Footballers are Cool. But You Know What's Cooler? Their Skin.

Honestly, football isn’t really my scene. On the rare occasions I do watch, it’s usually thanks to good old peer pressure. But a footballer’s Instagram feed? Now that I’ll scroll through guilt-free. Other than the plenty of thirst traps and ability to work out in the sun (I could never…), what really fascinates me is their skin. They spend hours under the scorching sun, sprinting endlessly, drenched in sweat, and somehow their skin still looks fresh, glowing, almost unfairly flawless. 

Lamine Yamal has better skin than I do, and I wonder why. Is the sun treating me differently just because I don’t run around a football field? Something I ponder about quite often. We've all raged about their model wives and girlfriends, their designer bags, and luxurious vacations to places that we've not even heard of. Guess their WAGs did teach them the difference between a moisturiser and a serum. 

Model off duty is the buzz, so why not a footballer off duty? Because that glow is real, and so is their fashion game. 

The Beauty League

Athletes, especially footballers, for the longest time have been associated with fitness and wellness brands, typecast as the epitome of a ‘picture perfect’ healthy body, and while that media trend still dominates, there has been a recent shift. Your favourite athletes are now repping beauty.

Athletes are the new faces of beauty. Unlike celebrities, their glow comes from discipline, not filters. Many are now channeling that lifestyle into men’s grooming and skincare brands built on performance and authenticity. David Beckham, in particular, became a global beauty icon in football when he launched his fragrance. While not the first athlete to venture into beauty, his high-profile launch made the announcement worldwide, inspiring a wave of male footballers to embrace and endorse grooming and skincare products.

The worlds of sports and beauty are teaming up—here’s what’s new:

Kylian Mbappé as new Dior ambassador

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Launched Papatui (Men's skincare brand)

Lionel Messi has launched Messi Perfumes 

Red Cards for Rough Skin 

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A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano)

My quest to uncover what truly goes into a footballer’s life off the field continued as I spoke with aspiring athletes from India’s Frontier and Baghpat football clubs, and let’s just say, they’re not just scoring goals on the field but rather serving skin goals in real life. From penalty kicks to perfect skin picks, they’re winning everywhere. Those Instagram reels we keep seeing around hygiene and skincare? Turns out, athletes follow them rigorously.

For most of these players, looking after their skin and overall hygiene isn’t vanity — it’s part of their training. “Off the field, I keep my diet clean. I wash my face after every training session. If face wash isn’t possible immediately after a session, I use anti-bacterial face wipes. I avoid touching my face throughout the day. I change my pillow slips regularly before sleeping and apply Tretinoin cream before bed every night,” says Utkrisht Singh Kumra, Delhi Frontier FC. “I believe there’s no skin care without proper diet, as it shapes overall skin health better than any product or cream available in the market. I believe that hydration and raw, unprocessed food are the ultimate skin care”, he further adds. 

On the other hand, Yash Kulkrani from Baghpat club says, “I see skin care as self care and not a part of my training kit. I feel every one should take basic care of their skin. Also using ice on your face before a game can temporarily make your skin pores tighter, making it look smoother. These 2 practices are only for aesthetic purposes but play a major role in my skin’s health”.

Field to Face

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The landscape has truly changed. Who would have thought that men sprinting across a field, chasing a ball and battling over goals, would one day be the picture of skincare? The age-old idea that “skincare is for women and celebrities” is what media once sold us—until I discovered it’s an essential for everyone. Footballers around the world are embracing it openly. From our very own Sunil Chhetri to Lionel Messi, it’s not just their game that impresses me—their skin speaks volumes too.

Dr. Gagan Raina of Arisia Skin Clinic emphasizes the importance of tailored skin treatments for athletes. She explains, “Hydrafacials top the list as they cleanse, exfoliate, and infuse the skin with antioxidants and hyaluronic acid, delivering a refreshed glow without downtime. For deeper repair, skin boosters with polynucleotides help rebuild elasticity and reverse UV-induced fatigue.”

If you’re an athlete and made it this far, don’t be shy and tell me your skincare routine, I’m dying to know about it and so are the rest of your fan. 

Also Read:

How LGBTQ+ Sports Clubs Are Redefining Safe Spaces In India

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