On Monday, August 5, 22-year-old Daniella Ramirez shared her secret for keeping her hair flawless during synchronized swimming routines. Ramirez demonstrated how she removes a special Knox gelatin from her hair before her performances to ensure it remains slick and neat in the pool.
In an Instagram clip, Ramirez, who had her hair styled in a bun, wrote, “The Olympic Peelies are…” and added fire and sad face emojis. The video featured Ramirez pulling at the gel around her ears and making faces at the camera. After successfully removing some of the gelatin, she pumped her fist in celebration.
Ramirez and the U.S. artistic swimming team won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday, August 7. This marked the U.S. team’s first medal in artistic swimming since they earned bronze at the 2004 Athens Games, according to World Aquatics.
This isn’t the first time Ramirez has shared her behind-the-scenes routine. In February, she posted a TikTok video showing her applying the gelatin, explaining, “This is what we use in our hair for performances.” She added that the gelatin helps keep hair in place and is used purely for aesthetic reasons.
“It’s sticky and dries hard,” Ramirez noted. “We use swim caps during practice, but for performances, this method fits the theme better.” She admitted that the process is uncomfortable and requires a thick layer of gelatin because it tends to dissolve in water.
“The goal is to keep the hair slick throughout the entire routine,” Ramirez explained.