Dove Cameron describes her approach to skin care as “selective maximalism.” Which, if you're one of the 46 million people who tracks her every move on Instagram, you'll know describes her overall vibe to a T. The 25-year-old singer and actor has perfected the art of going all out without going over the top: a whimsical, body-engulfing ruffled dress paired with no-makeup makeup, a fabulous Ralph and Russo slip with a simple, sleek bun. In her skin-care routine, this translates to using a wide range of products, but also tailoring what she reaches for based on how her skin is feeling on any given day.
“Skin is a sort of language that I've always spoken,” Cameron says. “If you're in touch with your skin, you can listen to what it does and doesn't like.” For her, that means doing the “absolute most” to take care of her complexion—exfoliating and getting facials often (particularly before big events) but also sticking to a constant rotation of basics and pulling out the heavy hitters when she needs them.
“I feel like I'm lucky because my skin is very combination, but in the way that I would want it to be,” she says. “It's oily to the point where I'll have a nice glow throughout the day. But it can get dry as well, so I'm always slathering on, like, nine different kinds of oils and moisturizers.”
Ahead of the launch of her new song “LazyBaby” (a fun anthem about bouncing back after heartbreak that's coming soon), we asked Cameron to drop her routine. Here's what she can't live without.
My Cleanser
First thing in the morning, I'm using my Shu Uemura oil-based cleanser, which has powerful antipollutant antioxidants. It's so oily it's literally like putting olive oil on your face, which I love. And it makes my skin really glowy and happy. I'm the biggest fan. I've been using it for years. They don't pay me, but they absolutely should for how much I talk about it.
My Toner
After cleansing I immediately go for my Thayer's Witch Hazel Rose Petal Toner. It's my favorite. It's so cheap. You can get it everywhere, at basically any drugstore. It's been a nice, basic staple for me for a long time. The witch hazel in the formula keeps my skin clear, and it's not heavy on alcohol or drying like so many other toners. I love the scent of the rose petals; there's something about it that's so nice in the morning. It feels cleansing and like a different energy. But also I feel like anything with rose in it, or rosehip oil, is good for your skin. I don't know if it's psychosomatic—like something I've filed away—or if it's really true, but it works for me.
My Serum
Next up, I use my Clarins Double Serum. I got it in a gift bag at some event in L.A. It was a little sample, and the second I ran out I was like, Oh my God, I need more. It's one of my absolute staples because it's so moisturizing and thick, but it doesn't feel sticky. I honestly don't even know what ingredients are in it beyond that it helps boost radiance. I could just tell my skin loved it and kept getting more.
My Face-Massage Tool
After I put on my serum, when my face is still dewy, I like to do a rose quartz gua sha. I'll use that to de-puff under my eyes, wake up my face, bring some blood flow to my cheeks, and get rid of some tension around my forehead, things like that. It's my favorite part of my skin-care routine. I picked it up a few years ago from my best friend Veronica, who's a big gua sha person. She's always teaching me new things. We went on a road trip not that long ago, and she was doing gua sha on the back of my neck, being like, “You never drain your lymphatic system in your neck and you're going to regret it.”
My Microcurrent Device
I love my Foreo Bear. I use it every morning as a quick three-minute system, and it's absolutely amazing. The device uses micro currents to bring out your cheekbones and bring up your jaw. It keeps me from looking puffy, and it wakes my face up. I'm not usually the type of person to rave about a device, but it really, really, really works.
My Face Oils
Right now my favorite oil is this weird oil that I found in a café in Vancouver called Loa Skin Botanical Beauty Elixir. I got it because it has 15 botanicals rich in essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and plant nutrients. It's got a thin consistency, is a deep green, almost yellow color, and is very botanical-smelling. I put it on directly after both of my face massage things and give it a second to sink in.
I also love regular old vitamin E oil. That's more of a nighttime thing. But sometimes I'll use it during the day if I'm really dry. And the other oil I'm into that I'll sometimes layer with the other two is the Farmacy Honey Grail. I bought it when I was doing a movie in New Mexico, where it was so freaking dry I felt like I was scaling. Like, my skin was falling off. I'm sure you love that visual. So this oil saved me. It's really thick; it looks like honey and smells amazing. I also like that it feels thick to the touch, but it goes on your face really well—it thins out as you put it on. Throughout the day I can still feel it in my skin. It doesn't evaporate, so my skin is buoyant and happy all day.
My Moisturizers
For moisturizer I honestly just stick to Weleda's Ultra Rich Original. It's so thick it's literally like pancake batter. And it's one of those products you can use everywhere: on your body, your hands, wherever you want. If I'm feeling fancy, I also love the Augustinus Bader Rich Cream. It's thinner than the Weleda, so I choose between the two depending on what my skin wants that day. The Bader cream feels like it's giving a slow delivery of nutrients to my face. I don't know how to explain it. I just really love what it does to my skin. I wake up glowing. I know it's one of the more expensive things here, but I definitely think it's worth the money.
My Eye Cream
I switch out my eye care a lot. I'm not super specific. I see it kind of like an extension of your moisturizing system, but I do always use something. Right now I'm into the Beautycounter Countertime Ultra Renewal Eye Cream. But sometimes at night I'll also use the Dr. Barbara Sturm Eye Cream. The Beautycounter one is really thick. I don't remember what's in it, but I do remember seeing a video of someone reviewing my favorite products once. They were like, “That is a phenomenal eye cream. It has this, this, this, and this.” So I was like, Oh, good! I'll stick with it. I've ordered it quite a few times since then.
My Sunscreen
My favorite sunscreen right now is the Supergoop Glowscreen. It's an SPF 40, but it's also got a bit of a tinted moisturizer in it, which is really easy for me. I'll just put that on in the morning along with a little concealer and call it a day. I love Supergoop in general because everything is noncomedogenic. I never break out when I use their products.
My Retinol
I haven't been using this one lately because I've been working a lot and it's made my skin a little drier. But when I'm not too dry, I love putting on the Drunk Elephant Retinol at night. It makes such a difference in my skin. It's like everybody's favorite retinol.
My Spot Treatments
One of my favorite spot treatments is the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. I feel like everybody knows about that. They're really good for full-blown zits that aren't going anywhere. The drying lotion really zaps them down. And I also really love the Squish Beauty Flower Patches. My friend Charli [Howard] created the line not that long ago, and I feel like people are catching on to it. They're also so good. Before bed I'll put a sticker on a spot that feels like it could develop into something big, and when I wake up, it'll be completely gone. So bravo to Charli.
My Face Masks
I love a good face mask. I have two that I swear by, but my favorite—Youth to the People's Spirulina Microalgae Kale Spinach Mask—just got discontinued, which is so sad! It's one of those masks that feels like it should dry you out, because it sort of behaves like a clay mask, but my skin is so radiant and moisturized after I use it.
My second favorite is the Kora Organics Turmeric Brightening and Exfoliating Mask. It's fucking unbelievable. [Miranda Kerr, the founder of the line] keeps me stocked. I don't know what it is, but it just never fails me. You know when you use a face mask and it's like, eh, that was fine. This one is brilliant. It keeps me glowing and flushed and perfectly exfoliated. I like to use it once a week or right before a big shoot.
My Masking Device
At night I also like to use the Foreo UFO, which gives you a little facial, essentially. I let the serum from the mask sink into my skin and sleep with it on all night. If you can't tell, I really love Foreo.
My Lip Balm
I'm a lip-balm freak, and it's so hard for me to find something that I really love. But I recently discovered a balm from this small brand called Island Thyme. I got it on Bainbridge Island [outside Seattle], which is where I'm from, while I was on a road trip. It's just phenomenally hydrating. The ingredients include castor oil, shea butter, candelilla wax, coconut oil, evening primrose, vitamin E, and vanilla flavor. Lip balms rarely stay on my lips—ever. This one is so intense it stays on all day.
Follow Dove Cameron on Instagram @dovecameron. This interview has been edited and condensed.
