Matildas football superstar Caitlin Foord has revealed how she transformed her skin after years of sun damage and pigmentation sapping her confidence.
The 29-year-old Arsenal Super League striker began noticing “dark spots” on her face in 2017 while playing in Japan and became increasingly aware as she worsened after hours of playing in the scorching sun.
Then she discovered a prescription skincare brand, The secret, after learning about it from a teammate’s sister. She credits the Australian company for renewing her complexion in just six to eight weeks.
‘I first started feeling insecure about my skin in 2017…pigment started appearing on my face and over time it became darker and darker and more obvious. The main problem was how it looked and how it made me feel,” Foord told FEMAIL.
“I never wore makeup to games, but I would be very conscious of wearing sunscreen to try to keep it from darkening. Off the field, I usually wear a hat to cover as much of it as possible.”
Matildas football superstar Caitlin Foord has revealed how she transformed her skin after years of sun damage and pigmentation sapping her confidence.
The 29-year-old Arsenal Super League striker began noticing “dark spots” on her face in 2017 while playing in Japan (pictured)
Foord admits she didn’t “have much” of a skincare routine over the years, preferring to keep it simple with a moisturizer and sunscreen.
But when she discovered that her teammate’s sister had also been struggling with pigmentation, she didn’t need much convincing to try The Secret for herself.
“I had tried other products before that helped lighten the pigment a little, but it never completely removed it…I felt like it was never going to go away,” she said.
“After my friend spoke highly of it, I wanted to give it a try and after a conversation they were convinced I would be happy with the results, which was very reassuring.”
The Secret was founded by Dr Clara Hurst, skin clinic owner, and Dr Deb Cohen-Jones, GP, who joined forces in Perth to create a simple and accessible solution to common skin problems such as melasma, acne and fine lines.
The result was a platform for customers to access personalized formulations according to their needs. These include powerful ingredients like hydrocortisone, tretinoin, clindamycin, and azelaic acid.
Foord is pictured in 2017 when she began noticing signs of pigmentation on her face.
In the photo from February of this year, Foord was delighted with the results of her Secret products.
There is also a basic range accessible to everyone with cleanser, serum, sun cream and facial oil.
While it comes with a higher price tag, the consistently outstanding results speak for themselves with countless before and after photos and five-star reviews flooding social media daily.
“I started with the prescription day elixir and night cream and slowly introduced them until I was using them daily,” Foord said.
‘I think I first saw the results after about six or eight weeks, but a lot of people were seeing the results before me. I think it’s hard when you look at yourself every day to notice a change immediately.
“It was the people who didn’t see me every day who really started to notice and compliment me on how good my skin looked.”
In addition to these products, Foord relies on Secret’s Solar Serum SPF 50 or O Cosmetics SPF 30.
“I think I first saw the results after about six to eight weeks, but a lot of people were seeing the results before me. I think it’s hard when you look at yourself every day to notice a change,” she said.
‘I really recommend using sunscreen even when you feel like you don’t need it. “I know it’s hard when it gets in your eyes and stings, but there are products that don’t do that like the previous ones,” she said.
Foord also recommends O Cosmetics daily, a pro mineral tinted facial moisturizer SPF 30, and a simple MAC mascara for daily use.
He is also careful to look after his body from the inside out and during the season follows a carefully planned diet put together by the Arsenal team.
This includes half a bagel with Vegemite in the morning followed by half a bagel with a tortilla and a protein shake.
Then enjoy protein at lunch (usually chicken) with carbohydrates, depending on the training program. It will usually be served with pasta or rice along with some vegetables.
“I started with the prescription day elixir and night cream and slowly introduced them until I was using them daily,” Foord said.
While it comes with a higher price tag, the consistently outstanding results speak for themselves with countless before and after photos (pictured) and five-star reviews flooding social media daily.
In the afternoon, she has a protein shake or smoothie before her usual meal of chicken breast, French fries, and broccoli for dinner and an after-dinner treat with Greek yogurt, granola, strawberries, and honey.
“I’m lucky here at Arsenal, they provide us with breakfast and lunch, which includes the healthy, nutritious food we need to fuel us day in and day out so we can train,” he said.
Despite this, Foord still hasn’t perfected her skincare routine ahead of this year’s Olympics.
“Honestly, I haven’t done it yet, I think it’s difficult with different temperatures and climates… plus dry air on airplanes,” he admitted.
‘I always carry my moisturizer with me to try to stay on top of it and reapply it as much as I can!’