All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Rough or flaky patches on the neck, itchy legs, elbows that could double as sandpaper—however uncomfortable skin might feel, the best body lotion for dry skin can come to the rescue. And it couldn’t be better timing, seeing as the colder months are prime time for skin dryness from head to toe. If you’re looking for something to blame, says New York City dermatologist David Kim, M.D., “our skin barrier is compromised in the wintertime.”

That compromised skin barrier can inadvertently trap you into a cycle of dryness, allowing what moisture does come in to slip out at faster rate (via a process called trans-epidermal water loss) and, as a result, remaining compromised. That’s the bad news. The good news? A dedicated formula can put your skin back on track. “Body lotions are essential to help replenish moisture, keep the skin feeling soft and smooth, and support the skin barrier, working to keep moisture in and external irritants out,” says Marisa Garshick, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City.

However, not all are created equal. The best body lotion for dry skin will deliver a strategic combo of ingredients to best moisturize skin—and, even better, keep it that way. “When it comes to body lotions, it’s important to look for products containing different types of moisturizers,” says Dr. Garshick. “These include humectants, such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid, which work to draw moisture in; emollients to help soften and smooth the skin, such as squalane, jojoba oil, and colloidal oatmeal; and occlusives, such as petrolatum and shea butter.”

Since the integrity of skin barrier is at the heart of dryness—basically, if the skin barrier isn’t happy, then no one is happy—ingredients designed for barrier repair, such as ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol, can also go a long way. In doing so, they can even help address skin barrier-related skin conditions, such as eczema.

Skin-care ingredients typically found in your average face moisturizer have also been popping up in body lotions; for instance, Dr. Garshick recommends formulas with retinol to address signs of aging, or niacinamide for dealing with discoloration. And, as in formulas designed for your face, some ingredients can make an appearance to address particular skin concerns. “Exfoliating acids, like glycolic or lactic acid, may help to eliminate dead skin to leave the skin feeling soft and smooth,” says Dr. Garshick. “Salicylic acid is also an exfoliating acid as well as a keratolytic, so it can be helpful for areas of thick, dead skin build-up, such as elbows and knees.” (Psst: That’s what makes salicylic acid a winner for those with keratosis pilaris.)

“Many people wait until the skin starts to feel dry to apply lotion, but it’s actually best to apply it before the dryness begins,” says Dr. Garshick. Also, aim to moisturize with a body lotion as soon as you towel off. “Apply it right out of the shower when your skin is still slightly wet to lock in all the moisture,” Dr. Kim says. Pro tip: Slather it everywhere—the backs of your legs and your upper arms don’t get a free pass from winter’s impact, so it’s worth making sure that, as with sunscreen, you don’t miss a spot.

Most importantly, just stick with it. “It’s all about finding the product you like and actually using it consistently,” says Dr. Kim. With that, consider these 19 formulas that will keep your skin soft and healthy straight through summer.

All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Eventually, she was able to find support where she least expected it. “Slowly but surely I started to open up about it,” Endres says. “That was really healing for me, to share with people and have them be so receptive and inquisitive about what I was doing to heal my acne, because so many people can relate.”

Now she has her skin pretty much under control, though it’s been a long journey, Endres says. At first, she was aggressive about facials and extractions but soon realized that her skin was sensitive, and this could lead right to scarring. She had to be careful with products and, through trial and error, has found a simple routine that doesn’t upset her skin. Most important, though, were the changes she made internally with the help of acupuncturist, nutritionist, and physician assistant Christie Kidd.

Kidd helped Endres to get her acne under control, as well as her perioral dermatitis. “I was maybe 70% there when I started seeing her,  but I wasn’t satisfied because my baseline was clear skin. I always compared myself to that, which is hard. That was another piece of this, where I would get these rashes around my mouth, and I couldn’t figure out what it was,” Endres says. “They were so pesky. She really looked at my face like a puzzle: ‘This is what’s going on your forehead. This is yeast. We need Head & Shoulders shampoo for this, this isn’t going to respond to an antibacterial situation. Here we need X, Y, and Z.’ She picked apart my face, and we were putting different topicals on different areas, and it really cured me.” 

Like anyone, Endres still has days when she doesn’t feel great in her skin. But when that happens, she has perspective and a mantra: “This too shall pass.” “I apply that to the good and the bad,” Endres says. “When I’m having a good skin day, I also tell myself, ‘This too shall pass,’  because you kind of have to bring yourself back down on both sides. When you really ride on a high, then the lows feel even lower. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t celebrate the highs by any means, but I think it’s good to kind of remind yourself, ‘This might not be the way it always is,’ and that’s okay. It’s not linear.”

Below, Endres shares what’s currently keeping her skin happy. 

My facials 

One thing that I do every month is I see esthetician Nichola Weir, at Pacific Touch, in New York, for an acne-safe facial. She has been amazing, just really calming energy. She would never put anything on my face that would make it react, and I trust her wholeheartedly.

My pillowcase trick

I change my pillowcase more than once a week, because you don’t even think about how much bacteria is on that. I like to keep everything as clean as possible. Also, I don’t towel off my face when I get out of the shower, and this is something Christie [Kidd] is big on. The towel stays wet, so it keeps bacteria—I don’t want that all over  my face. My first instinct is to wipe all the water off, and it’s the worst thing I can do. When I leave my face wet and then apply products or topicals, they soak in so much better. That’s been big for me.

My colonic 

I also have a colonic hydrotherapy session every six weeks. I know that’s not directly linked to the face, but the gut and everything is so intertwined. I just find it really helps me to detox. 

My skin-safe makeup 

In terms of makeup, I got really specific on that and weeded out everything that wasn’t working for me. Because my job is to try things, I got a little caught up in trying all the things that we were sent. That wasn’t meshing with my skin. So all my makeup is BareMinerals. This is not sponsored—I wish it was! I just know that anything I use from them is not going to cause a problem, and that gives me so much peace. For so long, every little thing was causing a flare-up.

My skin care

My routine is so basic now. Everything I use is not in the least exciting. Christie Kidd makes a foaming cleanser that is amazing; it cleans off my skin, but it doesn’t dry it. I also swear by Elta MD’s a.m. moisturizer.

Bella Cacciatore is the beauty writer at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_.

So what products does she swear by? Read on as Brittany Xavier drops her routine. 

My cleansers

I always double-cleanse my skin at night. I use the Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm to remove all the makeup. And then for a cleanser, I’ll use the Clear Skin Probiotic Cleanser from Eminence. It’s really great for balancing and it doesn’t leave my skin feeling super dry. It’s a probiotic cleanser that I found right after I did the skin cleanse, and I liked it because I noticed the irritation didn’t come back after I used it. I’ve been using that one ever since.

In the morning I’ll usually just wash my face with water. Especially if I have oil from the night before, I’ll just pat my skin. I’ll just throw water on my face, probably five times, to where it feels like I’m cleansing my skin. But I don’t use a washcloth. I just use my hands. It leaves the face oil from the night before, so my skin still feels fine.

My toner

I love Thayers Witch Hazel, because it’s amazing for anti-inflammation. When I was researching all the irritation that I was having at the time, so many anti-inflammatory products came up, and that’s how I found Thayers. I’m really cautious about what products I put on my skin for that reason. This one is an alcohol-free formula; it’s really hard to find witch hazel that doesn’t have alcohol, so I was interested to try it. I love using a toner before serum because I feel like it really preps my skin. It also kills acne-causing bacteria, so I have Jadyn, my daughter who’s 14, use it too.

My serums 

I love serums and face oils—those are my favorite. They’re probably the majority of my skin-care closet. Right now I love using the Herbivore Cloud Jelly Plumping Hydrating Serum. And I also love the Versed clarifying serum. The plumping hydration one I like in the morning because I’m not too worried about the hydration at night because I use the facial oils. But in the morning I’m trying to use more of the hydrating serums because I’m not using an oil after my serums in the morning.

My face oils 

I don’t use any moisturizers on my skin; I use face oils. I don’t know if it’s a mental thing, but I feel like moisturizers clog my skin. I have not gone back to them after I did the skin cleanse. I feel like it’s more for if you really need the hydration. I don’t use anything that says “face moisturizer.” If it says oil, I’ll use it.

Right now I am switching between the Honey Grail Ultra Hydrating Face Oil from Farmacy. I love that. It smells amazing. I really like the True Botanicals Pure Radiance Oil. That one’s so nice, and the smell is really great too. If it smells too off-putting, I won’t be able to use it.

My SPF

It’s the Ilia Beauty Super Skin Tint—it has SPF 40. My daughter actually uses it for her base too. I’m really big on making sure she wears a sunscreen at school, so she wears that and she also likes it because it’s almost like a tinted moisturizer in a way. I like it before my foundation because it does have that hydration, but with the zinc, it’s not a pasty-white sunblock. I really like that. I also like the Suntegrity 5-in-1 Moisturizing Sunscreen. It depends on which one I haven’t run out of because I go through them pretty quickly.

I’ve been trying to be good with sunscreen since college, because in high school I would tan my skin. I would lay out in the sun and I wasn’t super aware of it, but my mom got two spots removed on her stomach that were precancerous. That freaked me out a little bit. I also started researching a ton about prevention and just using the sunscreen every day. I’ll never tan my skin again with just regular sun. If anything, I’ll use a sunless tanner, but at the beach, I’m fully sunblocked out all over my body. My daughter thinks I’m a freak. She’s like, “Mom, I have sunblock on. I’m fine.” But I’m like, “Don’t burn your skin.”

My eye balm

I don’t use any eye creams, but I really like this stick from Tula, the Brightening Eye Balm. I like it because I can use it before my makeup. Also, I’ve just noticed my eyes are a lot more puffy now with a baby from lack of sleep. And with breastfeeding too, sometimes I feel like I just need to drink more water, but I just feel puffy in the morning, so I’ll put that on and then I’ll put on my makeup. A few hours later, I’ll put it on top again if I’m going somewhere or need a little bit of a pick-me-up. It’s nice because it has that cooling feeling and has caffeine in it.

My LED light

When I do breakout, I’ll just use my LED blue light and put nothing else on my face. The Dr. Dennis Gross LED light is what I love the most for any acne because it kills the acne-causing bacteria. My daughter actually does it too now, so she has gotten into the routine where she’s like, “Can I borrow your light mask? I feel like my skin needs a refresh.”

My “retinol”

I don’t use retinol because during my pregnancy I stopped using it, just because I didn’t want to have anything that would irritate my skin because I knew my skin was going to be even more sensitive. I found that Herbivore had a retinol alternative. It’s supposed to help with skin smoothing and the renewal but without the irritants of retinol, so I still use that about three times a week.

My lip balms 

I love the Summer Fridays vanilla one. I also like the Agave Night Mask from Bite Beauty.

My masks 

Because of COVID, I got out of the routine of getting facials. I’m pretty low-maintenance when it comes to facials overall. I don’t really prioritize them. If I have an extra hour, I would get my nails done versus getting a facial. I really like having masks at home that makes it feel like a salon treatment, but not having to go anywhere, especially with a newborn too. 

I really love the Blue Tansy Clarifying Mask from Herbivore. It’s so good. I’m obsessed with it. And I also love the Tata Harper Clarifying Mask. Those two make me feel like I’m having that exfoliating treatment and it feels like a salon treatment at home

Bella Cacciatore is the beauty writer at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_.

Rebecca Minkoff knows what works. After all, the designer’s eponymous clothing and accessories brand has remained relevant for 13 years, from the iconic Morning After Bag that put her on the map to merging fashion with technology in the past few years—a testament to the innate sense that she just “gets it.” 

That knowledge extends to her skin-care routine, for which she’s curated products, mostly from clean brands and female founders that she connects with. “When I’m shopping for skin, it’s really about lots of moisture,” she tells Glamour. “I want a dewy, bouncy look to my skin—which, sure, every woman wants, but I’m 40, so anything that’s super wrinkle-preventative is what’s on my list. It’s pretty simple.” 

But it hasn’t always been that way. Minkoff battled adult acne on and off from the ages of 20 to 28, and again when she turned 35. “As soon as I fixed my gut health, it really drastically changed my skin,” she says. “Healing the inside for me really took care of the outside.” She swears by two supplements, one that was recommended by her doctor and another that was recommended to clear up a  “red patch” on her daughter’s back as a baby. “I was like, ‘Well, what would happen if I took it?’  Within 24 hours, the redness on her back went away. And so once I took it, I was like, ‘Oh, damn, I’m never giving this up.’  And then from there, my skin-care routine became almost like a wash, then my moisturizer and that’s it.”

Below, Minkoff spills on the non-ingestible skin care she can’t live without. Read on for the latest installment of Drop the Routine. 

My supplements

I swear by a mineral supplement drink called Restore. Basically, with all the pesticides we eat, it destroys the insides of our intestinal lining and then toxins seep through. Obviously your skin is your largest organ, so this helps heal your gut lining. And then the one I discovered through my daughter is a probiotic called Ortho Biotic. I’m not sponsored by them or anything, but within 24 hours of me taking Ortho Biotic, the permanent redness I had always had was gone. As long as I’m consistent about that product, my skin is even-toned for the most part. I’m not wearing foundation right now.

My cleanser

At night I’ll use the In Your Face enzyme wash. It’s organic, vegan, pretty natural.

My mist 

I don’t usually use a toner. I feel like it’s too drying for me, but sometimes I’ll do a little bit of Rosewater from Mario Badescu. 

My serums

At night I tend to pile on as much moisture as I can. I’ll do Tata Harper’s serum followed by her Elixir Vitae, which I’m obsessed with. People are like, “You’re glowing,” and I’m like, “No, I’m not glowing; it’s Tata.” Whatever magic she has in those plants, whatever spells she’s casting in Vermont, it’s working for me. 

My oils 

The other brand I alternate with is Linnè, which has a Repairing Oil or a Balancing Oil. I love her products. She’s a smaller, lesser-known brand, but her stuff is incredible. At night, if I know I’m going right to bed and I’m not going out, I’ll use Vintner’s Daughter oil. I love that it feels luxurious. It smells amazing. I feel like it’s really moisturizing, and especially in the wintertime, I tend to use more oils than creams. I like having that barrier on my face. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but a derm told me that if you use moisturizer and it has water in it and you’re going outside and the cold is hitting your face, it actually freezes it, so oils are better.  If I want to do a moisturizer, Joanna Vargas has a great hydrating skin cream; the smell is unbelievable.

My eye creams

For my eye cream I’ll use Tata, or if it’s the morning I’ll use the Wander Beauty eye patches because I noticed in the last couple months when I wake up in the morning, I’m just puffy— doesn’t matter what I do. I think that’s probably due to age.

My exfoliator 

If I feel like my skin’s in need of a general resurfacing, the Dr. Dennis Gross pads are unbelievable. Those are more when I need it—like if I know I have a photo shoot, I’ll do it the night before, or in the wintertime I’ll do it more because I’m not in the sun.

My masks 

Honest has a great face mask; it’s that berry smoothing one. I don’t do a ton of face masks, but if I do, I think I prefer scrubs, and Linné makes a good face scrub. 

My acne treatments 

I got this prescribed to me by a dermatologist a long time ago: topical clindamycin. I’ll put it on whatever is brewing, whatever has been picked, and that’s my spot treatment. If I feel things are getting really bad, then I just go old-school and I have Clean & Clear face wash. That did it for me back when I had adult acne, and so I don’t really know anything else. But that’s happening less and less these days. That is not usually a problem, but if I feel it’s coming on, then I’ll do that.

My sunscreen

For sunscreen, I tend to gravitate towards mineral sunscreen, so Coola makes a great one. 

My lip balm 

I don’t really use lip balm, but this brand Laneige, the Lip Sleeping Mask, I actually just use this as a balm. Or I’ll just go old-school and do ChapStick. I haven’t found anything to combat ChapStick. I know it has chemicals and I’m anti chemicals, but sometimes I just throw one in my purse and it saves the day. 

My treatments 

I do regular Botox. I’m due for treatment. I’ve gotten out of the habit a little bit during COVID because so much was closed, but I used to try to do a facial maybe every six weeks. And for that, I’d go to Joanna Vargas.

My tools 

I want to be that person who uses the gua sha. I have a face roller. I look at it every morning and I’m like, “I don’t have time for you.” When I see people on Instagram using it, that’s where my routine falls apart. I love it when women do that and they have the time for it, but I haven’t figured that out in my routine yet. 

So you’re here to learn how to hide a cold sore. And just in time: You can usually sense a cold sore before you see it. Tingling, burning, or itching sensations precede the little buggers, which are actually small, painful blisters caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). Unlike other forms of HSV, cold sores cluster around the mouth, meaning their arrival could be obvious to anyone who sees you. Because of that, when you feel an outbreak coming on, you might be inclined to cancel your events for the next few days. We get it: It’s hard to feel cute when you’re anxious about your skin.

They’re not a total plan killer, though! For one, you’re not alone in this. According to Johns Hopkins, 50% to 80% of adults have oral herpes. So you don’t have to go into self-imposed isolation here. For many people, cold sores are just a fact of life. And if you are still unsure about your cold sores, you can cover them up. Obscuring them is just one more thing on your list of pre-event beauty prep.

But before we tell you how to cover up a cold sore, here’s what you need to know.

“Cold sores are also known as herpes labialis,” says Adebola Dele-Michael, M.D., FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Radiant Skin Dermatology & Laser in New York City. “They’re caused by the herpes simplex virus and can be very contagious, especially during an outbreak.” 

Given that they’re so contagious, experts including the doctors at Mayo Clinic say you should avoid sharing lip balm, utensils, or anything else that comes into contact with your face. And yes, also kissing. Dr. Dele-Michael also advises using topical prescription medication at the first sign of an impending outbreak. Prescription medications will help relieve the symptoms and should be applied as soon as you feel burning or itching, if possible. “In some cases, one might even be prescribed a daily suppressive dose to prevent a cold sore outbreak altogether,” she adds.

There is an over-the-counter solution too. Docosanol, often sold as Abreva, is a cold sore cream you can apply and pick up right now at your local pharmacy.

Your first cold sore outbreak is likely to be your worst one, per Johns Hopkins, and you may never have another one after that, but prepare for pain, swelling, and redness around the area. Also know that you might get a fever or sore throat. The blisters will probably pop at some point, so you can expect a little oozing, then scabbing. All told, this could last about five to six days.

Whether you’re in the early stages or the oozing or scabbing portion of your journey will determine how to cover a cold sore with makeup.

How to hide a cold sore

Yes, you can use makeup to cover a cold sore, confirms Dr. Dele-Michael. Note, though, that before you cover the cluster of blisters (or, in later stages, the scabs), you’ll want to treat the area to the best of your ability, whether that means using a prescription topical cream or a cold, wet compress to decrease swelling.

“My skin sort of got worse after I had my first son, and now he’s four and I’m in my second pregnancy now,” she says. “Through my first pregnancy, my skin couldn’t have been better. And now in second pregnancy, it’s really not great. So it’ll be interesting to see how it shifts once I’ve had the baby. But I’m at a point right now where I’m sort of really frustrated again with where I’m at on my skin journey, and that’s me being really candid because I think that is just the way it goes. Sometimes you’re like, ‘Okay, I can deal with this.’ And then other times you’re like, ‘This is really getting me. This is bothering me now. And I shouldn’t be dealing with this on a daily basis.’”

Of course, her skin is a priority because she’s such a public figure, but when it comes down to it, the person she aims to please is herself. “I should think that most young women feel pressure to look a certain way regardless of what their job is,” she says. “I don’t think I would feel any different if I wasn’t doing what I was doing. I think obviously there’s probably an added sense of the fact that when I go out in the world, people recognize who I am, and probably have a comment after meeting me, and the majority of time, it’s usually to do with how I look. I don’t care so much about that. It’s more for myself, I want to feel confident being makeup-free at home with my family. I want to feel as confident as I would be walking onto set to shoot something with Rose Inc or walking on the red carpet for an event. They all have the same weight and importance to me. At the end of the day, wanting to look the best version of yourself and not be spotty is not something to feel bad about striving to want.”

Below, Huntington-Whiteley shares what’s currently keeping her skin happy. 

My toner

I love our AHA clarifying toner. I formulated that with my chemist specifically for my acne-prone skin. This is where you’re going to get your daily gentle exfoliation; it’s got all your AHAs in there. The salicylic acid is derived from willow bark; it’s the purest form of salicylic acid. You’ve got your glycolic, your lactic acid, and that’s just really about resurfacing the skin. You’ve got the pink clay in there, which settles at the bottom, which is really detoxifying but also very calming to the skin.

It’s a great product to use daily. If I’m going to exfoliate, I like to do it in the evening because I think sometimes the idea of exfoliating and then putting makeup on just doesn’t feel quite right for me, but there’s nothing wrong with exfoliating in morning either. So I use that daily at night. I drip a few drops onto a reusable cotton pad. And then instead of sweeping over my face, I push it in and take the time to really work it into the skin, bring the blood to the surface. You get a lovely rosy hue. Let it settle and sink in, and then go to you can go on and apply whatever else you like.

My concealer 

Obviously with acne-prone skin, you’re going to need a great concealer. I wanted the finish of my concealer to work with my skin, so it’s not a really oily finish or a really high-shine finish, like some concealers. It’s not a really matte one either; that’s going to be really drying to the skin. It has this really lovely luminous, very skinlike finish to it, but it’s got incredible coverage as well, as it’s really buildable. You can stretch it out, just applying a couple of dots across your face, and that’s all you might need. But on those days where I really want a lot of coverage, it’s enough for me just to continue to build that coverage with that concealer and not have to use any foundation. I like that it cuts out steps of other products, and obviously it’s noncomedogenic.

My mask

The Tri-Activ Masque from iS Clinical is amazing. It’s a warming mask. I put it on in the shower probably two or three times a week. It’s got acids in it, and exfoliating beads. It warms up and, and then you buff it away afterwards. I love the way my skin feels afterward; it feels very smooth and exfoliated, but really soft still. And iS Clinical has another product,  called the Active Serum, that is a game changer if you have acne-prone skin.

My peel pads

Dr. Dennis Gross Peel pads, they’ve been one of my favorites, as are the ZO Skin Health peel pads for oily skin. The Dr. Dennis Gross ones are a little bit more user-friendly. I like that they come in packet. The glow ones are amazing with a little bit of tan in them. They’re a great product; they do really give you a lovely glow the next morning. 

My tools 

You know what’s annoying?  I recently fell back in love with my Clarisonic, and they’ve discontinued them! So I just ordered the cheap version on Amazon the other day, no idea what brand it is, but the Clarisonic or a buffing brush is really great for me. The removal of my makeup is so important. I’m always amazed, if I cleanse once and get out the shower and wipe my face with a towel, I’ve still got makeup on my skin. A double cleanse is really essential, and you really do want to get rid of that makeup. So if I’ve got heavy makeup on, which is basically every day cause I’m working most days, using that kind of cleansing brush is really essential in removing it.

I also love a high-frequency wand. I get that off Amazon as well. It’s a great product to have if you’re having breakouts or you’ve just had a facial. And then the Celluma Pro light panel, which is really expensive. One of the things that stops me from using it on a regular basis is just the time investment, because you should go under it every day for at least 20 to 30 minutes. But it’s not the sexiest thing to do when you’re in a long-term relationship, to lie on a blue-light panel on the bed! But I do recommend it. It’s an amazing thing to get, a really good investment, but I recognize it’s an expensive one.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

Bella Cacciatore is the beauty writer at Glamour. You can follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_. 

Alexis Ren is an open book. The 24-year-old model, influencer, and soon-to-be actor has been forthcoming about topics like body image and mental health since the start of her career nearly 10 years ago. She even has a dedicated platform called We Are Warriors, where she goes deep on physical and mental health, shares wellness tips, and spotlights experts in everything from finance to Pilates. 

When it comes to skin care, Ren has a similarly candid approach. “I’ve made it a purpose of mine to break the taboo [when it comes to treatments],” she tells Glamour. “It’s weird when celebrities say, ‘Oh, yeah, I just used this cream.’ It’s like, ‘No, you don’t.’ I want to help girls understand that.” When it comes to treatments, new technologies, and cosmetic surgery, Ren is all for it. “I think it’s spiritual and so empowering to be like, ‘I literally can be whoever I want.’”

She continues, “I want to be that girl to be like, ‘No, get the nose job. If you want it, get it. Don’t feel like you’re being peer-pressured into society’s beauty standard. You’re doing what you know is going to make you happy, and that should be celebrated.”

Her view on it: Anything you do—including cosmetic surgery—should be for your own health and well-being. “I have so many conversations with young girls where they’ll say, ‘Yeah, I would love to get this done, I would love to get this one.’ I am like, ‘Don’t feel guilty for that. Don’t be ashamed, because every single girl that you look up to, I promise you, has had work done.’”

And she’s so passionate about educating her Warriors that she recently hosted a workshop with celebrity facialist Sonya Dakar, who Ren credits for most of her own skin-care knowledge. “She’s helped me understand the types of substances that work on my skin,” Ren says. “She came on and taught a skin course to my community, and she broke down why we need vitamins, why we need hyaluronic acid. Then you don’t have to rely on one brand. You can be like, ‘I’m just looking for these exact ingredients.’ It puts the power back in your hands.”

When it comes to her own routine, Ren is all about consistency. “It’s similar to how I feel about working out,” she says. “It’s not about doing intense products or harsh things. It’s really just about consistency and making sure that when I wash my face, it’s 100%. If I have to, I’ll wash my face twice. That’s what I think really took my skin to the next level: when I realized how hard it is to get everything off. It’s more of training your skin or body to be on a certain regimen.”

Below, Ren breaks down what she calls her “skin-care army” for the latest installment of Drop the Routine. 

My cleansers 

I use two facial cleansers: One of them is the Sensi Wash by Sonya Dakar, and the other one is the Blueberry Rebalancing 5.5 Cleanser from Innisfree. The Sensi wash is made with oat milk, so it has this milky feel. That doesn’t actually get the makeup off; it just cleanses my face. If have makeup on, I use something soapy that’s going to get rid of everything and that’s the Innisfree.

My toner

I use the Elaluz All Day Beauty Water. That’s not a toner, but it does the same thing for me. I spray it on just to hydrate my skin, and then I put on my serums. 

My serums 

I just started implementing the Sonya Dakar Super Clear as a base. It’s a preventative thing for breakouts, and I use it every day. Then I use the vitamin C serum with hyaluronic and vitamin C, which I’ve learned is important. I kind of pat it on as opposed to rub it in, because it peels away, which is kind of weird.

My spot treatment

For the actual breakouts, I use the Starface patches. They’re so fun; I forget they’re on, and people are like, “Why do you have a sticker on your face?” They really work, it trips me out! I’m like, “Whoa, it’s gone.”

If your Instagram feed has suddenly been flooded by videos of people getting their faces getting slapped, pounded, and massaged in the name of beauty, you have Inge Theron to thank for that. The former beauty writer founded FaceGym, the massage-focused facial bar beloved by celebs like Bella Hadid, Jasmine Tookes, and Lizzo, after discovering the transformative power of facial massage and muscle stimulation. 

“I realized that if you don’t actually stimulate the muscles, there’s no topical ingredient that can help you when you’re in your late 30s or 40s, unless you do the work,” Theron tells Glamour. “So, to me, it’s all about treating the muscles in your face like you treat the muscles in your body.” 

Theron believes that great skin is a combination—half “the great actives,” and half how you apply the products. “When I think about cleansing, I don’t think, ‘Oh, I’m just going to purify or remove the dirt from my skin,’” she explains. “It’s, ‘Great. I’m going to use my knuckle. I’m going to increase circulation. I’m going to boost my collagen and also tone, tighten, and lift. And you know, my eyes are looking a bit dodgy so I’m going to de-puff them and sculpt my cheekbones.’ That’s all done while I’m cleansing my face.”

Theron discovered facial massage when she was traveling the world as a spa writer in her mid-30s. She says she had access to “any facial under the sun,” but she was consistently disappointed by results that didn’t last. However, she also wasn’t ready for something more permanent like injectables, so she researched what else was out there. “I went to Mexico, I worked with some Inca healers,” she says. “I went to Japan. I basically traveled the world and realized that face massage and muscle manipulation was a thousand years old—the Empress of China was using pressure points for her beauty routine.”

And so, in 2016, FaceGym was born. “It was taking something that was already established, proven, but making it cool and sexy,” says Theron. “It was just lots of research and then working with some really talented people. I’ve got a great team of master trainers. We designed this concept, which is warmup-cardio-sculpting-cool down, exactly like you train your body in the gym.”

Obviously, her routine is heavy on the massage and treatment, but she also relies on an ever-evolving  lineup of products for her combination skin. She also targets dryness, hyperpigmentation, and signs of aging, but tries to keep a positive attitude about it. “I laugh a lot. I live a lot. When I was younger, before FaceGym, I used to get super worried about it. But then now I realize that I worked so hard to get those lines around my eyes,” she says. “I didn’t dance on a table in Ibiza until 4:00 AM not to have those lines. Now I feel so comfortable with them that they are who I am.”

“You’ve got to own it,” she says. “At some point you’ve also just got to say, ‘You know what? I spent most of my youth worrying about is my bum too big in my jeans? Or do I look old?’ And then at some point you just go, ‘This is the best version of me. I’ve done everything I can, and this is it. Take it or leave it.’ That’s the one good thing about getting older: You get more confident.”

Below, Theron shares what’s in her current rotation for Glamour’s Drop The Routine. 

My cleansers

I am very much a seasonal skincare person. I treat my skin like I treat my body—I don’t eat pumpkins in the summer, I eat asparagus. Right now, given the fact that I was in the sun, I’m using the FaceGym Electrolyte Cleanser, because it’s got a really beautiful formulation. It has a light papaya extract, which is really good for the hyperpigmentation. It’s got electrolytes, which isn’t in any other product that I found. It really is brilliant for energizing. I also get some bigger pores, especially during the summer months. So it’s got a red clover extract, which has been patented. The results on the pores closing is unbelievable. It’s so gentle, it doesn’t hurt the skin barrier. At the moment I’m using it morning and night just because I’ve got this extended bit of hyperpigmentation at the moment and it’s really, really helping. I tend to use September to treat hyperpigmentation and dark spots, both in my FaceGym studio and with my skincare.