The Olympic games begin July 27th and thanks to Infusium 23 I had the opportunity to speak with the Olympic bound US Synchronized Swim Team about their prep! Being that they're spending eight hours a day in the pool these women have some serious beauty challenges that come with tried and true solutions. I also got their tips on how to feel more confident in a swimsuit and one of their answers may seem a little bit '80's, but works! Check out the interview:
Since you're in the pool eight hours a day, what's your biggest beauty challenge?
Since we spend so much time in the pool, our biggest beauty challenge is what we like to call "pool face." "Pool face" consists of red, dry skin, blemishes, and goggle imprints on our faces. The goggle imprints fade after a few hours, but the rest is a never ending battle. – Morgan Fuller
My skin gets extremely dry, especially my face, so it's a challenge to keep it moisturized and looking healthy. – Mariya Koroleva
My biggest beauty challenge is keeping my hair strong, healthy looking and shiny. Most days of the week, I end up throwing my hair up in a bun after practice instead of giving it the proper treatment; so on the weekends when I have a day out of the water, I really try to focus on giving my hair a little extra care with a good shampoo and leave-in treatment. The Infusium 23 Volume Builder collection has really helped to give my hair the extra little boost to make me feel good. – Michelle Moore
My biggest beauty challenge is making sure the chlorine doesn't affect my hair by turning it green, since I am a natural blonde. – Leah Pinette
How do you prep your hair before the swim cap and do you do anything special afterwards?
We don't really prep our hair for the swim caps. If you have too much left over conditioner or product in your hair, your cap is likely to fall off in the pool, which complicates things. I usually just put my hair up in a messy bun and throw my cap on over that. When we're done practicing for the day, though, I make sure to shampoo and condition my hair. This is our only defense against the chlorine. I like to use moisturizing shampoos and conditioners (Infusium 23’s collections are great!) to help my hair recover from the pool. – Morgan Fuller
I make sure all of my hair is up in my cap. If hair is exposed to water for long periods of time, it tends to be burned off by the chlorine. I make sure to wash my hair every time I exit the pool, and I also use a leave-in treatment to help lock in moisture. I really like Infusium 23’s Volume Builder leave-in treatment because it also gives my hair an extra lift. – Leah Pinette
Since chlorine dries out your skin, what are your favorite moisturizers to use and why?
I love the Aveeno Tinted Moisturizer because it moisturizes my face and yet has a little bit of color to even out my skin tone. As for the rest of my body, I like to use Aveeno Shea Butter lotion because it smells great and makes my skin extra smooth. – Mariya Koroleva
I haven't found a favorite yet. Usually I like anything that will get rid of the cracks in my skin, and of course moisturizers that smell good are always a plus! I have been using a cocoa butter formula lately because I like the smell! – Michelle Moore
What types of workouts do you do out of the water to prepare for your performances?
Three times each week, we lift weights to increase our strength. Since we're in the water so often and since synchro is not a weight-bearing sport, we need to lift weights to keep our bones and muscles strong. Our workouts consist of exercises that build strength in the muscles we use in the pool, such as squats, dumbbell push presses, and core exercises. Everything we do in the weight room translates into what we do in the pool. – Morgan Fuller
As a team we do a weights workout 3 times per week. We also like to do individual workouts such as yoga, and definitely a lot of stretching. – Michelle Moore
We typically go through our routines on land, which we refer to as Landdrill, to make sure we are matched and synchronized on land. Generally if you’re perfect on land, it will transfer better to the water. – Leah Pinette
Do you have any swimsuit confidence boosting tips?
I'd say try swimming or synchro! Exercise in a way that's fun for you, and trying something new is a great way to have fun and burn calories. And confidence goes a long way, both in the pool and out. – Morgan Fuller
Many people don't like doing this, but I like to hike my suit up over my hip bones. It makes my legs look longer and my waist appear smaller. But I think the most important thing is to have overall confidence in your look. If you are confident in yourself, others will take notice. – Mariya Koroleva
High cut suits are not quite popular yet in the non-competitive swimming world, but I think it is a very attractive cut on women and really accentuates the appearance of longer legs. Also, it’s always fun to wear a fun patterned suit - it gives me something to look forward to on tough mornings! – Michelle Moore
Wear something you feel comfortable in, if you’re comfortable, you'll be more confident. – Leah Pinette
