Even in case you aren’t an enormous rugby fan, you have most likely no less than seen Ilona Maher in your Tiktok FYP (I definitely have), and one factor a fast scroll via her feed will present (apart from her tremendous cool character and insane athletic chops) is that she loves magnificence. A lot in order that she even wears her signature crimson lipstick throughout matches.
Maher is at the moment gearing as much as head to Paris to symbolize the US within the 2024 Olympics, so she has quite a bit happening. However past packing her baggage 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’re feeling empowered and cozy when you’re energetic.
So, whether or not you are mid-workout or consistently working round a giant metropolis in 90-degree warmth (like I usually am), Medalist has the necessities to maintain you coated: Clear Sweep Cooling & Cleaning Wipes ($24), which work to assuage and funky the pores and skin after a troublesome 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 straight 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 consistently impacts efficiency and luxury. “I needed to assist develop a product that not solely successfully prevents chafing, but in addition makes use of elements which can be protected for the pores and skin and the athlete,” she says.
However the fantastic thing about No Fric Stick is that it is designed to learn anybody who experiences chafing, whether or not you are 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 bicycle owner, No Fric Stick is a product you may maintain in your fitness center bag frequently. “This product is tailor-made to forestall chafing and discomfort brought on by friction, so you may proceed to deal with coaching and competitors,” she says. No friction = no distraction, whether or not you are prepping for a giant sport or simply attempting 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 inside and outside. It has shea butter and aloe vera to assist soothe and shield the pores and skin on the surface, plus hyaluronic acid to assist it retain moisture. It is also appropriate for all pores and skin varieties and might be reapplied for steady safety. “It is 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 a giant sport or simply attempting to catch a practice.
I’ve a irritating relationship with chafing myself (notably in the course of the summer time months), so I gave the No Fric Stick a whirl throughout an energetic, 90-degree day working round to varied appointments within the metropolis. The formulation is extraordinarily balmy and recent and has a cooling scent and whenever you put it on. I first utilized this within the morning earlier than I left my condo 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 effectively—actually, I did not 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 utility with out getting your palms messy in order that it may be used on the go,” says Maher. And he or she’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 day by day since that take a look at, and it is held up effectively since.
Maher shares that No Fric Stick is only one small piece of what Medalist Pores and skin stands for: efficiency, reliability, and look after 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 in addition promote general pores and skin wellness and confidence,” Maher shares.
And in case you had been curious if Maher is bringing No Fric Persist with the Paris 2024 Olympics this 12 months, the reply is a convincing sure, alongside along with her lipstick, in fact, which is exclusive to the standard makeup-free sport. “It is female and enjoyable in an area folks usually simply affiliate with the toughness of rugby,” she says. In her free time on the video games (when she’s not recovering and retaining tabs on her new magnificence enterprise), she’ll be targeted on consuming and sleeping effectively.
“Meals and fueling my physique correctly is a big a part of my journey,” she says. And it is 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 way in which, making certain they’ll carry out at their finest whereas feeling nice concerning the merchandise they use on their pores and skin,” she says. Personally, my thighs (and face and pits) are eternally grateful.
