Rylee Arnold’s Wind-Down Routine After DWTS Includes Family & LED Light Therapy

Rylee Arnold is feeling “super grateful” for her time on Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars. The 20-year-old professional dancer and Scott Hoying may have been eliminated from the competition on Oct. 21 after performing a contemporary number to “The Wizard and I” from Wicked, but Arnold feels “lucky” to have been partnered up with the Pentatonix member.

“I'm glad that we went out on Wicked Night, because that was both Scott and I's night that we really wanted to make it to,” she says. “Scott was so amazing, and a friend that I will have for the rest of my life.”

When the elimination happened, Arnold admits she was surprised. “I didn't think we were going home, but that's all anyone feels who's going home, because you never expect it when it comes,” she says. “This season is so tough. Everyone is so amazing, so it really is all good.”

Arnold and her partner didn’t have too much time to process their loss after it happened. “Right after the show, we went and did the Dancing with the Stars podcast, literally two seconds after we got eliminated,” she says. “But it was kind of nice, because we got to talk through our feelings. It helped us find a place and a time to talk through those things.”

Arnold also got to debrief after the show through her post-performance ritual. Below, the dancer and content creator dishes on her cool-down process, what she’s craving after getting off the dance floor, and what she’s looking forward to next.

Elite Daily: Do you have a typical, go-to ritual after a performance?

Rylee Arnold: I always go to dinner with my family. I love spending time with them. Post-elimination, it helped me lighten up the mood by seeing how much they support me and knowing they are what really matters in all of this. I was up with them super late.

Then, I usually go home and take a long time to remove my makeup. I shower. I do a whole extensive skin care routine, including LED light therapy, to calm my nervous system. The entire day is pretty stressful, so I try to have a really good cool-down to let my body breathe. It calms down the anxiety that I may have had throughout the day.

It is such a stressful situation, but he made it so lighthearted and fun. I always left rehearsal feeling grateful for a partner like him.

ED: How does your end-of-day routine change when you’re on tour versus when you're filming Dancing With the Stars in LA?

RA: On tour, we're on a bus, so I'll shower and do my skin care in the venue. I'll kind of wind down by listening to some music or watching a show. I love to do a cool-down stretch after tour, so I can keep my muscles healthy and avoid getting hurt. You have your after-show meal at 10:30 p.m., and then you go to bed on the bus.

Filming is really nice, because you're done at 7 p.m., you do your press, and then right after that, I'll usually go to my trailer. I'll do some breathing exercises to calm my body down. I'll go to dinner with family, and then I'll be home. I shower, and sometimes, I'll prep choreo for the next week.

ED: Walk me through your skin care routine and any favorite products you use post-show.

RA: I use CeraVe face wash. That's been my favorite cleanser for so many years, but my holy grail product is the Epicutis Lipid Serum. It’s transformed my skin. I get my makeup done all the time, and it gets stripped down a lot, so that’s helped rebuild my skin and moisturize it every week.

Then, I use my LED mask. It's a Therabody LED mask that massages your face.

ED: What are you craving immediately after getting off the dance floor?

RA: We have really good craft services at Dancing with the Stars, so the minute I’m done dancing, I want crafty so bad. I’ll go straight to the table and snack on popcorn, chips, fruit snacks, literally anything. It's the best.

ED: After a full day of rehearsals, what's your favorite way to relax at home?

RA: I love to clean. I'll usually come home and do a pretty good cleaning of my apartment. That takes my mind off things. I'll always turn on a show, take a long shower, and do my skin care — that's how I wind down.

ED: Do you have any recovery practices you like to do after a really intense practice?

RA: I love to do a sauna and cold plunge. I swear by that. Every time I go, my body heals. I go to Pause Studio here in LA. They have contrast therapy, so you switch off going in the ice bath and then the sauna. It's really awesome for my muscles.

ED: Do you have to hype yourself up to get into the ice bath?

RA: It was super hard when I first started doing them, but now, I feel pretty good about it. I can stay in them for a long time, but some days are harder than others. It makes you mentally strong, because every day you're having to be like, “OK, I can do this.”

ED: Do you have any favorite stretches to make sure that your muscles aren't too sore the next day?

RA: I do lots of lunges. I do neck stretches because my neck can get super sore.

ED: You said that Scott brought a lot of joy to your rehearsals this season. Did that change how you left the studio each day?

RA: For sure. He helped my mental state so much this season. It is such a stressful situation, but he made it so lighthearted and fun. I always left rehearsal feeling grateful for a partner like him.

ED: Did you two ever do anything after rehearsal together?

RA: Yes. I would hang out with him and Mark [Manio] all the time. His husband is the most amazing person on this earth. He is so kind to everyone he encounters, and them together is perfect.

ED: What are some ways that you deal with a performance that didn't go as planned?

RA: I have things outside of dancing and going on the show every Tuesday, so I put that into perspective. It's not worth going over things that you can't control. I can only control how I approach things, and so I try to maintain a good mindset.

ED: Who's the first person you text after a good show?

RA: My boyfriend, Walker [Lyons].

ED: Is he also the person you text after a show that didn't go as planned?

RA: Yes, or my sisters. They've always got my back.

ED: What’s the piece of advice you got when you started as a Dancing with the Stars pro that's stuck with you?

RA: The best piece of advice I got was from my sister, Lindsay [Arnold]. She said, “Stay true to yourself, and always remember who you are. If people don't like you for the real and authentic person you are, then they don't deserve to be there.” Each person has their own thing that they can express, and I have special gifts and talents that I can share in a way that I know no one else can.

ED: Do you ever go on TikTok after a show to see what the fans are saying?

RA: Yes, but I also try to stay off as much as I can. It's super hard when you go home to take a breather, and you're like, “Oh, wait. My whole For You page is my job.” This season has been especially iconic, though. My favorite thing to see on TikTok is clips of Jan [Ravnik] in his Lives. He is the funniest person ever. He doesn't even try to be, and that has actually been my favorite thing to watch lately.

ED: Since you're not going on tour this year, what are you most looking forward to doing instead?

RA: There are a lot of things in the works that I'm really excited for, but this is also the first time in a really long time that I've been able to focus on my health.

ED: What are you manifesting for yourself right now?

RA: I'm manifesting growth. I hope I can continue to get better, stay positive, and enjoy everything that I'm going through.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.