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Nasim Pedrad was elated when her new TBS comedy, Chad, was green-lighted, but she also had a massive reality dawn on her: It was time to step up her skin-care routine.
That might seem like a somewhat obvious thing for an actor to think when embarking on a new TV series, but Pedrad's latest role in Chad—which she's also the writer and producer for—is far different from anything we've seen the 39-year-old actor in. For one, she'll be playing a 14-year-old, and, two, that teenager also happens to be a boy.
“The show's very personal to my life growing up as an immigrant kid,” she tells Glamour. “I love writing about the awkwardness of adolescence, and I thought, How cool would it be to tell a coming-of-age story where the teenager at the center of it was played by an adult who's in on the joke? Teenagers don't know what's so funny about being a teenager. They're just sort of living here.”
Pedrad says she knew creating the character would be a big undertaking, and she didn't want “people be taken out of it because of way too many wrinkles.” She says this, of course, jokingly—much like she does through the rest of describing her skin-care routine. (She's clearly a comedian for a reason!) Take this nugget she dropped about her philosophy on skin care: “I like to keep my skin guessing. I tend to get bored easily, and I'm quite lazy when it comes to skin-care research, so I rely heavily on my friends that are absolutely more well-versed in it than I am to tell me what to get.”
Her friends clearly have great recommendations, which is why she's been really into Augustinus Bader and iS Clinical lately. Her other big priority? Moisturizing—and lots of it.
Ahead of the comedy's April 6 premiere on TBS, we asked Pedrad to share exactly what she's been doing to get that teenage kind of glow. Read on as she drops her routine.
My Cleansers
I like the Cleansing Complex by iS Clinical. It's really light and not abrasive, and feels very gentle on my skin. It's still powerful, though; like, if I have sunblock or makeup on my face and I want my skin to feel super clean, I'll use this. It's the heavy-duty cleanser that you go to when you're like, “Yeah, I need the power guns.”
I first discovered it after a girlfriend came over to spend the weekend with me. And I used hers and was obsessed, so I started trying other things from the brand and just really like their products.
If I want a cleanser to help melt away makeup specifically, though, I use Green Clean from Farmacy. I find it to be very helpful. I also love the Augustinus Bader Cleansing Balm. It's just so luxurious and smooth on my skin. I feel like it cleans without stripping away any moisture.
My Toners
I use a toner if I want to really reset to a fresh, clean setting. Also I find that if I've worn makeup, it helps strip away any excess makeup—like after a 14-hour-shoot day if I'm really trying to get every layer of makeup off. I love the Herbivore Jasmine Green Tea Toner. Full disclosure, I'm a sucker for great packaging, and I really like the packaging for Herbivore. But I also love that it's a clean product. My other favorite is the Augustinus Bader Exfoliating Toner. I like to alternate between those two.
My Serums
I really like layering serums under moisturizers. I feel like it provides a nice base and also helps the moisturizer absorb more evenly. It also makes me feel like I have a more thorough and complete skin-care regimen. My serums are from iS Clinical—I use the Active Serum at night, and during the day I'll usually go with the Pro Heal Serum. I also like the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic.
To be honest, I really just do what I'm told when it comes to skin care. I don't even know what's in the Active Serum; I just know that I really like it. I picked it because people way more informed than me about skin care have recommended it!
My Moisturizers
I really love The Cream by Augustinus Bader. I find it to be incredibly moisturizing without feeling too heavy under makeup. It keeps it from getting too cakey or too oily. I'll use that during the day and sometimes at night. If I want something a little more rich, I'll use the ESPA Repair and Restore at night. It's a lot thicker, so it's great especially when I'm shooting in Portland, and the weather tends to be colder and my skin dries out faster.
My Face Oils
I like Herbivore's Lapis and the Restoration Oil from Oskia. I alternate between those and put them on after my moisturizer just to lock in my hydration. I like that the Lapis is light enough, so it doesn't feel too oily to wear under makeup, since some oils feel so heavy.
My Eye Cream
I use the Youth Eye Complex by iS Clinical. I feel like it works well with my concealer. I wear it at night too. I've been told to use my ring finger to apply it, but I'd be lying to you if I said I do that consistently. I'm really just proud of myself for getting it on my face before crashing into bed.
My Face Masks
I'm a big multitasker, so when I'm working or writing at night, I'll pop on a mask. Kill a couple birds with one stone. I really like the Masque Vivant by Biologique Recherche. I feel like I have such an even tone after I use that mask. It's a nice reset for my skin.
There's also one I love by Murad that's a sheet mask—the Hydro-Glow Aqua Peel. I leave them in the fridge because someone at Murad told me to, and if there's a theme here, it's that I do what I'm told. It's like a two-part mask: There's a retexturizing swab that has glycolic acid on it, and then you follow that with a moisture infusion mask. I love it because it's such an immediate source of moisture and makes your skin feel so soft. It's very cooling and very moisturizing.
My Retinols
I use a tretinoin cream from my derm, and sometimes I'll alternate between that and Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment, which I also discovered through a friend. I'll use one of those every other night.
My Sunscreen
I love the EltaMD SPF. I found that it's really great for combination skin. It doesn't make me break out, but it's also not overly drying. I wear it every single day. I had a friend who once told me she wears SPF at night. It was a real paradigm shift in my life when I heard that because I was being pretty loosey-goosey with it even during the day. I don't wear it a night [Editor's note: Most derms recommend sunscreen for daytime only], but I'm committed to not skipping it in my daytime routine.
My Derma Roller
I like to use a derma roller, like, twice a week. I've noticed it really helps with allowing my products to penetrate deeper, and it improves the surface of my skin. The most important thing is to make sure you're using one that's safe for at-home use.
Watch Nasim Pedrad in Chad at 10:30 p.m. E.T. on TBS.
