In Inge Theron’s journey from spa critic to beauty entrepreneur, there are shades of Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat Pray Love. A personal reckoning with the limits of conventional beauty treatments led her, much like Gilbert, to reimagine what self-care could look like; only Theron’s pivot didn’t end with a book but with a brand that is now expanding into India through a partnership with Reliance Retail.
Founded in London in 2014, FaceGym positions itself as a “facial fitness” brand, a term that signals both its departure from traditional beauty services and its alignment with wellness trends. Its studios, currently located in cities like London, New York and Los Angeles, offer facial treatments designed like gym sessions, complete with phases such as “warm-up,” “cardio,” “sculpt,” and “cool down.” The brand claims that these non-invasive workouts tone the 40-plus muscles in the face, using massage, EMS (electronic muscle stimulation), and tools like gua sha stones and metal sculptors.
The company’s approach is underpinned by Theron’s own experience as a beauty columnist. A former journalist with Financial Times, Theron wrote for the column “The Spa Junkie” where she reviewed over 50 global wellness treatments. After a botched thread lift procedure left her housebound, she began to question the invasive aesthetic procedures popular in the industry. This experience was a turning point, prompting her to develop a service that offers visible results without downtime. Her only question is if muscles in the body respond to training, why not the face?
FaceGym has since built a hybrid business model that combines service, product, and digital engagement. The in-studio treatments include Signature Sculpt and Signature Hands, both priced at $145. In addition to in-studio treatments, the company retails skincare products and at-home tools, such as the PureLift Pro (priced at $799) and Multi-Sculpt gua sha tools ($69). Its signature skincare line includes Liftwear, a gel-cream priced at $65, and the Electro-Lite Gel Cleanser at $44.
According to data from Grips Intelligence, FaceGym.com generated $187,060 in revenue from 936 transactions in May 2025, with 75,239 sessions, an average order value between $175 and $200, and a conversion rate ranging from 1.00% to 1.50%. In financial terms, FaceGym has reported a steady growth trajectory. It set a revenue target of $12–14 million in 2019 and saw a 50% year-on-year revenue increase in 2021, credited largely to its shift toward digital content and livestream tutorials during the pandemic, reported Glossy.
On the investment front, the company has raised capital across several rounds, an early angel investment of $358,000 in 2016, followed by a $20.3 million raise in 2021, as per Pitchbook.
The India entry, via Reliance Retail, marks a significant move for the brand, as it begins franchising operations across Asia. This follows earlier partnerships with Sephora and Olaplex in other markets. In India, the proposition will likely target a growing urban consumer base already engaged with non-surgical skincare routines and willing to experiment with tech-enabled treatments.
However, price sensitivity may be a concern. In its current markets, a single FaceGym session costs $145 (approximately Rs 12,371), and maintaining visible results requires regular sessions every two to four weeks. While this aligns with a premium positioning, it also limits mass appeal. As with many global beauty entrants, FaceGym’s success in India will depend on how well it localises without diluting its core value proposition: a structured, measurable approach to beauty that looks more like a workout and less like a treatment.