Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson Shares Her Postpartum Skincare Routine

The gymnast talks melasma, breastfeeding, and her worst skincare mishap.

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Shawn Johnson, former Olympic gymnast and gold medalist, is known for always bringing her A-game, and when it comes to her skin, she's no different. In the latest episode of Masked and Answered, the new mom—who's been sharing her journey with motherhood with her 1.1 million YouTube subscribers and 2.7 million Instagram followers— reveals how her skincare routine changed during her pregnancy, her solve for unexpected zits, and her worst skincare mishap.

Since Johnson is breastfeeding her gorgeous new baby, she's paying more attention to the ingredients in her skincare products. Her mask of choice is the CO2LIFT Carbon Treatment Face Mask ($85). "This is actually one of my favorites," Johnson says in the video. "It makes your face feel tighter, and more fresh. It’s just a firming, oxygenating, brightening treatment." Johnson is also a fan of the Hanacure All-in-One Facial mask ($29) (you know, that viral one celebs are obsessed with).

During her pregnancy and postpartum period, Johnson experienced some changes in her skin. The gymnast formerly didn't deal with acne, but noticed a few pimples popping up while pregnant. Her go-to spot treatment for these blemishes is the TULA Probiotic Go Away Acne Spot Treatment ($20). Pregnancy also introduced melasma. "I put on a morning serum for discoloration at the moment, because I have so much melasma from pregnancy," says Johnson. She uses a product similar to the SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense ($90) to treat her melasma. As a moisturizer, Johnson is a fan of the Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask ($48).

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Johnson has not always been so well-versed in skincare. "I burnt the crap out of my face once," Johnson reveals in the video. After a mix-up between an extremely strong retinol and her daily serum, Johnson unwittingly put her skin through the wringer. "So two nights in a row I put a gallon of this super potent retinol lotion on my face. Like my eyelids were swollen shut. It was really bad." Luckily, Johnson has a sweet husband who always makes her feel like the goddess she is. "Waking up every morning to my husband, and him rolling over and [he] just compliments me tell me how beautiful I am, I think I feel most beautiful then." We stan a power couple! Watch Johnson's video above and don't forget to subscribe to Marie Claire's YouTube channel to catch up on the latest episodes of Masked and Answered and share your favorite mask in the comments.

Tatjana Freund
Tatjana Freund

Tatjana Freund is a Beauty Commerce Writer, covering makeup, skincare, and haircare products and trends. She's a fan of vodka tonics and creepy Wikipedia pages.