CELEBRITY SKIN CARE TIPS, There you are: It’s the biggest day of your life, and you’ve woken up with an enormous rash. Only guess what? You’re Julia Roberts. Or Scarlett Johansson. Or Jessica Alba. Or any A-lister who has to face the paparazzi, HD television cameras or even eager fans with Twitter accounts.
Sure, celebrities make their living with their faces, but pimples, blotches and flakes couldn’t care less about that! Skin is skin, and when it acts up, high-profile people need to fix it fast. “As one celeb explained to me, her face is like a corporation within itself,” says Susan Evans, M.D., a Beverly Hills-based dermatologist. “That’s why she’s really serious about her skin.”
But that doesn’t mean Hollywood types always rely on help from a syringe to prep for photo ops. “My celebrities are moving away from fillers and cosmetic procedures that are too obvious,” says Dr. Evans. “The newer trend is actually to take care of your skin. They’re avoiding tanning booths, making sunscreen a part of their routine and using products with vitamins A, C and E.” And while those are good habits we should all stick with, don’t you also want to know what they do when disaster strikes? Their best tricks are here!
In Hollywood, zits can mess up more than a leading lady’s mood. “I’ve had actresses tell me that directors delayed shooting because of a breakout—it’s hard to hide when it’s magnified on-screen,” says L.A. dermatologist Jessica Wu, M.D. To keep recurring acne under control, pros often go beyond topical remedies. Beverly Hills dermatologist Boris Zaks, M.D., uses a procedure called photodynamic therapy on severely acne-prone celebs who can’t wait weeks for pills or creams to work. He applies an amino acid medication to the face, then shines a blue light on it for up to an hour to activate the liquid. Most clients get the two-step process four times a year for a total cost of $2,500 to $4,000. Yes, you could buy a new wardrobe for that!
But Wait! I’m Not a Celebrity (Yet)
To zap chronic acne on a budget, try products that contain benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. They aren’t as fast as fancy in-office treatments, but used consistently they will clear up most skin over 6 to 12 weeks. If a monster zit pops up, see your derm for a cortisone shot. It’ll flatten your blemish within 36 hours—and costs around $125 for a handful of pimples. “I do them before photo shoots or weddings,” says Dr. Zaks. (One doctor we talked to even arranged for a local nurse on a movie set in Africa to use cortisone on an actress who’d e-mailed him photos of her fire ant bites!)
If you feel a breakout on the horizon, try a preventive treatment like Clearasil Ultra Pimple Blocker Pen ($10, at drugstores). Says Parenthood makeup artist Geri Oppenheim: “It’s a favorite on set when one of the cast members feels a pimple coming on.” Got oily skin? Use a product with sulfur weekly to soak up excess oil without overdrying. A diet tweak can also help. “I tell a lot of my patients to avoid dairy four weeks before they have to be on a set,” Dr. Wu says. Your body retains the extra hormones from cow’s milk, which can aggravate pimple-prone skin. “Even cutting back can make a difference. I’ve seen results in as little as a week,” says Dr. Wu.
