Isamaya Ffrench designs a limited-edition gua sha tool with FaceGym

Make-up artist Isamaya Ffrench and FaceGym founder Inge Theron have teamed up to create a gua sha tool that might just become the most essential item in your beauty roster. Called Sculpt 01, the facial and scalp massager combines Ffrench and Theron’s expertise, garnered from years in the cosmetics and wellness industries respectively, into a single tool ideal for preparing the skin before make-up application.

Throughout her career (which includes her own line, Isamaya Beauty, with collections such as Industrial 2.0 and Wild Star), Ffrench has collected an extensive range of beauty implements from all over the world, and the unique design of Sculpt 01 is informed by her study of these various tools and their benefits. Its features include a comb that can be used on the neck to stimulate lymphatic drainage, a large curved edge for contouring cheeks and nasolabial folds, a ball tip to target reflexology points along the brow for a natural lift, and a scalp claw to help relieve scalp tension to promote overall scalp and hair health.

Isamaya Ffrench on how to use the FaceGym Sculpt 01 tool

When it comes to using the Sculpt 01, Ffrench encourages playing around with different pressures and speeds to see what works best for you (also see our guide on how to use a gua sha). Whichever method you try though, regular usage of the tool is intended to enhance skin appearance, promote collagen synthesis and encourage long-term skin and hair health.

‘I’ve been a fan of the FaceGym approach for years,’ Ffrench writes over email about the collaboration. ‘I love their hardcore effective approach to facial treatments and massage. I had been developing a facial tool that had taken me around the world in research! But I knew that it needed a kind of technique to maximise its efficacy.’

And when it comes to facial massage techniques, few people are more knowledgeable than Inge Theron. A former beauty columnist, Theron was inspired to start FaceGym after years of testing complicated beauty treatments left her skin depleted. In an effort to bring it back to health, Theron studied facial massage and muscle stimulation, and worked with experts across the world to create a signature workout for the face that yielded dramatic results without invasive procedures. Now, ten years later, FaceGym workouts have become a viral phenomenon with studios around the world.

‘It was brilliant to collaborate with a fearless female founder who is so brave and really resonates with us,’ says Theron about the collaboration. ‘Isamaya and I are two founders who appreciate what each other does. We both value skin prep and the importance of facial massage to drain and to stimulate collagen and elastin, and to collaborate with Isamaya helps us to drive this message forward even more. What is so exciting is that we wanted to move into head care as the natural evolution as the pioneers of facial massage, and we have been able to do that with this tool.’

While Sculpt 01 marks FaceGym’s move into scalp care, it also marks Ffrench’s first product within the wellness category. ‘I’m excited by technology and having an active approach to makeup and wellbeing so this is a great starting point for that,’ she says.

‘This was the perfect collaboration to move into that space and although I won’t be developing skincare, skin health will be an important component to my brand,’ Ffrench continues. ‘Although this is a limited edition tool, I hope this will pave the way for other ideas to keep revisiting the wellness space together.’

Isamaya Ffrench x FaceGym Sculpt01, £50, is available now at facegym.com