10 celebrities' skincare routines that'll help you achieve a radiant A-list glow
Celebrities' skincare routines, revealed
Let’s talk about celebrities' skin. Any time an A-lister waxes lyrical about a skincare product, we pay attention. Why? Well, for starters, maintaining a beautifully radiant complexion is practically in the 'famous person' job description.
We know celebrities' skin and the excellence thereof usually comes down to a few factors: Genetics, an on-point skincare routine, plus access to world-class doctors, makeup artists, and facialists, dishing out insider tips by the bucketload. It’s this acquired knowledge on the best skincare products that we’re interested in – and the reason why we’ve taken the time to investigate exactly what products (and in what order) these beauty-obsessed celebrities turn to time and time again.
From Victoria Beckham's face masks to the one skincare ingredient that gives Halle Berry her glow, read on to discover the (sometimes surprisingly affordable) celebrity skincare secrets that are really worth stealing.
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By Fiona McKim, Emma Stoddart. Contributions from Amelia Yeomans
1. Nicole Kidman
Whilst Nicole's flawless skin may look like the result of complex and pricey treatments, her routine is surprisingly achievable. “I don’t like dry, scaly skin. Who does? But that’s my skin’s tendency,” she recently revealed. But with the help of her finely tuned routine, Kidman manages to keep her skin looking hydrated and plump. If you also have skin in desperate need of a drink, look no further than Nicole's favorite daytime products.
Cleanse: To remove those dead skin cells and excess build-up, Nicole starts her day with an exfoliating polish cleanser. Her top choice brand for cleansers is SeraLabs, which specializes in CBD-infused skincare products and helps to maintain the skin’s moisture balance.
Treat: Next up, she uses the SeraLabs Radiant Face & Neck Serum, which she has described as her "favorite product right now." This serum hydrates whilst also smoothing fine lines and wrinkles.
Hydrate: For dry skin like Nicole's, finding the right moisturizer to lock in your skincare is key. She opts for Crème de la Mer, or Aquaphor. "It costs nothing and it’s amazing for dry skin," she says.
Protect: “I go out in the sun because I love running and I love swimming, but I cover myself usually in zinc," Kidman says. Her zinc of choice is the Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen, which she re-applies regularly throughout the day.
2. Salma Hayek
It is no secret that Salma Hayek has beautiful skin, but her biggest beauty tip may come as a shock to most: she refuses to have tweakments such as Botox. "I never say never. Have I done it? No, still no," she says. Salma's routine is mostly about letting her skin do the work and aiding it with a few of skincare combinations along the way. If you're looking for a more stripped-down skincare routine, this might be the one for you.
Cleanse: Perhaps controversially, Salma never cleanses her skin in the morning. “My grandmother taught me that at night your skin replenishes all the things you lost during the day. Also, if I cleanse very well at night, why would it be dirty when I wake up? It’s for companies to have you use more products," she said. If Salma says so, we're on board!
Mist: Instead, she opts to mist her face with rose water to wake her up. Gentle and hydrating, it can fit effortlessly into any skincare routine.
Hydrate: Salma's favorite skincare ingredient is tepezcohuite: a bark tree found in Mexico that is most commonly used in traditional medicine. She says that it can be used to treat burns, which is what makes it so good at regenerating the skin.
Lip treatment: The Sisley Paris lip balm is always in Salma's purse and is known to be one of the best lip balms for very parched lips. Formulated with shea butter, the texture is smooth and creamy and is great for plumping.
3. Cate Blanchett
Cate attributes her luminous complexion to a few Holy Grail products that she has been using for years. "I found something that really works for me, and I’ve stuck with it," she said, explaining that her skin is now much more resilient than it was in her 20s. To retain her glow and avoid breakouts, Cate also has a rigid SPF routine that she has followed since childhood. With such dedication, it is no wonder she looks this good!
Prep: The first step in Cate's routine is an essence by SK-II, which she has been using for over 15 years. She claims that this Japanese skincare staple gives her skin such a boost that foundation isn't necessary. We'll take a bottle, please!
Exfoliate: At night, Cate exfoliates with the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. "You can’t treat a problem unless you get the top layer of dead skin off, and we’re constantly covered in dead skin. So it’s important to get it off," she said.
Treat: Continuing her love affair with SK-II, she follows up with their Ultimate Revival Serum. This helps to even out skin tone and promote luminescence.
Hydrate: Her moisturizer of choice, Armani Beauty Crema Nera Extrema Supreme Reviving Cream, is ideal for all weathers and skin types.
Protect: "I think 90% of people who have issues with their skin – health-wise and also in terms of satisfaction with their complexion – are actually talking about sun damage," Cate said. This is why she has used Daylong Extreme SPF 50 since she was a child, and continues to do so now.
4. Victoria Beckham
Fashion mogul and beauty entrepreneur Victoria Beckham takes a surprisingly simple approach to her skincare. “I don’t like to overload my skin,” she told Net-A-Porter. Instead, Posh Spice has carefully curated a routine that works for her, with a few nods to her own well-regarded range.
Refresh: To kick things off, Beckham splashes cold water over her face to take down any puffiness – a tip she learned from facialist, Melanie Grant. She follows this up with Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Enzyme Cleanser, saying "it's delicate enough to use every day.”
Treat: Next? She uses her Victoria Beckham Beauty Power Serum that’s supercharged with Professor Augustinus Bader’s TFC8 technology on her face, neck, and chest to strengthen the skin barrier and bolster glow.
Moisturize: The final step is moisturizer. She tells Net-A-Porter that she’s recently been using the Golden shade of her Priming Moisturizer: “It’s nice to have that extra glow,” she says
Supplement: Victoria Beckham admits she takes a lot of supplements (including fish oils, magnesium, vitamin C with zinc) and also starts her day with three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
Boost: Over on Instagram, the star shared her love for the best red light therapy devices, saying, “red light is for collagen and blood flow. White light is anti-inflammatory, healing, and firming. Blue is antibacterial and so good for blemish-prone skin.”
5. Halle Berry
Halle has the sort of ridiculously flawless celebrities' skin you'd guess is due to a routine that makes Korean Skincare look basic. Not so! The actor kindly shared a pleasingly achievable at home facial on Instagram, saying "Hope that y’all can participate and really enjoy that extra time to comfort and pamper yourself. You absolutely deserve it." Don't mind if we do!
Cleanse: Halle doubles down on washing by using Olga Lorencin Rehydrating Cleanser with a Philips Cleansing Brush. "Cleansing is really important; you can't miss it," she says. "You gotta do it morning and you have to do it at night, and it has to really become a part of your day."
Exfoliate: She then uses Ole Henriksen Pore-Balance Facial Sauna Scrub, saying "I really like it, it's very eucalyptus-y, I've used it for a very long time."
Mask: Halle knows that deep hydration comes down to using the best face mask for your skin, and she loves Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Masque. "I literally slap it on like this. I feel like it wakes up the skin cells, it feels refreshing," says Halle.
Treat: An unusual final step, Halle locks in her famous glow with a skincare acid lactic acid serum, saying, "I love for my skin to drink a good dose of lactic acid to slough off the dry, dead skin leaving your most fresh skin on the surface."
6. Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow is another star who’s extremely comfortable in her own skin. Often posting bare-faced selfies, the actor turned wellness entrepreneur rarely wears makeup off the red carpet. She does, however, have her skincare locked down—and she shared her secrets in a YouTube video.
Brush: Starting with the body, Gwyneth loves a bit of dry brushing for skin smoothing—“It really helps with circulation and exfoliation,” she says.
Exfoliate: Next comes her own Goopglow Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator. “I’m a massive exfoliating junkie,” says Gwyneth, massaging the product over her cheeks.
Nourish: She then works a few drops of Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum into her skin—a cult classic for fans of natural skincare that the star describes as “incredible.”
Mask: For special occasions like a photo shoot, Paltrow applies Jillian Dempsey Hydrating Eye Masks before rolling Jillian Dempsey’s Gold Sculpting Bar over the area.
Protect: The finishing touches to Paltrow’s AM routine? The best facial sunscreen of course! Gwynnie uses Unsun SPF 30 and a dollop of Goopglow Glow Lotion.
7. Jennifer Lopez
If you’ve ever wondered what J.Lo uses to achieve that all-over glow (who hasn’t?), you’ll be pleased to find out that the megastar recently took to Instagram to post her five-minute morning skincare routine. Yes, five minutes! J.Lo opts for a less-is-more approach, using just four products: a cleanser, serum, SPF, and supplement.
Cleanse: Jlo begins with her very own Jlo Beauty That Hit Single Gel Cream Cleanser. “The morning cleanse is really, really important to set your face for the whole entire day,” she explains while demonstrating how to wash your face like a pro.
Treat: Next step? The bronzed goddess says that her glow is the result of That Jlo Glow Serum—“This is the secret ingredient; it took 21 iterations of this to get it right.”
Protect: "After the serum comes SPF and again the star has launched her very own: That Big Screen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Moisturizer. “That [wearing SPF] is probably one of the biggest things that I did from a very young age that helped me to preserve my skin,” Jen explains.
Sup: To finish, the singer and actress pops a Jlo Beauty That Inner Love Dietary Supplement. “Skincare is an inside job,” she says, and her supplements are said to promote cellular renewal and support collagen production for firmer skin. Sold!
8. Alicia Keys
For many celebrities, layers of party makeup usually follow when preparing for red carpet events. Alicia Keys loves to get glammed up but is also an advocate of the #nomakeup movement and true skincare expert after years spent learning how to get rid of acne. But what does her skincare routine involve?
Relax: Along with using her new skincare line, Keys Soulcare, the star spilled the ins and outs of her evening routine in a ‘get unready with me’ YouTube video. To kick things off, Alicia lights a candle. “I am a candle fanatic”, she says, as proven with the launch of her own Keys Soulcare Sage + Oat Milk Candle.
Cleanse: With the ambiance set, the singer starts cleansing with Osmosis Deep Clean Detox Cleanser, which she describes as “really strong.”
Treat: “We all struggle with keeping our skin clear and I am very familiar with that struggle,” she explains, “My favorite trick is this crazy thing called the Advance Blemish Lotion with sulfur.” Admitting it doesn't smell great, Alicia dabs it with a cotton bud directly onto spots.
Protect: She finishes the Epicuren Discovery X-treme Cream Propolis Sunscreen SPF 45+ and applies a slick of her best lip balm.
9. Reese Witherspoon
When she's not busy being one of Hollywood's most powerful producer-actor double threats, Reese Witherspoon also takes a keen interest in beauty, which is handy for those of us with a keen interest in celebrities' skin routines. Having partnered up with clean beauty brand Biossance Reese took to her Instagram to share a simple three-step ritual of their squalane products.
Treat: "Ever since I had babies, I've had these little brown spots," Reese says, pointing out some areas of pigmentation and dabbing Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum into her jawline and cheeks.
Repair: She then applies Biossance Omega Repair Cream all over her face and decollete, saying "It's really lightweight and I put it on in little circles. You can't forget your neck—it's so important."
Seal: Finally, she pats in Squalane + Rose Facial Oil in using her hands, to seal in the previous treatments, saying "this is my favorite." Thanks to its deeply nourishing powers this would be ideal for dehydrated skin.
10. Chrissy Teigen
Not only do we love Chrissy Teigen for her delicious recipes and honesty on social media, she's also known for sharing a skincare secret or two. The model revealed her daily routine to her 35 million+ followers on Instagram. “I will admit I am def proud of my skin lately and feeling myself,” she captions the post, “I kind of use whatever is closest.” And these are the products she keeps at hand:
Cleanse: Chrissy admits her dedicated facialist, Shani Darden, forces her to use iS Clinical Cleanser, saying the product is one of the only things she uses consistently—“they’ve always been so good to me.”
Hydrate: Teigen is also a fan of La Mer Moisturizing Cream and Concentrate, saying, “$, I know I know but I gotta be honest.”
Decongest: At the lower end of the price scale, she loves Biore’s chin and nose strips to keep her pores clear. “Mix that with Simon Ourian's Firm and Fade Cream when I’m feeling icks, and there you have it. A very simple routine!”
Exfoliate: Nearly forgetting one of her favorites, the model later edited the caption to add: "Forgot one of my most important products, Dr. Denis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Pads. So important for on and around my nose and chin. You’ll notice a HUGE difference!." Sold.
We know these celebrities' skin secrets – and they're more achievable than you think