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Prevention: Jada Pinkett Smith Swears by a Simple DIY Face Mask for Radiant, Makeup-Free Skin at 49
At 49, Jada Pinkett Smith is serious goals, whether she’s wearing makeup or not. In a new YouTube video, the Red Talk Table host opened up about her "home base" skincare routine responsible for her radiant complexion.
Jada explained that her skin type is normal to dry, but sometimes her T zone can get oily. "I don't have a regular aesthetician that I go to. I may go get a professional facial maybe once or twice a year. So I've really learned how to take care of my skin," she said. "It's really all experimentation until you find out what works for you."
Jada said she uses a variety of products on her skin, including toner, sunscreen, and hyaluronic acid, but the star also swears by drinking a ton of water on the daily for glowing skin. She also prioritizes her health. "Good skin is not just what you put on the outside of it," the actress said. "What you put in your body is super important."
Here are just a few of the things Jada does to keep her skin so gorgeous in her late 40s.
1. She steams her face.
Steaming is Jada’s top skincare secret. “I do that at least three to four times a week,” she said in an Instagram video. The best part? You don’t need to go to a steam room to reap the benefits of facial steaming.
Jada just boils water and pours it into a bowl at home. Then, she puts her face over the bowl and throws a towel over her head. She stays put for one to two minutes. “This process helps to keep skin moist ... to pull out impurities and to open [pores] to put nourishment into the skin,” she wrote in the caption of a recent Instagram.
2. She gently cleanses her skin.
After steaming, Jada washes her face with Tatcha Deep Cleanser, which features hydrating ingredients like Japanese luffa fruit exfoliant, wild rose, green tea, and antioxidants. "This is a deep cleanser, but it's really super gentle," Jada said on YouTube while applying the cleanser. "A lot of people don't like to use their hands on their face, but I do. I like to touch my skin."
Then, she steams again, before apply Dermatologica's Precleanse. "This is like a really light oil that is going to help the microdermabrasion machine go over the skin easily," Jada explained. Next, she gives herself a microderm facial with the Kendra Professional HB-SF01. "This removes dead skin off of your face," Jada said. "You do every area of your skin."
She uses an exfoliating rag to brush off the dead skin cells. Then, she cleanses again with Burt's Bees Baby Soap. After, she steams gain.
3. She applies a DIY mask.
If you thought Jada was done cleansing and ready for serums, think again: She cleanses one last time using the Neutrogena Clear Pore Acne Clay Mask, followed by a homemade mask using kitchen ingredients. The ingredients are so simple. All you need is one avocado, two teaspoon of olive oil, and one tablespoon of honey. "For something like this, I would leave on for 20 minutes," Jada said while applying the mask using a brush.
On days when she's not using Neutrogena or her DIY mask, Jada goes for Tatcha's Luminous Dewy Skin Sheet Mask, which is infused with Okinawa red algae, sweet marjoram, and rice germ oil.
4. Her go-to toner is from the drugstore.
Sure, celebrities can afford top of the line products, but Jada sang the praises of a $5 drugstore product on her Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk. The star said she uses Clean & Clear Essentials Deep Cleaning Astringent on her skin.
“It’s one of my favorite products,” she said on her show. “It is brilliant ... It pulls all the stuff out, and it closes the pores as well. It’s awesome.” That’s because it contains salicyclic acid, an acne-fighting ingredient that gently exfoliates the skin and unclogs pores.
5. She lets her skin breathe.
Jada offered up even more tips during that Red Table Talk episode. She also shared that she likes to let her skin do its natural thing. “Even on makeup days, I try go to light,” she said. “On days off, I use hardly anything. I try to give the skin a break. Less is more.”
If you’ve ever seen one of her makeup-free selfies on Instagram, you’d understand why she keeps it casual. Who needs makeup when you look like this?
Jada also switches up her product rotation. "You really have to keep switching up your routine," she said on YouTube. The star explained how she feels her skin gets used to certain products and "immune" to them, so she must rotate new products in. "I have several different products that I use to always keep my skin surprised," she said.
6. She swears by hydrating serums.
Jada is a fan of Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Hyaluronic Acid Ampoules, according to People. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, meaning it acts like a tiny sponge to pull water to the skin’s surface. The formula, which you pour into your palm and pat onto your skin, is designed to help diminish fine lines, replace moisture, and firm up your skin. Jada apparently loves this treatment so much, she shared this testimonial on Sturm’s website: “Your face will radiate like you just got off a 2 week spa vacation.”
She also uses a retinol serum by Pro Derma Light. Jada said she "lives" by this serum, unless she's out in the sun. A couple of times a week, Jada uses ZO Skin Health + Wrinkle Texture Repair, which contains retinol and sunflower oil. In addition to serums, Jadahas a few moisturizers she loves, including the Epicuren Facial Emulsion Enzyme Moisturizer and the Kreyol Essense Moringa Oil.
5. Sunscreen is a must.
Jada always applies sunscreen to her face. “I’m really careful in the sun,” she said in a recent Instagram video. “I use a lot of sunblock ... and hats.” Although she didn’t reveal her go-to SPF, Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, previously told Prevention.com that those with dry skin should look for sunscreen with hydrating ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid or ceramides.
6. She drinks a lot of water.
Water is key to maintaining a hydrated complexion. “I drink so much water,” Jada said in an Instagram video—around eight or nine bottles a day. “Water is so essential.” She also cut down on alcohol and sugary drinks. “I don’t drink soda. I don’t drink a ton of juice or a lot of alcohol—I may have a glass of wine three times a year,” she said.
She shared that maintaining a healthy diet is vital to glowing skin, too. “Diet is so important! We’ll get more into that ... later,” she wrote on Instagram. Well, we’ll certainly be on the lookout for all her tips. At 49, she looks as radiant as ever.
