Billy Porter Shared the Exact Products That Keep His Skin Smooth and Glowing at 51

Billy Porter Shared the Exact Products That Keep His Skin Smooth and Glowing at 51


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A fashion sense like Billy Porter’s must be matched by an equally luxe skincare routine, and the Pose star has certainly developed one. “I really take care of my skin,” he recently told Glamour. “Your skin is the way that you treat it. So I treat my skin well, and it treats me well in return.”

The red carpet style icon embraced skincare early after an unwelcome pimple surfaced at age 14. “I was like, I’m not trying to have acne like I see these other kids have,’” he recalled. “I went to the [Clinique] counter, and I said, ‘What do I need to stop this from happening?’ And I pointed to the big pimple on my face. And she was like, ‘Well, you’re a child, there’s not much you can do, but here’s the regime that will help you.’ It was the basic Clinique regime, and I’ve been taking care of my skin ever since.”

Now, one of his tried-and-true brands is Kiehl’s, but he’s been switching it up recently thanks to a generous stash of free press samples. Here are his current favorites for smooth and glowing skin at 51.

He rotates face washes.

“I start with a face wash,” he told Glamour. “Usually it’s any of the versions of Kiehl’s, sometimes I use Shiseido, sometimes I use Herbivore. I also just use some of the various face washes that are given to me.”

Moisturizing is a must.

Porter admits that his mom gave him good skin genes, but he’s always prioritized looking dewy and fresh from head to toe. “I grew up with moisturizing, because Black people moisturize,” he said. “A lot of my white friends ask me, ‘Oh, my God, how do you get your skin this way?’ And then I show them how I get it this way, and then they complain that their face feels too greasy!”

Obviously, he loves his Kiehl’s moisturizer, but has made room for others. “I’ve been using some La Prairie and Shiseido, but Kiehl’s with SPF is always there. It’s always the most present, and then the other ones come in and out. It was there 30 years ago, it was affordable 30 years ago for me, and it did the trick. I became loyal, but I do like some of this other stuff.”

He loves a face mist.

For more moisture, of course! “I love the Herbivore face mists, La Mer The Mist, and recently I love Omorovicza’s Queen of Hungary Mist,” he said.

Photo credit: Kevin Winter - Getty Images
Photo credit: Kevin Winter - Getty Images

Face oils keep his skin beaming.

“I’ve gotten into serums recently, especially Herbivore Botanical’s Lapis Oil and the CBD Emerald Oil,” Porter revealed. “The CBD oil is one of my favorites—she tightens up the skin, henny! You know, Herbivore is on the top of the list right now; that’s what they use on Pose. I fell in love with that line, they’re great. They smell good, and the packaging is classy.”

Masks prepare his complexion for big events.

“I’ve gotten into these Wander Beauty eye patches—I love those. I’ve gotten into face masks too; I think those are cool. I used to do regular masks more often, but now I have to remember to do them when I feel it,” he explained. “I think about the masks when I have to do like a red carpet or something. I don’t have favorites; I just like to use whatever I have at home.”

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