Even in case you aren’t an enormous rugby fan, you’ve most likely a minimum of seen Ilona Maher in your Tiktok FYP (I actually have), and one factor a fast scroll by her feed will present (apart from her tremendous cool persona and insane athletic chops) is that she loves magnificence. A lot in order that she even wears her signature purple lipstick throughout matches.
Maher is at the moment gearing as much as head to Paris to characterize america within the 2024 Olympics, so she has rather a lot occurring. However past packing her luggage and different Olympic-athlete logistics, Maher’s having an enormous month with the launch of her very personal skincare line, Medalist Pores and skin. The Olympian’s first foray into magnificence as a model founder is a three-piece face and physique assortment geared to make you are feeling empowered and cozy when you’re lively.
So, whether or not you’re mid-workout or continually working round an enormous metropolis in 90-degree warmth (like I typically am), Medalist has the necessities to maintain you lined: Clear Sweep Cooling & Cleaning Wipes ($24), which work to assuage and funky the pores and skin after a tricky exercise and can be utilized on the face, neck, or décolletege and even the underarms to refresh the pores and skin; The Sport Face Clear Pores and skin + Cooling Hydrating Spray ($20) made to hydrate the pores and skin pre or post-workout with hypochlorous acid plus niacinamide to disinfect and scale back redness; and—maybe my favourite a part of the lineup—an anti-chafe stick aptly named the No Fric Stick Anti-Chafe Balm ($20), which accurately saved my thighs within the sweltering NYC warmth
“The inspiration behind No Fric Stick comes immediately from my coaching and competitors experiences as a rugby participant and Olympian,” says Maher. As a result of rugby is a high-intensity sport, chafing continually impacts efficiency and luxury. “I wished to assist develop a product that not solely successfully prevents chafing, but additionally makes use of substances which are secure for the pores and skin and the athlete,” she says.
However the fantastic thing about No Fric Stick is that it’s designed to profit anybody who experiences chafing, whether or not you’re a gym-goer or dancer or expertise pores and skin irritations throughout exercises or every day actions like I do. And, in case you’re a triathlete, runner, or bike owner, No Fric Stick is a product you may preserve in your gymnasium bag often. “This product is tailor-made to forestall chafing and discomfort attributable to friction, so you may proceed to concentrate on coaching and competitors,” she says. No friction = no distraction, whether or not you’re prepping for an enormous sport or simply making an attempt to catch a practice.
The perfect half is: No Fric Stick does greater than your typical anti-chafe stick by working to hydrate the pores and skin barrier in and out. It has shea butter and aloe vera to assist soothe and shield the pores and skin on the skin, plus hyaluronic acid to assist it retain moisture. It’s additionally appropriate for all pores and skin varieties and might be reapplied for steady safety. “It’s designed to be long-lasting and sweat-resistant, and the derm-tested, waterproof balm creates a protecting barrier that helps stop chafing all through your exercise,” says Maher.
No friction = no distraction, whether or not you’re prepping for an enormous sport or simply making an attempt to catch a practice.
I’ve a irritating relationship with chafing myself (notably throughout the summer time months), so I gave the No Fric Stick a whirl throughout an lively, 90-degree day working round to numerous appointments within the metropolis. The formulation is extraordinarily balmy and contemporary and has a cooling scent and once you put it on. I first utilized this within the morning earlier than I left my house for conferences downtown and threw it in my bag in case I wanted some reapplication. The balm really held as much as the humidity on the streets (and within the subway) fairly properly—the truth is, I didn’t have to reapply it in any respect till later within the night earlier than my final occasion. “I like that the stick format permits for exact software with out getting your fingers messy in order that it may be used on the go,” says Maher. And she or he’s proper—it was discreet to hold in my purse and fast to reapply in a public rest room.
So far as irritation goes, there was none and my pores and skin felt calm and cozy all through the day. There was no feeling of warmth or burn, and it wasn’t oily or sticky. I’ve used it nearly each day since that check, and it’s held up properly since. Maher shares that No Fric Stick is only one small piece of what Medalist Pores and skin stands for: efficiency, reliability, and take care of the feminine athlete’s (or, in my case, a frantic city-trotter’s) pores and skin. “We imagine in merging the worlds of athleticism and skincare, providing options that not solely improve efficiency by stopping discomfort but additionally promote general pores and skin wellness and confidence,” Maher shares.
And in case you have been curious if Maher is bringing No Fric Keep on with the Paris 2024 Olympics this 12 months, the reply is a powerful sure, alongside together with her lipstick, in fact, which is exclusive to the standard makeup-free sport. “It’s female and enjoyable in an area individuals typically simply affiliate with the toughness of rugby,” she says. In her free time on the video games (when she’s not recovering and preserving tabs on her new magnificence enterprise), she’ll be centered on consuming and sleeping properly.
“Meals and fueling my physique correctly is a big a part of my journey,” she says. And it’s no shock that this aligns precisely with the ethos of her new model: to redefine magnificence inside the context of power, resilience, and, most significantly, self-care. “We’re right here to assist feminine athletes each step of the best way, making certain they’ll carry out at their finest whereas feeling nice in regards to the merchandise they use on their pores and skin,” she says. Personally, my thighs (and face and pits) are perpetually grateful.
