The Beauty Secrets of Olympic Athletes: Jell-O in Your Hair and Chapstick All Over Your Face!

By Kim Anne Jul 12, 2012 7:52PM

US Synchronized Swimming Team members Mariya Koroleva and Mary Killman spend upwards of 8 hours per day in a chlorinated pool.

So when it comes to keeping them feeling fresh, clean and chemical-free, these athletes have their regime down to a tee. Here’s a few of their beauty secrets to help you stay pretty this summer while you’re soaking up rays in the sun and cooling off with a dip in the pool.

For Hair:
These athletes depend on Jell-O to keep strands in stellar shape during their swims—yes, Jell-O! The ladies actually wear Gnox gelatin (unflavored Jell-O) in strands to hold their hair in place while they perform. Apparently the gelatin helps to strengthen hair and tame strands. So give it a while at home!

After a day of swimming, Mariya and Mary make sure to condition hair with a leave-in treatmen, like Infusium 23’s Repair & Renew Spray, which helps to alleviate breakage and split ends while strengthening hair to prevent future damage from summer sun, pool water and excessive heat damage from styling tools.

For those who worry about their strands turning green from all that chlorine, the girls recommend Infusium 23’s Color Defender collection which helps to maintain hair color.

For Skin:
Want to waterproof your makeup? Try this trick: apply chapstick to your face as a primer.

If your skin is exposed to chlorine regularly, you could develop what the athletes call “pool face” – red and flaky patches on your face. But never fear, you can fix it in a jiff applying Vaseline prior to swimming, which works as a super strong moisturizer to help repair dryness and tame redness.

Tell us on Facebook: Would you apply Jell-O to your hair or chapstick to your face?
Photo: microgen/Getty Images