Actress Christina Ricci has been in the spotlight since she was 10 years old (she starred in The Addams Family at 11 and Casper at 15). Now, at age 44, she’s a mom of two and a leading lady in Yellowjackets, which is confirmed to return for its third season. I recently spoke to Ricci about her beauty routine (she’s quite the comedian when it comes to her hair), including her new role as global brand ambassador for Lancer Skincare. Have you seen her flawless skin? Read on for our exclusive interview.
What has Dr. Lancer taught you about skin care since you became a patient of his five years ago?
“One of the things I love about Dr. Lancer [Beverly Hills, CA dermatologist Harold Lancer, MD, founder of the eponymous brand] is that he’s very careful and he believes in prevention. If you really take care of your skin now, you won’t have to take drastic measures in the future. I really believe in that. To him, it’s more than just vanity; he believes in the health of your skin. He’s also a big proponent of allowing yourself to age, and accepting the fact that it’s normal and natural, though we want to look our best doing it. I love going to a dermatologist who feels that way.”
How has your skin-care routine changed?
“I didn’t exfoliate my skin every day, and now I do. The first time I went to him he recommended a bunch of products, and one was his Polish exfoliator ($80). I love it so much. You can immediately see a difference in your skin when you use it. It’s also really helped everything else I put on after to be more effective. I also use his Retexturizing Treatment ($95) and his Retinol ($97), and those things changed my skin very quickly.”
How has your skin changed in your 40s?
“As I’ve gotten older and after I had my children, my skin became a lot drier. I have to use more moisturizing products. The other thing that’s become a concern in my 40s is the effect of gravity on my face. I’m just trying to keep everything where it was before. I’m trying to keep it all up there. I was really excited to use Dr. Lancer’s new Gravity Defying Moisturizer ($140) that he just came out with [Ricci received a pre-launch sample]. I’ve been using that every day and I’ve seen real difference in my face.”
I read years ago in an interview that you cut your own hair, and I was so intrigued. Do you still do that?
“The thing is, I have zero patience, and I’m also not very good at planning ahead. That means I’m a person who doesn’t book hair appointments in advance. So yeah, I’ve been known to cut my own hair and color my own hair. Of course this horrifies my husband, who is a hairdresser. But even now, he’ll cut my hair, but I’ll trim my own bangs and stuff. I do it when he’s not around [laughs]. It’s because I have zero patience and I hate to sit in a place and have things done to me for hours.”
Are there any hair products you’re loving right now?
“James Pecis just came out with a new product line called Blu & Green. I really love the Shampoo and Conditioner. It’s really nice stuff, and he’s kind of taken packaging out of the situation, so it’s better for the environment.”
What about tools? Have you mastered the popular blowout brush?
[Laughs] “So here’s the thing about me that’s also really interesting and I was made fun of several times by roommates in my 20s: I can’t do anything to my hair except blow out my bangs and flat iron my hair once it’s dry. That’s it. That’s all I can do. I have zero hand-eye coordination. I’ve used the same little blowdryer for years—it was like $3 from CVS and my husband thinks it’s hysterical. And when it breaks, I’m gonna be really sad. Same with my flat iron—it was also $3 from CVS years ago. And when all else fails, I just wash my bangs and put my hair into a bun, and that’s really my go-to. That’s why I love bangs. You can just wash them, put the rest up, and you’re done.”
What projects do you have coming up?
“We’re going to be going back to Yellowjackets very soon and hopefully they’ll be able to get that out there as soon as possible.”
