Jordan Chiles’ Decompresses With A “Vaseline Bath” & Pinterest Scrolling

In Chill Chat, Bustle sits down with stars to chat about all things wellness, from daily routines to hacks for getting a good night’s sleep. Here, Team USA Gymnast Jordan Chiles share how she’s taking care of herself post-Olympics, her night time routine, and favorite team memories.

If you tuned into the 2024 Paris Olympic games, there’s no way that you missed gymnastics star and certified hypewoman Jordan Chiles. Her energetic spirit radiated through TV screens and captivated our hearts as she hyped up her teammates, glided across the Bercy Arena during her floor routine, and rejoiced with her friends as they won gold in the the all-around team final. She catapulted from her floor routine to TikTok stardom too, with with her viral dance videos with teammate Sunisa Lee and her iconic team nickname, “F Around And Find Out.”

However, this wasn’t our first introduction to the top athlete. Raised in Vancouver, Washington, Chiles had been training for the Olympics her whole life after starting the sport at just seven years old. After becoming a member of US gymnastics national team at age 12, Chiles went on to win several major U.S. and global titles. But it wasn’t until the 2019 Tokyo Olympics that she was first thrust into the international spotlight — when her teammate Simone Biles pulled out of the games for mental health reasons, Chiles had to add the balance beam and uneven bars to her vault and floor lineup, which cemented her as a team player who could perform under the highest-stakes situations. She, and the US gymnastics team, took home the silver all-around medal and while she had so much to be proud of already, taking home the gold this year couldn’t have felt more special. “I think I cried the whole entire day,” she tells Bustle.

Since Paris, Chiles continues to thrive and persevere. She’s planning to return to her business major at UCLA next year, has a new partnership with the iconic skin care brand Vaseline, and just walked the New York Fashion Week runways, closing the Kim Shui show with a bang. There is no doubt that Jordan chiles is a force to be reckoned with — and her inspiring story is just getting started.

Below, Chiles shares details about her physical recovery, how she takes care of her mental health, and why supporting other women is so important.

It was so amazing seeing you compete at the Paris Olympics. How is your body doing post-competing?

I've been putting myself in a position of just relaxing and doing everything I can to make sure that mentally, I'm good, and physically, I'm good. My aches are relaxed right now, so that’s really good.

What actions have you been taking to recover physically ?

I've just been laying in my bed and taking naps. Hanging out with my best friend is a huge one as well. Just having that support system that can put you in that [great] position. A lot of the time I go swimming [for] my knees, which lets my body relax. I haven't gotten a massage yet and I think doing that will really help. I've [also] just been chilling in the bed watching Netflix series, like SWAT or Supernatural.

With more of a global focus on how being athlete isn’t just about the physical, but the mental. How have you been taking care of your mental health post-Olympic Games?

Mentally, I've been on a high and low. I've taken into consideration a sports psychologist; it’s something that a lot of athletes use, and I definitely would recommend it. Obviously, it's not something that you're obligated to do, but again, [it’s] just having a good support system. I do talk to a lot of people. I feel like when it comes to just a random person, I'll just be like, "Hey, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah," and just go on a rant. And again, just hanging out with family and friends and really just being able to digest everything and just relax the brain has been the key thing.

I also have this coloring app on my iPad. It makes my brain kind of just relax. I don't know why, it's like a soothing thing. Or I'll go on Pinterest. I think I sleep scrolling on Pinterest. I did used to journal back in '21 after my first Olympics. When I was on tour, I was journaling every day. But now I think it's just really, ‘Can I just talk to you?’.

When it comes to winding down, what does your night time routine look like?

If I didn't take one in the morning, I'll typically go in the shower, and do a decompress. I don't know why, but I'll just stand there, and let the water just hit me. I’ll wash my body [using Dove body wash]. It’s something that’s very light on my skin. I also wash my face [with Dove]. It’s very light. There’s no scent. Sometimes I’ll use a scrub. I use the Fenty Cherry face scrub. I’ll also use a baby oil. When I get out the shower, I put on a good moisturizer. We have what we call a “Vaseline bath”: I'll use Vaseline on my lips, on my body with a moisturizer, and just really hydrate my skin before I go to sleep so I can be in my bed and just relax.

How does it feel to be a Vaseline ambassador and how do you use the Serum Burst Lotion in your routine?

I've used Vaseline ever since I was itty-bitty, and it's just been a whirlwind knowing that I have sponsors like that. My favorite part is trying every product in the book, from the jelly to the stick, to even the new launch that's happening right now. Everything feels so nice and soft. With the Pro VitaB3, when you put it on, it feels like you're putting water on your skin — you definitely feel the hydration. The nice glowy touch to it and the moisture feels amazing. I love Vaseline.

Do you have a favorite memory with the Olympic Team?

I think my favorite memory is us being able to stand up on that podium and get that gold medal wrapped around [the necks of] the whole team. Just being able to just look at the flag coming down. Obviously, especially because me, Suni, Simone, and Jade, didn't have that opportunity in Tokyo, having us four up there and then having Hezly who's a newcomer and somebody that, hopefully for '28, can be that hero and that idol for her team — it was just a very amazing moment.

It was so clear from your reactions at the Olympics, like bowing to Rebeca Andrade, and your interactions with Simone and your other female teammates, that you are such a supporter of women. Why is it so important to you to uplift and really show that support?

When somebody can give you flowers, I think it's good to give them back their flowers. I'm a girl's girl; I've always been a girl's girl. It's just really cool being able to see women win and [there’s] a lot of things that people dim the light on, whether it's a sport, whether you're an artist, an actress. Whether I can be seen or not seen, I can just be proud of what they're doing and hopefully give them their crowns when it's needed.