Jane Levy’s life features a conflict that just about all of us can relate to.
When Levy was a little girl, her mom taught her that her value was in her mind and her voice and her goodness. “Never was I taught that as a woman your value is how beautiful you are,” she says. “It was a shock as I got older, like, ‘This is a woman’s currency in our society.’”
As we grow up, it becomes hard to ignore how much our appearances matter—at least, to other people. For Levy, of course, that feeling is magnified. “I’m an actress,” she says, simply. “My job is to have my face filmed.”
Okay, most of us don’t star on blockbuster TV shows, as Levy does in Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. Our jobs are more about resisting texting our bosses “R U mad at me?” and less about walking red carpets. But most women—most people, really—know this exact struggle.
How can we live with intense beauty standards without allowing those standards to define our worth? How are we supposed to determine which parts of the beauty industry actually make us feel beautiful, and which make us feel broken? And as long as we’re spiraling, what about the fact that a lot of beauty and wellness stuff is actually fun? And relaxing? What about the fact that, as Levy says, laughing, “I have vanity!”
Levy tries to focus on the parts of the beauty world that actually feel good. “I love being touched,” she says. “Even getting my makeup done feels like a massage to me. I love getting facials. I love the feeling of being loved on, paid attention to—clearly, I’m an actress!” she laughs. “I also get joy out of finding new products, maybe finding a product that is not as expensive as something else.”
Levy says that on a good day, she feels great about her skin. But on bad days, she struggles. “My whole life I have dealt with a version of psoriasis on my body—it makes me self-conscious, and it itches, and it upsets me,” she says. “I’ve gone to every naturopath and acupuncturist, and it’s really hard for me to get rid of it. I totally relate to women out there who struggle with their skin in that way.” She hasn’t found any magic treatment for it, sadly. “The thing that helps the most is the healthiest lifestyle—but I have to basically live like a nun,” she says. “It becomes a lot more faint if I don’t drink or eat sugar, but that’s no fun!”
What she does find fun is products. “I’m a product whore,” she says happily. “I also get joy out of finding new products, especially finding a product that is not as expensive as something else.” Is there anything more relatable than struggling with beauty standards, having psoriasis, and loving affordable products? There simply is not. Read on for Jane Levy’s contribution to Glamour’s series Drop the Routine.
My sun protection
I hate sunscreen. But I wear it! Something I really don’t like is sunscreen under makeup. But I don’t have to worry about that because when I’m not working, I don’t wear makeup at all. I have three different sunscreens that I like—one is Elta, one is a tinted moisturizer by Ilia, and then there’s this brand from Hawaii, it’s called Hana Nai’a Aromatherapy Hawaii Lavender sunscreen. This is my favorite one because it doesn’t have that filmy feeling on your skin, and it doesn’t smell like sunscreen at all, and it doesn’t feel like it’s clogging your pores. The ingredients are just: non-nano uncoated zinc, jojoba oil, coffeeberry, and organic lavender. It’s literally just organic oils and zinc.
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My cleansers
At night I wash my face with oil first to get rid of the makeup. There is an oil I use as face wash from Living Libations, the frankincense smell. And then after, I use the Weleda cleansing milk, which you can get at a natural food store. If I’m not wearing makeup, I usually only wash it with one or the other, but if I’m wearing makeup, I use the oil first to break down the makeup, and then the Weleda.
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My toner
After washing my face, I use the Thayers toner, which has been around since, like, the 1800s.
My facial oil
And then I just use a an oil, like the Libations oil, but I switch it off because I’m a product whore. In the past I’ve used Vintner’s Daughter. I just had a facial with this man I’ve been seeing on Instagram for many years, called Iván Pol, his handle is @TheBeautySandwich. He does radio frequency, which is amazing.
My facials
I really indulge in all of it. I’m lucky when I’m working, production will pay for me to get facials. I work, like, 14 hours a day on Zoey’s, so that’s a lot of makeup being applied, and also I’m extremely tired all the time, so I really have to take care of my skin. I love HydraFacials, I love radio frequency, and the most invasive treatment I’ve ever gotten—because I don’t get Botox or filler or any cosmetic procedures done—I’ve gotten microneedling and I love it.
My at-home gadgets
I do think that those LED light treatments really work, but I just don’t do it—I’m lazy! I’ve been gifted them in the past or I’ve bought them, and they just sit in my closet. I have Cryoballs that I’ll use if I’m extra puffy, and those really help. But other than those, I don’t really use devices.
I also think that the most boring answer is drinking water, sleeping, being happy, and eating healthy, and making sure there’s, like, flow and elimination going on in the body. That’s the most important thing. And sweating! I like to dance, I like to do yoga, I like to take baths, I love to go in a sauna.
My secret to looking great on a Zoom press tour:
A ring light! all you need is a ring light and everybody looks beautiful.
Jenny Singer is a staff writer for Glamour. You can follow her on Twitter.
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