Ashley Sanchez played for the UCLA Bruins from 2017 to 2019 in college before becoming the #4 draft pick by the Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League in 2020.
Also a mainstay in the US Women’s National Team, Sanchez has earned several accolades throughout her career. The USWNT midfielder was the Young Player of the Year (2020) and “NWSL Challenge Cup Future Legend (2020)".
Sanchez also helped the Washington Spirit win the NWSL Championship the following year, starting 24 of 25 games and bagging five goals. More recently, she was traded to the North Carolina Courage during the 2024 NWSL Draft.
As a professional athlete, Ashley Sanchez believes in the importance of taking care of her skin and hair, especially as she stays on the field under the sun for extended hours. During a conversation with GQ Sports, the American soccer player shared her favorite items, including three of her beauty essentials.
Ashley Sanchez’s beauty essentials: Hair Wax Stick and more
The soccer star sat down with GQ Sports for the publication’s 10 Things I Can’t Live Without, where she revealed 10 of her essentials.
Three of Ashley Sanchez’s beauty essentials that have helped with her performance on the field mentioned in the video include:
- CosRx Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
- Elta MD UV Daily Broad Spectrum SPF 40 Sunscreen
- IKT Hair Wax Stick
1) CosRx Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence ($25)
In the video, Ashley Sanchez mentioned the importance of her skincare routine, especially with the traveling she does and the different climates and weather in those places. Her choice for skincare is the viral K-beauty product CosRx Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence.
According to the pro soccer player:
“I saw it on TikTok and it kind of went viral, so I was like, you know, maybe I should try it out—I think it’s just like a little hydration toner situation. I’m pretty good ever since.”
A lightweight essence, this Korean skincare product claims to give the skin a natural glow. The formula is mainly snail mucin, a K-beauty ingredient known to hydrate the skin, improve texture, and help fade dark spots.
Read more: 10 Best products from Korean skincare brand CosRx
2) EltaMD UV Daily Broad Spectrum SPF 40 Sunscreen ($39)
Sunscreen is an important part of Ashley Sanchez’s beauty essentials as she spends long hours training, practicing, and playing soccer. In the video, she shared her sun protection essential—a broad-spectrum sunscreen from EltaMD skincare brand.
On keeping her skin protected from sun damage, the USWNT midfielder mentioned in the video:
“When you’re in the sun all day and you put sunscreen on, you don’t want to be like white. You got to get the tinted one so you still got that good little glow going, and it doesn’t have benzene in it—you have to wear sunscreen if you want to stay having young skin, especially when you’re in the sun all day.”
A zinc oxide-based sunscreen, this product is rated SPF 40 and claims to protect against both UVA and UVB while giving the skin a sheer, lightweight finish. It also has hyaluronic acid and vitamin E to support skin hydration and help reduce flaking. The formula is non-comedogenic and fragrance-free, which can be used under makeup.
Read more: 6 Best Zinc sports sunscreens for cricketers
3) IKT Hair Wax Stick ($4.99)
In the video, Ashley Sanchez jokingly mentioned that considering all of her television appearances, it’s important to look good. And one of her essentials for looking TV-ready is the IKT Hair Wax Stick, which, according to the soccer star, is “a gift from God.”
Talking more about her hair care essential with GQ Sports, she said:
“When you have a lot of baby hairs and flyaways, it really just, like, sleeks it back. I found this a couple of months ago and I have like 15 of them now because I use it every day.”
A multipurpose hair wax in a stick format, it can be used for styling twists and braids as well as for taming flyaways and frizz. It has avocado oil, beeswax, and other botanical oils to nourish the hair without leaving any residue.
Read more: 5 Best flyaway taming sticks
These are three skincare and hair care items that earned a place in Ashley Sanchez’s beauty essentials list. Anyone inspired by the soccer star’s routine can get these items at the aforementioned prices on the official websites of the brands as well as online stores like Amazon.
Read more: 11 Skincare products for athletes