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Looking at Brittany O’Grady, star of Little Voice and HBO’s upcoming The White Lotus, you would never guess that her skin is a source of anxiety. The 25-year-old radiates star power out of every pore, and—at least from the looks of her Instagram—there’s not a blemish in sight. But as she tells it, it hasn’t always been this way.
“Acne has been a journey for years,” she tells me over the phone, noting that she has finally started to figure out her skin. “I think it has a lot to do with maintenance and using the right products for my skin. Also, being really good with diet, because I feel like acne comes from the inside out.” In addition to establishing a stable routine, she’s found that shifting her perspective has been hugely helpful. “I’m trying to reframe my mindset, and just having a positive mindset has been really important,” she says. “And not fixating on having acne—I think that’s actually helped me a lot.
“I really care about my health,” she continues. “That and skin care kind of go hand in hand. I’ve always loved being healthy and caring about what’s good for my body, but it was actually struggling with acne in my late teens and getting into my early 20s that started me on this journey.”
One thing that’s been helping lately has been taking a more holistic approach to her skin care, eschewing the usual more-is-more strategy to acne. “I use what feels refreshing and gentle on my skin,” she says. “I used to be really harsh with my skin when I was working out and putting so much on it.”
This gentler routine came in particularly clutch when she was filming The White Lotus, which focuses on the interactions between guests and staff at a luxury resort, in Maui last year. “The saltwater was good to me—negative ions fix all your problems—as was this rose oil my makeup artist introduced me to,” she says. “I used it every single day, and I felt like my skin was just thriving.”
What else has she been relying on? Below, O’Grady shares the gentle yet effective products she swears by for Glamour’s Drop the Routine.
My cleanser
I’ve been using the Tula Purifying Cleanser. It uses probiotics to help you with your skin—I try to incorporate probiotics in my diet, but it’s also nice to have them in a skin-care brand. They’re gentle, it’s easy to keep a routine with the products, and they’re also vegan and cruelty-free.
My toner
I don’t always use a toner, but when I do, it’s from The Ordinary. I just feel like it’s solid.
My serum
I use Tula’s vitamin C serum to lighten my dark marks from acne scarring and hyperpigmentation.
My moisturizers
For a moisturizer, I use either Cerave, Cetaphil, or the Tula moisturizer, those are my top three. I just like them to feel lightweight, although my skin is dry.
My eye cream
I just started using this eye balm from Tula—it kind of feels like a highlighter for under your eyes. I used to never really worry about undereye bags or things like that, but it just feels really sweet to put on your face.
My SPF
I just started incorporating SPF more in my skin-care routine. I realized, Okay, I’m 25; I need to start being responsible every day. I used to just put on sunscreen when I would go to the beach, but I’ve started using Tula’s SPF every day because it doesn’t feel too heavy or break me out. And then, if I need something more intense, I’ll use a higher SPF from another brand.
My retinol
I have a retinol that I was prescribed, but I had to take a little bit of a break from it because it was a bit drying on my skin. But I’ll try to put it on occasionally.
My face oil
I use a CBD-infused rose oil from Vie En Rose. My makeup artist introduced me to it when I was doing this one job for HBO; it’s her friend’s makeup line. And I loved it. I used it every day when I was when I was filming, and it felt amazing.
My mists
I love the mist from Vie En Rose as well—it’s amazing. I also like the Mario Badescu rosewater; it just feels refreshing and it smells great.
My masks
Sometimes I’ll use the salicylic acid face mask from The Ordinary. And I’ll use the more intense red one occasionally, but it can be really harsh. I also like to just buy sheet masks off Amazon, which feel really nice on my skin.
My spot treatment
I use Mario Badescu. It’s the best!
My tools
When I’m working and I have to wake up super early in the morning, I’ll use an eye mask that I put in the freezer before I get picked up for work. Or I’ll just use a rose quartz roller.
Bella Cacciatore is the beauty writer at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_.
