Ready for your close up? Follow our expert guide on how to get star-worthy skin, and prepare to turn heads – Fit Hollywood
Jody Buffalo
We tracked down the inside scoop from celebrity dermatologists and aestheticians to find out how stars get perfect-looking skin–despite the wear and tear their faces and bodies endure from hot lights, long flights and hours in the makeup chair. Read on to find out how Hollywood’s fabulously flawless get that way from head to toe, and prepare for your close-up!
Yes, she’s got great genes, but Kirsten Dunst, 21, also keeps her skin flawless with a dedicated skin-care routine.
that hollywood glow easy steps to healthier, more radiant skin
While on set, actors can work grueling hours with loads of heavy makeup packed into their pores. One thing that keeps their skin glowing: sticking to a tried-and-true skin-care regimen–on set and off–that helps prevent irritation, blemishes and a dull complexion. And even if you’re not on the big screen, the same advice applies. Consistent use of high-quality skin-care products is crucial for achieving the skin of your dreams. If you’re constantly switching to the hottest new cream or cleanser, you risk not seeing the results the products promise (most products take anywhere from four to eight weeks of daily use before you notice their effects), and you may even end up irritating your skin from using too many different formulas on your face. (And just as bad, you’ll empty your pockets in the process.)
Pick skin-care products wisely. To develop your own personal skin-care plan, select products based on your skin type (oily, dry or combination) and the weather conditions where you live (lighter lotions, rather than heavier creams, are better suited to warmer climates). And always remove makeup and grime with a gentle nondrying cleanser before working out and at bedtime. (Helen Hunt, 40, uses the gentle La Prairie Foam Cleanser, $65; laprairie.com; for a less-expensive alternative that works for all skin types, try Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser, $6; at drugstores.) Also add an exfoliator to your cleansing routine at least once or twice a week to help your skin shed dead cells and keep your complexion looking star-fresh. (One favorite of Chicago star Renee Zellweger, 34: Darphin Mild Aroma Peeling, $48; neimanmarcus.com.) Miami celebrity dermatologist Fredric Brandt, M.D., offers this inexpensive exfoliating option: Combine two-thirds brown sugar with one-third warm whole milk, let the mixture cool to room temperature, then gently massage on clean skin for several minutes before rinsing off. The sugar granules are mild scrubbers, while the milk’s lactic acid provides further exfoliation. “The result is amazingly radiant skin,” Brandt says.
Be smart about aging. You’d be hard-pressed to find a celebrity who doesn’t do something to slow down the hands of time–be it using sunscreen or an antiaging cream daily, or making regular visits to the dermatologist for frown-line-erasing shots of Botox (the most popular cosmetic injectable in the country). To keep skin youthful-looking, you simply need to know your complexion and seek out ingredients and/or treatments proven to improve your skin type.
Some of the most effective ingredients to look for in antiaging skin-care products are antioxidants, says Brandt, who adds, “They are the skin’s best friends because they protect from age-inducing free radicals [triggered by environmental factors like sunlight and pollution] and boost the skin’s immune system so it can better protect itself.” Star favorite: Madonna, 45, is a fan of Caudalie Vinolift Serum ($75; sephora.com), which is packed with grapeseed polyphenols, powerful antioxidants. Other options: Skinceuticals Topical Vitamin C Serum 15 ($75; skinceuticals.com), used by Britney Spears, 21; Sundari Neem & Avocado Balancing Moisturizer ($36; sundari.com), from the holistic skin-care line developed by Christy Turlington, 34; and Molton Brown’s Skinboost Nourishing Tonic ($45; sephora.com), a new product from a line that’s a favorite of Sandra Bullock, 39.
Control oil and minimize pores. While celebrities are stars, they don’t like to shine–why they’ll do anything to keep oil at bay and smooth out pores. The first step to a flawless finish: applying a thin layer of a pore-minimizing lotion to skin before putting on makeup. (We like Clinique Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector, $16.50; clinique.com.) And if you still get midday shine, mattify it by dabbing on a weightless powder that won’t leave skin caked. One to try: Prescriptives Traceless Skin Responsive Powder ($28; prescriptives.com).
Treat yourself to regular facials. A facialist can be a star’s best friend, but you don’t have to drop big bucks to achieve similar results at home. “Every evening, give yourself a mini spa treatment by gently massaging a night cream onto your face using your fingertips in an upward motion,” suggests London-based Noella Gabriel, director of product and treatment development for the spa skin-care line Elemis.
(Gwyneth Paltrow, 31, and model Sophie Dahl, 26, both have visited the Elemis Spa in London for treatments.) And if your skin needs a refreshing boost during the day, spritz lavender-infused water all over, suggests Gabriel, who recommends Elemis Caring Lavender Mist ($31; www.elemis.com), a favorite of Kate Moss, 29. Another less-expensive–but just as refreshing–option is the Lush EauRoma lavender mist ($12.45; www.lush.com).
When it comes to blemishes, Los Angeles-based Sonya Dakar, who maintains the complexions of Drew Barrymore, 28, Jewel, 29, and Leann Rimes, 21, warns against trying to be your own aesthetician. In other words, don’t squeeze. Instead she suggests dabbing on a sulfur-based drying agent like her own Sonya Dakar Drying Potion ($25; 877-72-SONYA); we also like the Peter Thomas Roth Sulfur Cooling Masque ($40; peterthomasroth.com).
Don’t forget about the skin below the neck. Hollywood heavyweights know that they need to care for their skin, top to toe–particularly if they have to bare their bodies in a bathing suit or lingerie on the big screen. Here’s how they maintain the whole package:
Ditch dry skin. It’s easier to soften skin (especially notoriously dry parts, like elbows and knees) that’s been thoroughly exfoliated, as dry dead cells on the surface can keep skin from absorbing moisture creams. Marcia Kilgore, founder of the Bliss Spas in New York City and London, recommends using a salt or sugar scrub in the shower at least three times weekly, followed by an alpha-hydroxy-acid-rich moisture cream like Laboratoire Remede’s Resurfacing Body Creme-Complex ($90; 888-243-8825), a favorite of Molly Simms, 27. (For double-duty effect: Add a scrub to a gently hydrating body wash like Neutrogena’s Rainbath Shower & Bath Gel, preferred by Jennifer Garner, 31; $8.25; at drugstores.) We also hear that Jennifer Lopez, 33, has had the decadent–and pricey–facial cream Creme de la Mer ($165; gloss.com) applied over her entire body to keep it soft.
Get a faux glow. Celebrities know that sun exposure is harmful–why most of them get their bronze from a bottle. Gillian Anderson, 35, Tea Leoni, 37, and Elle MacPherson, 39, all have been “tanned” at the Absolute Spa at the Century Plaza Hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia, using Au Courant’s Body Bronzing Treatment (about $65; 604-684-2772). To get a golden color at home, try Zirh Bronze ($22.50; zirh.com) or Classified Cosmetics ERA Rayz ($40; classifiedcosmetics.com), a sprayon, water-resistant bronzer that gives you results similar to using an airbrush machine.
Help smooth out dimpled skin. Whether they admit it or not, no celebrity is immune to the orange-peel effect we call cellulite. If you have an extra $1,035 to spend (and you believe that bumps can be smoothed away with the help of wraps and massage), you can visit the famed Anushka Spa & Sanctuary in Palm Beach, Boca Raton or New York City, for a personalized anti-cellulite program combining nutrition, exercise, body wraps and targeted lymphatic-drainage massage. At-home help: Try the botanical-based Nuxe Spa Tonific firming line ($21-$39; sephora.com) along with a shimmery body lotion, which can help diffuse light from dimples, making them less noticeable; opt for DuWop Revolotion, a tinted body moisturizer with a subtle shimmer and SPF 15 ($19; duwop.com).
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