used regularly as part of your daily facial exercise regime, you can expect less tension and more toned and elastic skin over time, but you should notice a relief of tension right away. The evening after I used the ball I definitely did find myself tensing my jaw less – and for someone who has ground holes in their retainers from teeth grinding at night, that's got to be a good thing!
I'm sceptical about how much difference I'll see in the tone of my skin, but as a tension reliever that's also fun, I would recommend the Weighted Ball.