Team USA is doing everything they can to secure gold — including skincare. Before heading to Paris, Summer Olympic athletes shared the secret to their game faces with Us Weekly.
The first step toward success, according to track and field paralympian Ezra French is sleep.
“Sleep works in 48 hour cycles,” French explains. “If you wake up after 12 hours of sleep and wonder while you’re tired, it’s because you got bad sleep the night before that.”
In addition to sleep, another non-negotiable for many athletes is moisturizer. Whether it be for the body, face or lips, Team USA agrees with swimmer Daniella Ramirez when she says she doesn’t wanna feel “crusty.” Ramirez’ teammate Kate Douglass agrees, telling Us she always carries lotion as spending long hours in the pool “dries [her skin] out.” Paralympian swimmer Mckenzie Coan also uses niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to combat dry skin.
For the outdoor athletes, conditions are much less predictable. Still, Team USA always comes prepared with SPF, according to archer Casey Kauehold and field hockey player Kelsey Bing. Women’s soccer player Crystal Dunn described herself as a “big sunscreen person,” telling viewers they “gotta protect [their] skin.”
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Some athletes stick to the basics, like fencer Lee Kiefer who told Us, “if your girl washes her face and puts lotion on, it’s a good day.” Powerlifter Bobby Body agreed, naming only Icy Hot as his form of self-care.
Others like to put as much into their look as they do their training. Paralympic cyclist Oksaba Masters brings her interest in skincare and makeup into her sport, telling Us her loved ones describe her makeup as her “warrior paint.”
“Our races are early, but yes, I’m getting up at 5 in the morning to take that time not to rush,” Masters said. “I firmly believe in look good, feel good, you’re going to race good.”
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Former Olympian Sanya Richards-Ross holds similar opinions, also suggesting words of affirmation to align an athlete’s wellness with their performance. Richards-Ross’ wellness routine and makeup became “[her] war paint,” putting her in the right mentality to compete.
Jamal Hill, paralympic swimmer, looks at the Olympics as “a regular Monday,” explaining he “get[s] beautiful everyday,” declaring: “Just gorgeous as always.”
For more from Team USA, watch the video above.
