Working in an open office can sometimes make it hard to feel a little Zen. When I walked by the Face Love Fitness pop-up at WeWork FiDi, I couldn’t help but notice the office with a beach cabana vibe and unrecognizable devices displayed through the glass. Upon closer inspection, I realized they offered face workouts and massages for those looking to relieve some stress or needing a break from their computers. Count me in.
Co-founders Rachel Lang and Heidi Frederick are the masterminds behind the massages designed to help increase circulation and strengthen your facial muscles. Both say they were always interested in combining wellness and beauty into the workplace, focusing on facials.
“What’s great about the face is that it’s so close to the brain, which is why I think that our work is not only a beauty enhancer, but it’s stress-relieving and it can energize your overall well-being,” says Lang. “When someone’s stressed, you can see it on their face, so when you reduce their stress level, they’ll have this really amazing glow and see their stress melting away.”
When you sign up for one of the affordable FitGlow, FaceLove, or other fun-named massages, you’re taken through a mini-circuit training class with resistance bands, a Pilates ring, stress balls, Asian face rollers, and even infrared lights—it’s a multisensory experience.
Below, we chat with Lang of Face Love Fitness as part of “The Desktop”—a series that highlights some of the interesting and inviting offices at WeWork—and they share where they draw inspiration from inside these glass walls.
”Heidi and I met in the playground in New York City. We both have young toddlers, and I found out that she had a background in massage therapy, whereas I had a background in aesthetics and facials. We did a trade and realized that we have the same techniques in the way we work. I had an idea to start a business idea, but needed the right people to execute it, so we decided to start Face Love Fitness in 2012.”
“Our inspiration for this office was ‘office beach,’ in the spirit of summer. Recognizing the architectural elements that WeWork has provided, we wanted it to be a sensory experience for clients. The rug has texture, the furniture has dimension, and we have an orange blossom aroma in the room, which gives you energy and boosts your mood.”
“We have living greenery that takes you to a tropical place, so again, kind of infusing that beach idea. The lounge chairs are really beach chairs from LaFuma. We’re just missing the cabana boys that need to help you out of your chair.”
“I’m creative, and I definitely feel like I tend to think outside the box. I always knew I wanted to put that into action at some point.”
We’re in an age where technology is such a big part of our lives, so getting back to the human touch in how we interact and including that in your daily routine is really powerful and needed.”
“These are muscle-rollers. They really grip, roll, and activate the muscle in a way that’s different from our hand. When you do that, you’re stimulating collagen, plumping, and sculpting the face—it has so many benefits. Some people say, ‘Oh, my skin feels more alive.’”
“These stress-relieving balls are meant to be used by the hands—if you have a lot of computer work or ‘texting thumb,’ this will help to relieve tension in the hand. But tension in the hand means that your muscles are just fatigued, so we’re putting them on the face to relieve the fatigue of your face muscles.”
“Infrared light was designed by NASA to heal the skin of astronauts when there was less oxygen in the air. They produced photosynthesis with it, so it has really powerful healing benefits and it speeds up the healing process of your skin by 200 percent.”
“I love that WeWork offers spa water that is cucumber and citrus-infused, so it tickles the palate. Your body is 70 percent water, and your skin is 70 percent water at its best. We become very dehydrated as we work and sit at our desk. The water is a really beautiful replenishment to support your ecosystem.”
“We really hope to be in all the WeWork locations because I think that we are time-starved. It’s great that you can just walk out of your office and go down the hall for some wellness, some beauty, and some stress relief. Even our retail component is like a mini-Sephora. If you need to refresh your skin or your mind for a short amount of time, it can be within the amenities of your WeWork.”
Photo credit: Lauren Kallen