How to Do Salma Hayek’s Skincare Routine

Salma Hayek is 51 years old. I repeat: 51 years old! 

Looking at her firm, flawless skin and natural glow, it's hard to believe. If she hadn't starred in films like Desperado and From Dusk till Dawn way back in the late '90s, I'd guess she was only in her 30s!

So what's her secret? 

Well, despite being one of the most famous actresses (and married to one of the wealthiest men in the world), she hasn't opted for the usual Hollywood interventions like Botox, fillers and thousand-dollar face creams. In fact, her skincare routine is one of the simplest we've seen yet!

“I think that my beauty routine, and how I see beauty is from what I've learned from my grandmother,” Salma told Glamour. “It made me realize that there are things that were not out there because [most brands] go by trends. There are things that are really good that are pushed to the side just because they're trying too hard to sell you the new thing to always create some kind of event.” 

That means she eschews over-cleansing and exfoliating, embraces natural ingredients like coconut oil, and believes in the power of good old-fashioned massage. 

She also switches things up depending on how her skin looks and feels each day (something I advocate, too!). “My routine changes, it depends on how my skin wakes up,” she told The Cut. “I don't do it like a machine. I look at it, I pay attention. I talk to it. Like, 'What do we need today?'” 

Judging by this close-up, her approach is working VERY well:

Ready to see the skincare products Salma swears by? Here's the scoop on her routine.

Salma's Morning Skincare Routine

1. Cleanser:

“I don't wash my face in the morning—never, never, never. I never wash my face in the morning, I think it's bad for your skin—I just moisturize. My grandmother taught me that at night your skin replenishes all the things you lost during the day. Also, if I cleanse very well at night, why would it be dirty when I wake up? It's for companies to have you use more products.”

2. Face Mist:

Rose Water: “I spritz rose water—it's so gentle and wakes the skin up.” 

3. Moisturizer:

Nuance Salma Hayek AM/PM Anti-Aging Super Cream: “I start with my AM/PM Super Cream. The main ingredient, it's the bark of a tree that's used in Mexican hospitals for burn victims, so it regenerates the skin. I think that people tell you to wash your face in the morning because they want to sell more creams. The dream to make this particular moisturizer was to make the best cream that it could be in the market and making it affordable for every woman. I can buy a cream that's $1,000 and I still use this one. We have secrets in these places that other people don't know about.”

4: Face Oil:

Nuance Salma Hayek Nourish & Renew Glow Facial Oil: “I have an oil from my line Nuance that I love. If I'm extra dry, I will mix a few drops of the Glow Facial Oil with the AM/PM Cream.”

5. Neck Cream:

Nuance Salma Hayek AM/PM Anti-Aging Super Serum Concentrate: “A few months ago, I noticed the beginnings of a turkey neck. I said to my makeup artist, 'Are you seeing what I'm seeing?' She said, 'I hate to admit it, but I do.' So I started using the serum all over my neck. Two weeks later the turkey was gone! Well, a little piece of the turkey is still there, but I keep it under control with the serum.”

6. Lip Balm:

Sisley Confort Extreme Nutritive Lip Balm: “I throw a Sisley lip balm in my purse.”

7. Sunscreen: 

“I am completely against SPF, completely. SPF on its own is good, but I'm sorry, SPF in creams and makeup is a big mistake. I don't do sunscreen unless I'm going to be out in the sun all day. Why? I don't think the chemicals in sunscreen are good for your skin. I believe in using it when you need it. Ninety percent of the time, you don't need it because you are working in an office indoors. Or you are going out at night.”

Salma's Nighttime Skincare Routine

1. Makeup Remover:

Coconut oil: “At night I take off my makeup with coconut oil.”

2. Face Mist:

Rose Water: “Then I use rose water to take off the residuals. You can use a hot towel with the rose water—you put a wet towel in the microwave—to do a little steam.”

3. Cleanser:

Nuance Salma Hayek Chamomile Facial Cream Cleanser: “I'll use the chamomile cleanser from Nuance. Then I splash with cold water.”

4. Face Mask:

Juice Generation Watermelon Hibiscus Superfood Smoothie: “I have an edible mask with Juice Generation that has hibiscus in it that I might use. I have a lot of problems with swelling because I travel a lot. When I apply the smoothie on my face, it calms irritation and continues to work after I take it off—you can instantly feel the smoothness, texture and tightening.

“My grandmother was into natural ingredients. She was like a witch doctor, a cosmetologist. We'd be having breakfast, and she would take the leftovers—papaya, yogurt, honey, nuts—and blend them all together, then she'd start putting them on her face. I grew up like that and as I got older I realized that wasn't normal. I thought everyone just took the leftovers and made a mask!”

5. Exfoliator:

Oatmeal Honey Mask: “You can use a little bit of oatmeal and then some water or almond milk, and a little bit of honey. You let it soak, and it's a great cleanser that makes your skin very soft. But I don't over-exfoliate. Exfoliating a lot may make you look good in the short term, but not I think in the long term. I see many women in LA who have exfoliated so much they look shiny.”

6. Serum: 

Biologique Recherche Sérum Grand Millésime: “I'll use a mix of serums and oils depending on my skin that day. I love the Biologique Recherche Grand Millésime serum.”

7: Face Oil:

Anne Semonin Precious Serum: “Or I use the Anne Semonin Sérum Précieux. 

“I believe that sometimes it's good at night to do not a lot of [skincare products]. I will tell you why: Your skin, it's going to do an amazing job. It's going to repair itself. When I don't sleep, like now, I need all of it. But otherwise it's going to repair itself, and so, the most important thing is to clean it super well. Then the secret is never to wash it in the morning.”

Salma's Skin Treatments

Face Mask:

La Mer The Hydrating Facial: “Travelling can dry out my skin. This mask is amazing for moisturizing and conditioning, especially after a night flight.”

Self-Tanner:

St. Tropez Gradual Tan: “I recommend it. It doesn't stink.”

Facials:

Cynthia Marie: 

Face Massage: 

Mikiko Hayano and Maki Imato at Grace Belgravia: “Do you know what is the best thing for your face, to keep it toned? Massage. The circulation immediately helps rejuvenate the skin. I have this Japanese woman who comes from Tokyo, Mikiko. She goes to London and Paris for appointments about four times a year. It's not easy to get in. But when she comes, she's my secret weapon. 

“Her technique requires four hands, so there are two people working on you. She massages your face. It's a little crazy while you're doing it. You have to say 'eee' and 'ahh.' Once you're saying 'ahh,' one person is pulling your tongue, and another is pulling and rubbing your head. I've never done anything like it. Once she asked me, 'Do you like your jaw more square or more round?' After she was done, you could see the difference! I always get the round. My face is square enough.”

Cosmetic Procedures: 

“Listen, I never say never. Have I done [Botox]? No, still no. And I'm going to tell you why: It's just logic. When you exercise, do you notice a difference in your skin and the muscle tone? Because oxygenation and circulation helps immediately rejuvenate your body when you exercise. 

“If you kill the muscle, if you paralyze it and your face is not moving, this is going to affect all the other [muscles] around it. So maybe do [Botox], but wait as long as you can because you're going to age faster with it. You're going to look better [in the short term], but you have to do more and more and more, and the whole face is going to start falling apart!

“I still have not done any fillers or peels. Nothing. Sometimes I think I should do something, but I don't know what.”

Salma's Diet, Exercise and Lifestyle

Diet:

“I am on the limit of chubbiness because I love my food and my wine. It's not the best for fashion, but it's good for my mood. I am happy because I eat. I will not have Botox. You know why? Because I eat! I eat the fat, I eat the vegetables, I eat everything. If you exercise too much and you don't eat enough, it takes its toll on the skin. Everything starts aging. And you know what? You look miserable. The truth is, I just don't have the drive to be the prettiest and the thinnest. I can be happy for other people for their beauty. Learn to be happy for others and you can never run out of happiness.

“I embrace fat, the good fat. This is very important, and I make a bone broth. It's very good for all your health and it's full of collagen… I think people are afraid of fat, and fat is your friend. The right fats can keep you young for a long time.”

Exercise:

Chad Dennis at Wanderlust Hollywood: “He is a great teacher. I like to do things that are beyond just wanting my body or face to look good.”

“Society puts too much pressure on women. I think that we should try to focus on our health. That means sometimes too much weight is not good for your health. And too little weight is not good for your health. So finding a good balance, it's a way of exercising love for yourself and not aiming at a certain weight. You're not worried about pleasing anyone else.”

Thanks to The New York Times, Glamour, Vogue, W Magazine, The Telegraph, InStyle, Harper's Bazaar, The Cut, The Hollywood Reporter, Buzzfeed and Extra.

Shop Salma's Skincare Routine

What do you think of Salma's routine?
Have you tried anything she uses?