O Beauty Lab: We Tried It…So You Don't Have To

Workout Gear for Your Face

We've never felt as completely wacko as we did when we slipped on the No!No! FaceTrainer ($200; HSN.com ), a neoprene mask designed to provide resistance training for facial muscles to "smooth wrinkles and lift sagging skin." The mask slides over your face and secures, with Velcro straps, at the back of your head. An accompanying user guide and DVD demonstrate facial exercises to do while wearing the mask, for ten minutes each day. (The core move is called "the surprised puppy dog"; see the illustrations above.) After a month, your face and neck will "look noticeably younger and healthier," the company says. We're not going to lie: We did not test this product for a month, or even a week. We tried the exercises once, started to sweat profusely (neoprene is not particularly breathable), and began clawing at the thing until we pulled it off. Then we picked up the phone to call a dermatologist. "You can't build your facial muscles the way you would your biceps—nor would you want to," said Ranella Hirsch, MD, immediate past president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology & Aesthetic Surgery. "Just think about Botox—it works by weakening the muscles in your face; contractions form fine lines. I certainly wouldn't recommend trying to make those muscles stronger." So there you have it: Resistance training may sculpt your arms, but your face doesn't need workout gear. — Jenny Bailly