Ilona Maher has taken home an Olympic medal, practically broke the internet with her Sports Illustrated cover, and quickly became a fan favorite on Dancing with the Stars. We can’t get enough of the athlete—and neither can Paula’s Choice, who just announced her as their very first brand ambassador.
That Sports Illustrated cover helped Maher get used to being in the spotlight. “I loved [the cover],” she says. “I've been wanting to do Sports Illustrated for years now, and I've always wanted to see my body up there and feel confident. It was such an amazing shoot. It was 12 hours long, but I felt so beautiful in each shot. And I'm really proud that girls get to see that and see somebody like me on the cover—somebody who's muscular and big and feels so beautiful.”
Despite all of her time behind lenses, you won’t catch Maher with a 12-step skincare routine—ever. “I think I’m a beginner,” she says of her skincare regimen. “And I think I’m gonna be a beginner maybe the rest of my life.”
Here’s what Ilona’s skincare routine looks like, along with everything else she puts on her face.
About Her Skin
“I play a sport where you’re out in the sun, you put on sunscreen, you sweat and have dirt on your skin, and then you have to keep playing throughout the day. You can never just take a reset—it’s a consistent thing. So, for me, after I’m done playing, it’s important to wipe down or clean myself off to feel fresh. I think my skin has built up a certain toughness with what I put it through. But at the end of the day, I do what it needs, whether it’s taking a shower, washing as well as I can, or moisturizing because I put it through a lot.”
Her Skin Focus
“My biggest issue is dryness. There are times when I forget to do my skincare—my days have been busy. I am dancing every day, seven days a week, for four hours a day. On a 12-hour show day, I’m in makeup constantly, and that can be tough for me.
I think I do have pretty good skin, and so that’s why I want to keep it as [healthy] as I can. I’ve been getting occasional breakouts and they do wear on me mentally. My life is in front of the camera, whether it’s a selfie or on national TV, so that can make me feel a little less confident. [That being said] I also don’t want it to consume me because literally everybody goes through that.”
On Her Partnership With Paula’s Choice
“It’s the simplicity of [the brand that I love]. The products are perfect for everyday use. They’re meant to be used simply, which works for me. I also am passionate about feeling good while playing a sport. When you come off the field, you want to feel good in every part of you, [including] your face and body. This is for a brand for everybody, and that's appealing.”
Her Morning Versus Night Routine
“I truly wish it was so much more than it is. I wake up. I’ll have washed my face the night before, but depending on how I’m feeling, maybe I’ll wash it in the morning. Tata Harper is made in Vermont, which is where I’m from, and I like to use their Hydrating Floral Essence. It’s hydrating, and it wakes me up. I’ll even use it throughout the day.
The rest of my morning routine is just a moisturizer. I’ve been using the new Paula’s Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Moisturizer. I’ll apply sunscreen when I get to the field. Coppertone is great for me. It’s so hard because I play a sport where I’m out in the sun for hours, so I have to put on sunscreen about three times a day. It is a constant battle of dousing myself.
In the evening, I usually cleanse in the shower and use the Paula’s Choice Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser, and then I apply Paula’s Choice Hyaluronic Acid Booster. Another favorite is Paula’s Choice BHA 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, which my sister also uses religiously.”
On Skincare Mistakes She Won't Make Again
“I feel like my biggest skincare mistake was trying to do too much to my skin. I was trying to implement a 12-step nightly skincare routine, which I felt was almost damaging in a way. For me, simplicity has worked well because my skin has gone through a lot, so it’s toughened up. I try to honor what it’s been through, and give it what it needs, like moisturizer and cleansing. But other than that, I let it be.”
The Skincare Step She Never Skips
“I do try to take off my makeup at the end of show days and whatnot. That's important because I'm constantly putting new [products] on my face every day. I try to make a point to go to bed feeling fresh and ready to go for the next day.”
Her Skincare Philosophy
“Honestly, my skincare philosophy is very minimal. I've [never] thought like, oh, I gotta implement [an elaborate] skincare routine or something like what the girls on TikTok are doing. That sounds cool, but I am proud of the way my skin can bounce back with things. I want to keep [my routine] as minimal as possible—to not change it in any way or introduce new things that could damage or harm my skin. For me, that means just using a face wash and a moisturizer. When I can expose my skin to [only a few products], it's at its best.”
On Favorite Beauty Rituals
“I've been really into getting my nails done recently. I think that's something I can do for myself every few weeks. It's time when I get to chill and I also feel good when my nails are done.
One thing I just did was a hot sauna and ice bath recovery. I go to this spa where it’s just me and some old dudes. I go in a hot sauna for 15 minutes, then I get in the ice bath for two minutes and go back in the sauna. That’s a time when I get to relax, let my body recover, and get out all the toxins.”
How Her Routine Has Changed Over Time
“I have an amazing makeup artist [on Dancing with the Stars] who seems to know what my skin needs. For me, it’s so important before the makeup goes on to apply a moisturizer and a lip oil. My makeup artist is so good that right when I get in the chair, they moisturize. I like to come into the chair as clean and fresh as possible so that they can do whatever they want to it.”
