If you want recommendations for a seriously high-performance skin care routine, ask a professional athlete. Sloane Stephens, winner of the 2017 US Open, budding entrepreneur, and overall tennis phenom, demands a lot out of her go-tos. “Being a professional athlete is tough because every single week we’re in a different venue, in a different country, on a different continent,” she says. “There’s so many variables.”
As her career has gotten more and more demanding, so has the need to prioritize self-care. “Every person is different, but for me it’s about taking time to really understand week in and week out what’s making me feel good,” she says. “It’s about being able to be open about those identifiers and then executing on whatever it is that I need to do, whether that’s get a massage, get my nails done, talk to my therapist, or eat at a great restaurant.”
Having set routines that she sticks to despite her crazy schedule also helps keep Stephens grounded. “My friends always say that they love coming to visit me because we do the same thing every day,” she says with a laugh. “We wake up, go work out, eat breakfast, come home, do work, then we go back to the gym again or go play tennis. That’s how my life has really always been.”
When Stephens does find herself with the rare break (like over the holidays), self-care routines become even more important to her. She’s currently learning Spanish on Duolingo (“I’m on a 120-day streak. I’m so proud”)—and leaning into her daily skin care routine.
Ahead, Sloane Stephens shares her skin care secrets for Glamour’s Drop the Routine.
My shower upgrade
I love doing shower steamers. They’re not fancy, but I love the ones from Vicks Vaporub. I live in Boston now, so it’s super cold. Most of the time, wherever I’m playing tennis, it’s always extremely hot, so these two months of the year [when I’m home], I feel like I have to be way more attentive to all the things that I’m doing. Humidifiers in the house, diffusers, shower steamers—those all come into play in the winter months for me.
Vicks Vaposhower Aromatherapy Shower Bomb
$6.00, Vicks
My exfoliators
Three times a week I’m doing a body exfoliator. I love exfoliating. When I’m on the road, I put so much sunscreen on every day—layers and layers of sunscreen. I like to have my skin soft; like, that’s a thing for me. I love the Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Body Scrub.
Sol De Janeiro Bum Bum Body Scrub
$42.00, Sol De Janeiro
I also love the Kora Organics Invigorating Body Scrub. My husband uses it too. If I use it and I don’t tell him, he’s like, “You used it without me!” I probably do like two or three times a week.
Kora Invigorating Body Scrub
$60.00, Kora
For my face, I like the Dermatologica Daily Microexfoliant. I feel like that’s my treat; it’s fun to use. It’s also easy to travel with. I feel like it can never make a mess [because it’s a powder], so I feel confident in taking it places with me. Traveling a lot, a soap or cleanser breaking your bag can ruin your whole day.
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant Exfoliator
$16.00, Dermalogica
My body wash
I just do regular body wash. I like Aveeno’s with oatmeal because I’m in the sun so much and my skin gets irritated.
Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash With Soothing Oat
$9.00, Target
My dark-spot treatment
I got bit by a random foreign bug in Japan in 2019 and I’ve been working the same scar out of my face since then. I’m using Peter Thomas Roth right now—it’s a high-potency targeted-dot dark-spot brightener. That’s been one of my main go-tos, and it’s worked super well for me.
Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Targeted Spot Brightener
$62.00, Peter Thomas Roth
My moisturizer
My favorite moisturizer is the Sunday Riley ICE Ceramide Moisturizing Cream. It’s so soft.
Sunday Riley Ice Ceramide Moisturizing Cream
$65.00, Sunday Riley
My serum
Sunday Riley’s CEO serum is great. I use it a lot when I’m traveling because I feel like it calms my face down really nicely, especially over the summer months.
Sunday Riley CEO 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum
$85.00, Sunday Riley
My sunscreens
I use Neutrogena’s body mist on my body, and then for my face, I use Barbara Sturm Sun Drops. I never use a spray on my face because I feel like it’s a bit too oily. For my body, since I’m always playing, I like a spray—I can go right off the court and reapply. I’m one of those weird people who uses SPF 100.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Lightweight Sunscreen Spray
$13.00, Neutrogena
Dr. Barbara Sturm Sun Drops SPF50
$150.00, Dr Barbara Sturm
My tools
I use the Face Gym gua sha tool. My friend is obsessed with it, and I always steal her products. I also do ice rollers. You put it in the freezer and then just roll it under your eyes.
Face Gym Multi Sculpt
$60.00, Face Gym
Esarora Ice Roller
$21.00, Amazon
Originally Appeared on Glamour