How to Do Cate Blanchett’s Skincare Routine
If there’s one celeb who inspires skin envy, it’s Cate Blanchett. At 52 years old, the Australian actress is as well-known for her flawless, luminous complexion as she is for her Oscar-winning film roles.
So it’s no surprise that she was the global ambassador for the revered Japanese skincare line SK-II for 15 years, and now holds the same position for Giorgio Armani Beauty.
“Initially, when I signed on with SK-II, some people would ask me, ‘But you don’t use it, do you?' and I would honestly respond, ‘Yes, I do actually,’” Cate told Gritty Pretty[1]. “I understand that cynicism, but it’s been a very organic relationship because the brand was only interested in talking to me because they knew I already used it.”
It was her makeup artist, Mary Greenwell, who introduced her to the range back in 2001, when Cate was pregnant with her first child and had developed melasma. “After that... I was completely stunned by the results. I don’t know how to describe it, but SK-II sort of turns a light on in your skin. It illuminates it. I noticed a decrease in my skin’s pigmentation probably after a month. I really started to notice the difference when I would have close-ups on film. Using SK-II made me feel more confident at work. And, as soon as I felt more confident at work and I didn’t have to worry about breakouts, I was addicted.”
All these years later, the line’s products—plus plenty of SPF—have kept Cate’s skin looking like this:
“My skin is in pretty good condition and has been stable, because I found something that really works for me, and I’ve stuck with it," she explained to The Cut[2]. “I think my skin is a lot more resilient. I have fewer breakouts than I did in my 20s, which you can say is partially hormonal, but also because I’m not changing it up.”
Here’s what’s involved in Cate’s skincare routine.
Cate Blanchett’s Skincare Routine (At a Glance)
- Cleanser: SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil
- Exfoliators: Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant and Intraceuticals Rejuvenate Enzyme Exfoliant
- Essences: SK-II Facial Treatment Essence and SK-II LXP Ultimate Revival Essence
- Serum: SK-II LXP Ultimate Revival Serum
- Moisturizers: Giorgio Armani Crema Nera Supreme Reviving Cream and SK-II LXP Ultimate Revival Cream
- Eye Cream: SK-II Skinpower Eye Cream
- Face Oil: Giorgio Armani Crema Nera Supreme Recovery Oil
- Sunscreens: Daylong Extreme SPF 50+ and Neutrogena SPF 50 Sunscreen
- Lip Balm: Lucas’ Papaw Ointment
- Sheet Masks: SK-II Brightening Derm Revival Mask and SK-II Facial Treatment Mask
- Light Therapy: GLOLite LED Mask
Her Morning Skincare Routine
1. Cleanser
“I just tend to cleanse at night. [But] if I’ve had a particularly late night and gone to bed with my makeup on, I wash my face in the morning.”
2. Essence
3. Serum
4. Moisturizers
5. Face Oil
6. Sunscreens
7. Lip Balm
Her Nighttime Skincare Routine
1. Cleanser
2. Exfoliators
3. Essence
4. Serum
5. Moisturizer
6. Eye Cream
Her Skincare Treatments
Facials
Georgia Louise: “Cate is a natural beauty so she’s all about natural-looking skin. I’ve been creating lots of custom facial treatments for her using micro-currents and radio-frequency, mostly non-invasive modalities to tighten and stimulate collagen. We keep her skin looking like glass, with lots of vitamin C to help brighten and a big emphasis on detoxing and de-puffing.” — Georgia Louise, Cate’s facialist
Oxygen Facials
“I occasionally have an oxygen facial—they’re great.”
From The Skincare Edit Archives
Massage
“Always make time for a face and body massage. It’s the best beauty tip I’ve learnt over the years and the one I continually tell my friends. It relieves the day-to-day stress we carry in our faces and bodies. Anything that increases the blood circulation to relax your face [is good], because we carry so much stress in our face.”
Sheet Masks
Light Therapy
Cold Spoons
“The biggest thing I took from [my mum] is putting spoons in the freezer for your eyes. If you haven’t done that, you’ve got to try it! I flew into London and I was up with the children at 2am, so I got the hotel staff to put teaspoons in their freezer. I put them on before The Hobbit premiere; it’s so brutal, you totally wake up!”
Her Diet, Exercise and Lifestyle
Diet
“There's no grand diet plan but I try to stay away from wheat, even though I love bread as much as the next person, and I avoid additives. Then again, you also need to live your life and there’ll be evenings when I drink five glasses of champagne!”
Water
“Even though it’s very boring, just try to drink water.”
Caffeine
“I know when I don't have coffee my skin is much better.”
Supplements
Exercise
“I really like Pilates. I feel like it’s made for actors’ bodies. For me, I need to do it one-on-one. I find that when you go into a big class, you actually need a guiding hand. At home we have an elliptical trainer, which is good because that’s often the only exercise I get. But my job is very active—I end up stretching each day before I go on, so I feel very taken care of in that way.”
Sleep
“You can’t turn back time but you can try and sleep longer.”
Lymphatic Cleansing
Dr. Bo Wagner: “I’ve done a lymphatic cleanse a few times for liver, kidneys and gallbladder—there’s a guy in Los Angles called Dr. Bo Wagner. It’s not to lose weight, it’s more of a detox but I felt fabulous after it. It’s hardcore; it’s a month long and all herbal and you detox, cleanse and then renew everything. You don’t eat for a week but it really made me feel incredible.”
Colonics
“I think it’s good every now and then to have a colonic. Yeah, not every day, but every now and again, because it’s super hydrating.”
Stress Reduction
“You know when someone has a migraine or a headache and they haven’t done anything to their face, but their whole face constricts? I think that anything you can do to remove stress will give you a better glow. Stress ain’t good for nothing. So you’ve got to find those little moments where you can literally just stop and take a breath.”
“We often talk about quick beauty fixes, but sometimes you just need to sit down and turn your phone off for 20 minutes, and that’s all you need to make your face relax. People think you look so much better, and it’s just because you’ve gotten rid of the stress. Give up social media. That’ll take 10 years off you.”
Attitude
“There’s a big difference between altering your appearance and trying to work with what you got. My philosophy is to work with what you got. It’s about feeling comfortable in your own skin. It doesn’t seem natural to me. But that’s just me—ultimately, I believe women have judged other women too long.”
Sources: [1] • [2] • [3] • [4] • [5] • [6] • [7] • [8] • [9] • [10] • [11] • [12] • [13] • [14] • [15] • [16] • [17] • [18]
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