STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Issa Rae Shares Her Go-To Skin Routine For a Healthy Glow

The 'Barbie' movie actress says sunscreen is essential.

If you want to have that Barbie glow, just ask Issa Rae!

The Insecure alum caught up with Vogue for its Beauty Secrets segment and shared her daily routine to keep her dry skin moisturized and glowy, which includes melanin-friendly products.

In the video, Rae says she is an ultimate early bird and uses that time “as a way to just unwind and get ready for the day.” And when she is away on travel, her regimen rides shotgun. “When I’m traveling, my entire routine goes in a small pouch, like a kit. It comes with me everywhere, every bathroom.”

Each morning, she begins with a gentle cleanser, Cetaphil, followed by a simple household staple, Vaseline, to moisturize her lips.

After that, she applies a serum infused with Vitamin C and E, then a cream specifically created for women of color. “Even when I tried using this skincare routine in my 20s, I didn’t see specific products for Black people.”

As someone who has dealt with dark circles under her eyes, she uses a treatment to guard them from re-emerging.

But to keep her skin safe and healthy, Rae turns to SPF, “I’ve gotten better about it.” She adds, “I was one of those ones like “Mm, do I need it?” But now she says, “I’ve learned that cancer doesn’t care where you’re at. So, I make a concerted effort to put on sunscreen.”

Now to achieve that Issa Glow that she has been rocking as of late, she opts for a Tata Harper face oil that her Barbie co-star Ncuti Gatwa is also a fan of. She says, “He’s using it, and he has amazing skin.”

Rae is known for wearing natural hairstyles from the red carpet to the big screen, and during the video, she expressed the importance of caring for her scalp. “Scalp care is skincare.”, she says while moisturizing it with oil from her brand, Sienna Naturals.

However, Rae admits that her daytime routine is preceded by what she does before going to bed, which is to apply Ole Henriksen Dewtopia Night Treatment, “I have not had a pimple in a year and a half,” adding, “not even period pimples.”

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.