What are Olympian Suni Lee’s beauty must-haves? Products explored

What is Suni Lee’s beauty must-haves? (Image via @sunisalee/Instagram, Youth to the People, Aquaphor)
What is Suni Lee’s beauty must-haves? (Image via @sunisalee/Instagram, Youth to the People, Aquaphor)

From skincare solutions that tackle her dry skin and breakouts to haircare essentials that keep her hair fresh while training, each item in Suni Lee’s beauty must-haves plays a crucial role in her active lifestyle and routine as she prepares to return for the 2024 Olympics.

Sunisa “Suni” Lee is an American gymnast and Olympic all-around champ who made history at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by winning three medals: gold for women’s all-around, silver for the team event, and bronze for uneven bars. With her exceptional skills and intense training, Suni Lee returns to the artistic gymnastics scene after serious health challenges, and she makes sure to always have a few essential items with her.

In previous interviews with several publications, as well as a recent appearance on TV, Suni Lee revealed five beauty must-haves in her arsenal.


What are Suni Lee’s beauty must-haves?

Suni Lee’s beauty must-have list consists of an antioxidant cleanser, an exfoliating toner, a treatment mask, an all-around ointment, and an everyday sweat-busting dry shampoo.

  • Youth to the People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser
  • Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
  • SK-II Pitera Facial Treatment Mask
  • Aquaphor Healing Ointment
  • Batiste Sweat Activated Dry Shampoo

1) Youth to the People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser ($39)

With a mix of kale, green tea, spinach, and vitamins, the Superfood Cleanser supposedly serves as a pH-balanced green juice cleanse for the face and is one of Suni Lee’s beauty must-haves.

While speaking with SELF in its 2022 Sleeping With series, Suni Lee revealed using the Youth to the People Cleanser.

“It makes me feel so clean, it doesn't dry me out, and it helps with my breakouts, so I love it.”

The face wash, which is one of Suni Lee’s beauty must-haves, has a rich gel texture and is intended for daily use for normal, dry, and oily skin types.


2) Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant ($35)

Suni Lee shared some of her beauty essentials in Covetuer’s 2022 I Swear By This interview series, one of which is Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting BHA Exfoliant. The Olympic gymnast swears by it, saying:

“It saved my skin. It makes my skin feel so clean and it helps with breakouts. I’ll use this when I’m toning my skin, then I’ll put moisturizer on tip and when I wake up in the morning, I feel like my acne scars fade a little bit.”

With a leave-on formula containing 2% BHA and salicylic acid, the product claims to help with exfoliating built-up dead skin cells. It also has methyl propanediol, which is a humectant, to supposedly help hydrate the skin as well as green tea that has antioxidants.


3) SK-II Pitera Facial Treatment Mask ($30)

The serum mask is on Suni Lee’s beauty must-have list. It claims to give the skin a red carpet glow in 15 minutes. It comprises ingredients like Pitera, the brand’s unique natural bio-ingredient from fermentation, and galactomyces ferment filtrate. These ingredients supposedly work together to hydrate and deliver antioxidants to the skin.

In the same Coveteur interview, Suni Lee mentioned reaching for the SK-II Pitera Facial Treatment Mask whenever her skin needs some extra care:

“I like to use a jade roller over it to really press the serum from the mask into my skin. My skin feels so hydrated and clean after, it’s my favorite thing ever.”

According to the gymnast, she uses the face mask twice a week, having a little spa moment while journaling.


4) Aquaphor Healing Ointment ($15.99)

The healing ointment has a multi-purpose formula and is one of Suni Lee’s beauty must-haves. With glycerin and Panthenol, it’s intended to soothe and protect chapped lips, cracked hands, minor cuts, and dry skin.

Suni Lee, in a 2022 interview with Popsugar, revealed keeping a high stock of Aquaphor Healing ointment, including in her bag, gym locker, and car.

“I use Aquaphor for everything. So, I do have pretty dry skin. If I’m ever feeling very dry I’ll put it on my face, use it on my lips. I also have eczema, so I put it on my eczema if it’s feeling irritated... I feel like Aquaphor just fixes everything.”

5) Batiste Sweat Activated Dry Shampoo ($9)

A product that helps Suni Lee keep her hair fresh in between hair wash days is Batiste Sweat-Activated Dry Shampoo. With a waterless shampoo formula, it claims to neutralize odor for up to 24 hours and has fragrance capsules that apparently activate to release a burst of freshness when sweating starts.

Suni Lee teamed up with Batiste to launch two new products, the Sweat-Activated and Touch-Activated Dry Shampoo. A video appearance with Good Day NWA revealed that the Sweat-Activated Dry Shampoo is on Suni Lee’s beauty must-have list. She said:

“After practice when I’m having a really bad hair day, I just spray the Sweat Activated one and my hair looks absolutely amazing for the rest of the day and days after that.”

Suni Lee’s beauty must-haves consist of products that meet her skincare and haircare needs, including skincare treatments to help with her dry skin and acne breakouts, and dry shampoo for when she’s sweating it out at practice and getting ready for the Olympics.

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