‘Cobra Kai’ Star Courtney Henggeler Drops Her Skin-Care Routine

Obviously that’s not the case, which is part of the reason why Henggeler doesn’t look at aging with as much fear as she used to. “I’m 43—I do have lines in my face that I take away. Let’s be honest about that. I don’t spend money on purses or shoes, but skin-care, I do,” she says. 

She started seeing renowned cosmetic dermatologist Shereene Idriss, M.D. in New York City a few years ago to help fill out the hollows around her cheekbones and hasn’t looked back. “Dr. Shereene does a mix of micro filler for me. She never touches the inside of my face. She fills out the [hollows], which plumps up the area around my orbital bone to give me a little lift. I go once a year,” Henggeler says. 

It’s the kind of treatment that looks so natural, you’d never know Henggeler does anything, though she frequently jokes that she loves the look of a frozen face. But in addition to using injectables, plus the lotions and potions that Henggeler swears by (more on that below), she’s very disciplined when it comes to what she eats. The married mom of two—and reformed “sugar junkie”—cut out sugar not long ago and says it cleared up her skin and helped her PMS and constant bloating: “I do believe in diet a lot for skin. And sunscreen. I was child of the ’90s who bathed herself in baby oil and laid out. I was like, ‘I’m invincible.’ Now I’m like, ‘Oh, God, I’m not.’”

Speaking of feeling vulnerable, Henggeler wasn’t feeling all that confident when she got the call to audition for Cobra Kai, which premieres its fourth season on New Year’s Eve. “I was over it,” she says of acting. “I had my first kid and was like, ‘I think I need to change career paths.’ I was hustling since I was 20 years old, and I was tired of it all and not getting any further. But I needed health insurance.” 

And then, as luck—and timing—would have it, the role of Amanda LaRusso came along. “Thank God, because I do love acting,” she says. “It’s nice to do it on this show in a role I love, where she’s the one who gets to call it like it is. It’s fantastic.” 

Much like Henggeler herself. And so, for Glamour’s latest Drop the Routine, she’s giving us the lowdown on the products she swears by for her combination skin.

My cleanser

I use Bioderma micellar water as my regular cleanser. I normally don’t wear foundation, but when I do for work, I use an oil cleanser from Sulwhasoo that I got at Sephora since it’s all about keeping the moisture in as I get older. I felt like I used to strip my skin in my 20s and 30s with those sonic devices, so now I try to use the most gentle cleansers. And I just wash my face at night.

My toner and essence

Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 PIGM for pigmentation because of the sunspots I have. And then I use the Vintner’s Daughter essence. I don’t know exactly what they do, but I just know I needed it. I invested a lot of money in these products, so I’m not going to not use them!

My serum

I was using a lot of serums, and now I’ve pared down to just one with vitamin C. That’s really all I need. I really like the Maya Chia Vitamin C serum. 

My moisturizer

Augustinus Bader’s The Cream. I love the way it feels. And I use the La Mer Moisturizing Cream in the winter. I warm it up into my hands and then press it into my face. I remember hearing that J.Lo used La Mer like 20 years ago; from then on, it was on my radar. The day I bought it, I think I cried a little tear. I was like, “You’re here, Courtney. You’ve gotten to the place where you too can now own a jar of La Mer.” It was a right of passage for me. 

My eye cream

Susanne Kaufmann’s Eye Cream Line A. I stopped using an eye cream for a little bit and then noticed how dry my eye area was, so I realized I needed to go back to using one. It just feels so good, so I recommend Susanne Kaufmann’s, which I get at Violet Grey. 

My face mask

Biologique Recherche’s Masque Vivant. It looks like you’re putting chocolate all over your face. I read somewhere that if you use it twice a week, you’ll never age. I don’t know if that’s true, but it feels like it. I tell myself it’s working, especially when I’ve had a lot of makeup on my face all week. 

My retinol

I use the Maya Chia The Straight A Advanced Gentle Retinol Treatment. It doesn’t ever feel drying. My skin feels great the morning after I use it, so I’m a big fan of that.

My face oil

I have so many face oils, but I love True Botanicals Renew Pure Radiance Face Oil, which is anti-aging as well. I love the way it smells. 

My face mist

I love Tatcha’s Luminous Dewy Skin Mist. It’s so great. And I love Caudalíe’s face mist too. It smells like antiseptic somehow, but I am obsessed with the smell. My husband’s horrified by it. I like the smell of it and even had them spray that on me on set just to keep me going during the day. I’ve got to have that face mist all over the place. 

My sunscreen

I started using Suntegrity. They have a tinted five-in-one mineral sunscreen, which I love because it also really moisturizes and it’s a clean brand. It’s my favorite thing that I’ve purchased all year.

My lip balm

Ilia Tint Hydrating Lip Balm. We use it on set a lot. It’s so sheer. They’re in my purse, my car, everywhere. They’re great.