Aly Raisman on Nightly Baths, Mini Facial Massages, and Self-Care

A lot of what Raisman does these days is fueled by her desire to take care of her mental health. “[It’s] such an important part of my life,” she says. That’s why she didn’t hesitate for a second to partner with Philosophy for its new Hope in a Jar collection, which benefits the Hope & Grace initiative, providing funding to community-based mental health organisations focused on empowering women.

“Whenever I hear that a brand is trying to make mental health a more comfortable conversation for people, I always want to support that and I want to be involved in that,” she says.

Raisman acknowledges there’s not one right way to take care of yourself – even for her, it changes daily, monthly, and especially seasonally. Like right now, during the cold winter months, she’s making an effort to get outside as much as possible.

The only constant in her self-care routine is her nightly bath ritual. “That really helps me relax before I go to bed,” she says. It starts with shutting off all electronics, like her phone and TV, a few hours before bed. She then puts on some calming music, dims the lights, and reaches for a book. (She often reads more than one at a time so she has options depending on her mood.) “I just like to pretend I’m in a spa all the time and just create a really serene and zen environment.”

With her less-is-more beauty philosophy, you won’t catch Raisman doing an eight-step skin-care routine – she likes to keep it simple with just a few key products. Still, that’s not to say she rushes through the process.

Her favourite way to use the Philosophy Hope in a Jar Smooth-Glow Multi-Tasking Moisturiser ($39) is during a body scan and mini facial massage. “Like, paying attention to, am I feeling any tension in my forehead, in my jaw?” she says. Then, wherever she’s holding the most stress, she uses the moisturiser for some slip to massage away that tension.