Model Skincare Secrets You'll Want to Try

jordan dunn bronze smokey eye and magenta lipstick

We are in awe of models. From their health and wellness routines, workouts, and what they eat in a day, to their hair and beauty secrets, we always want to know how they go from day to day. As for their skin? Don't get us started. How can models constantly wear heavy makeup for shoots yet their makeup-less skin continues to glow? We couldn't help but wonder if they had a few tips and tricks to offer to help our own skin (especially during winter when skin is dry and flakey).

We went through our past interviews and exclusives with our favorite models to uncover their most interesting advice. Keep reading for the skincare advice you never knew you needed from models.

Never Touch Your Face

How to Get Kendall Jenner's Natural Eyeshadow Look
Getty Images/Charles Gallay

"I've always been super [meticulous] about washing my face—and that's even before I started modeling. But it's definitely enhanced now because I wear so much makeup all the time. I wash my face at least two or three times a day. My sisters," Kendall Jenner says, "since they're a little bit older than Kylie and I, they've always wanted to help prevent anything that they've gone through when they were our age. So they're like, 'Never touch your face, never pick your face, always wash your face, and wear eye cream.' They literally give us everything that we should do. So ever since then, we've started taking skincare really seriously."

Gently Remove Eye Makeup

jamie king orange eye makeup
Getty Images

Jamie King's secret to removing eye makeup doesn't even involve makeup remover. "What I do for a mascara that's very gentle is I wash my face, put the water on lukewarm, and take my fingers and gently rub my eyelashes under the water. And then you take your mascara off gently like that. Just gently massage your eyelashes under the water, and that way you don't have to scrub, scrub, scrub that delicate skin around your eyes, which is the first thing that starts wrinkling."

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize

Shanina Shaik light makeup and red lipstick
Jerome Corpuz

Shanina Shaik is all about keeping her skin healthy and hydrated. "In the morning, I cleanse, tone, moisturize, and exfoliate two times a week. I moisturize a lot—day and night. I usually change my skin products according to the seasons, for winter and summer. My skin is very oily, so I tend to opt for a lighter moisturizer. I love Kora Organics by Miranda [Kerr]—its cleanser is the product I really, really love. Neutrogena has amazing moisturizers, and I use a line called Adore. All the products are really beautiful, delicate, and gentle on your skin. The Golden Touch 24K Techno-Dermis Eye Mask ($995) is great."

Try Organic Skincare

Anja Rubik
Imaxtree

Anja Rubik is a lover of all skincare products. "I like to mix a lot of skin products. I'm actually a bit of a product freak. I have lots of organic things, too. I love Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream ($24), and the brand has an amazing mask, too. I try to do a moisturizing mask a few times a week. I like the one by Nuxe. If my skin feels really dry, I use coconut oil on my face and on my body. I also have a cream that I picked up at the farmers market; it's made from bee pollen. It's quite gross when you apply it; it has a really specific smell. The next day, your skin is incredible, though! I never go to bed with makeup on. I think it's really important to cleanse your skin daily and really, really well. I like to mix things up because I think your skin is really individual and also changes based on what time of year it is, what time of your life."

Invest in a Good Facialist

Model with brown smokey eye and peach lipstick
Getty Images

Model, cofounder and Creative Director of Wander Beauty Lindsay Ellingson knows good skincare. "Once a month, I see my facialist, Ildi Pekar. She's originally from Budapest, and she has very unique treatments, as well as a brand-new skincare line based on raw honey called I-Pekar. She has really transformed my skin. I rarely get breakouts, and my skin tone is much more even now. My favorite treatment is called Microcurrent ($285); it's like a workout for your face!"

Stick to a Consistent Regimen

Jourdan Dunn Bronze Smoky Eye and Magenta Lipstick
Getty Images

For Jourdan Dunn, skincare is all about adopting and sticking to a solid routine. "I start off by cleansing with an Emma Hardie Moringa Balm ($62) followed by Exuviance Face Polish ($78) and The Organic Pharmacy Herbal Toner. The second half of my routine consists of SkinCeuticals Antioxidant Night Serum ($168) and Pixi Rose Oil ($24) layered on top along with the Beauty Sleep Cream to lock everything in."

Don't Overdo It

Model with blonde straight hair and natural makeup
Getty Images

"Using too many products can irritate the skin. A couple of times a week, when my skin isn't terribly overworked, the best thing is to rinse my face with warm water," says former Victoria's Secret Angel Erin Heatherton, who is also the cofounder of Resistance Chicago Lagree, a group fitness studio in Chicago.

Try Facial Exercises

Victoria Brito

@vickatrillion / Instagram

While Victoria Brito will never go a day without washing her face, she also won't skip out on facial exercises. "I really believe that washing your face in the morning is the most important thing you can do for yourself every day to really hydrate the skin. I also have this face exercise I do every day where I put my middle fingers up near my temples and my thumbs at the top of my cheekbones and kind of pull my whole face up for about 10 minutes and hold it in place. I swear it keeps everything looking and feeling lifted."

Give Your Face an Ice Bath

Kate Moss Pink Eyeshadow and Nude Lipstick Makeup Look
Getty Images

"If I wake up in the morning and look tired and puffy, I fill a sink with ice and cucumber and submerge my face," Moss says. "It instantly tightens everything, making you feel and look instantly awake. I saw Joan Crawford do it in Mommy Dearest."

DIY Body Scrub

Lily Aldrige Gloss Makeup
@lilyaldridge

"Coconut oil and sugar make a great at-home body scrub," says Lily Aldridge. "Plus, it smells amazing."

Maintain a Healthy, Balanced Diet

stella maxwell

@stellamaxwell / Instagram

"I don't think it's good to cut anything out 100 percent...I've never really believed in that, and I think your body will respond well if you make it happy in a moderate way—kind of like portion control. For breakfast, I like scrambled eggs, avocado, oatmeal—I really love oatmeal—or granola and yogurt. Lunch would be a piece of fish like salmon and then maybe some salad on the side," says Stella Maxwell.

Byrdie Tip

Eat foods rich in vitamin A (such as sweet potatoes and cantaloupe) to help keep your skin clear and glowing.

Take a Steam

Model Karin Agstam

Karin Agstam photo by Luis Guillén

In addition to rinsing with ice water, using clean products, and applying skincare throughout the day, Swedish model Karin Agstam recommends taking a steam to achieve a clear complexion. "Before I go to bed, I love to take a steam or a sauna to prepare for a good night's rest and rejuvenation. I grew up with a sauna in my house, so I'm used to doing it every day—it's one of my must-do routines."

Use Sheet Masks

Lee Sa-Bi

 Courtesy of Lee Sa-Bi

As beauty editors, we turn to Korean beauty for all of the latest products and skincare secrets. South Korean model and actress Lee Sa-Bi says that for her, sheet masks are a nightly ritual. "For the last eight years, I have done a sheet mask every night, no matter what. I have done this without skipping even one day. You can call me a sheet mask connoisseur, for sure. I have tried thousands of masks, and I love the instant and deep hydration and glow sheet masks provide. If you do it daily, you also see longterm benefits," she says.

Article Sources
Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
  1. Cao C, Xiao Z, Wu Y, Ge C. Diet and skin aging-from the perspective of food nutritionNutrients. 2020;12(3):870. doi:10.3390/nu12030870

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