The $10 Anti-Chafe Stick That Helps Sara Hughes Battle Sweat and Sand

Welcome to Shelf Life, where Olympians are breaking down the beauty routines carrying them through the 2024 Paris Games. Today, beach volleyball player Sara Hughes reveals all the ways she’s battling sweat and sand, including her favorite anti-chafe stick, the drugstore hairspray that keeps her ponytail intact, and the facial sunscreen that lasts for entire matches.

You know when you go to the beach and you wind up with sand in all your nooks and crannies that feels like it’ll never wash off? For beach volleyball athletes, that’s a lifestyle. Players like USA Volleyball’s Sara Hughes practically live in two-piece bathing suits—and while that might seem like the result of sexualization to some, Hughes asserts that it’s not as uncomfortable—or impractical—as it looks.

“We get a lot of people mentioning, ‘Oh, they're forcing you to be in bathing suits when you play.’ Honestly, I love playing in a bathing suit,” she says. “Having sand stuck in spandex or tight-fitting clothes, it's not fun. A bathing suit is a lot more freeing.”

Of course, all that sand, sweat, and sun exposure requires a very specific beauty routine—one that keeps Hughes’s skin protected from sunburns and chafing, washes off the sand and sunscreen effectively, and moisturizes enough to prevent her skin from getting dry or irritated (especially around the bikini line). As she and her doubles partner Kelly Cheng prepared to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Hughes broke down the routine she’s bringing to the village.

Hair

I love a high ponytail. I have really long hair, so I have to put three hair ties in to make sure it stays in place. Depending on the day, I'll have the ponytail in a braid so there's no hair flying around. But sometimes I just let it free, and I put two tiny braids just for texture and a cute style. If it's really hot, I'll just throw it up in a bun. Sometimes I'll use the Dae hair gel [to slick my hair back], but I also love hairspray. Tresemmé Extra Hold Hairspray has been my go-to lately because they also have a travel size. So it fits well in my suitcase and it really holds.

Hair care [between games] is so important. Right now, I'm using the Nexxus shampoo and conditioner. I'm naturally blonde and I don't dye my hair, so I like to keep that color. The John Freida Sheer Blonde shampoo and conditioner, I really like. And then a couple of times [per week] I use the K18 hair mask. Getting out of the shower, I use a Wet Brush because I have really tangly hair. I used to not be as gentle when brushing my hair until I learned how bad that is. I just start from the bottom.

I do not go to bed with my hair wet. I refuse to do that because I know that's not good for it. So I'll either make sure I have time to let it air dry before going to bed. Or if I have to, I'll blow dry it a little bit. I try not to use a lot of heat on my hair. But when I style it, I have been having fun with the Shark hair dryer that has all the different attachments.

Skin

For me, that pre-match routine is really important. I've definitely been trying to simplify my skin-care routine. In the morning, all I really do is wash my face with warm water, then I use Clean Skin Club towels to dry because I've learned how bad it is to overuse your towels and wipe your face with all the bacteria on your bath towel. I put a really gentle daily lotion on because I have dry skin.

We're out in the sun, so the number one priority as a beach volleyball player is applying my sunscreen. Lots of [volleyball players] like to wear visors when they play, but I actually hate wearing the visor, so I don't have that extra shade protection. I've been using the Bliss Block Star Daily Mineral SPF 30 for my face [Hughes is a paid partner of Bliss]. I have really sensitive and red skin, but that mineral sunscreen has a tint, so it gives a little bit of a makeup look.

My number one thing is I love using [at night is] a Neutrogena makeup removing balm. I want to make sure I get all the sunscreen off my face, all the sand off my face. Then I'll go on with face wash. Then I use azelaic acid to help with acne and brown spots. Then I just put a moisturizer on and I'm good to go.

Makeup

There are days when you're either having a breakout or you don't feel your best and you just want to look really good on the court. If I have extra redness or something that I want to cover, I feel comfortable in the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. Sometimes I get my eyelashes lifted and tinted because then I don't have to do anything; you feel like you're wearing mascara, but you're really not. But if I don't have that done, sometimes I do put a little Covergirl mascara on just to feel like there's a little bit more there. It does great things for my lashes. I like more natural-looking lipwear, and the light pink shade of Fenty Gloss Bomb is perfect for me. It is so lightweight but gives me a slight color and glossy finish.

Body

Before I get in my bathing suit, I apply Bliss Block Star Sheer Liquid Daily Sunscreen SPF 50 everywhere on my body. We usually go out and warm up an hour before we play, so I apply [in the hotel] right before we go to enter the beach. I warm up for an hour, and then the match is usually an hour, and I feel pretty covered if I do that. I know spray is really easy to use, but I stay away from it because I feel like I sweat it off within the first 30 minutes [of a match].

I actually have had issues between the inner thighs sometimes because we have a bathing suit on and the sand is rubbing everywhere. I use the KT Tape chafe stick [Hughes is a paid sponsor of KT Tape] between my thighs when it's really hot outside.

Because I travel internationally, a lot of the times [I wash up after matches with] whatever they have in the shower at the hotel. I like to use a fragrance-free body wash to get everything off. And of course, being always in a bathing suit; I do like to be clean-shaven. So I exfoliate my bikini line at least twice a week. I use the European Wax Center exfoliant to keep ingrown hairs away. I do Brazilian waxing [when I can]. When I get out of the shower, it's super important for me to put lotion on because my skin gets so, so dry from the sand. I've been using the Lemon & Sage Body Butter from Bliss.

Nails

I love a good manicure and pedicure, of course. Sometimes my toenails will break off or chip because of the conditions we play in. The big thing for us is hot sand, so you have to be careful with blisters. I have KT Tape blister patches that sometimes I'll have to use. The upkeep can be hard, honestly. I always bring nail clippers on the road and trim everything to make sure it stays healthy. I keep my nails pretty short; I don't add anything to them, but I love a good gel manicure that will last me a while. I prefer to use white nail polish because it makes colors pop on my skin tone, and I love Alpine Snow from OPI.

More on athletic beauty:

• How 4 Black Gymnasts Style Their Hair for Competition
• How Synchronized Swimmers Keep Their Performance-Perfect Makeup Intact
• How Fighters' Hairstyles Can Make the Difference Between Winning and Losing

Now, watch an Olympian's daily routine:

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