At 51, Jennifer Garner has the bouncy energy and bouncy skin of a pre-teen. The Last Thing He Told Me actress was supposed to be off-camera for our Zoom interview, but insisted on speaking to me face-to-face, even “post-workout and pre-shower with no makeup on.” Though unintentional, it gave me an up-close-and-personal view of her skin (she actually leaned into the camera more than once to show me). Let’s just say, I’ll have what she’s having, and that’s a whole lot of Neutrogena. An ambassador for the brand for nearly 16 years, Garner has mastered what works for her complexion. Here, the A-lister, entrepreneur and mom-of-three gets candid about everything from Alias to the teenage skin-care craze.
First, let me just say that I was the biggest Alias fan. It was the best show; the best cast. You must think about it all the time.
“Well, I do because I’m kind of the hub of the wheel in real life 23 years later, like I was for the story. I’m in touch with so many people from the show. I still work with a ton of the crew. I text with so many cast members—Merrin, Victor, Bradley, Ronny, JJ. It was probably the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done.”
That’s so special! OK, now let’s talk about skin care—the reason we’re here. What are your biggest skin concerns right now?
“I don’t really have big concerns; I think it’s just about being smart. I just want to be educated on the best thing I can do. There are so many trends out there, and although they’re fun and viral, I’m not really interested. I’m interested in vital—what adds to your skin’s vitality.”
Speaking of trends, the teenage skin-care craze is booming. Are your daughters really into it?
“They’ve always had a moment where they’ve had fun with makeup and products or whatever, but I just kind of stay out of it. I just feel like the best parenting you can do it modeling, so I just do my thing and they seem to be pretty chill. They know they have to wear sunscreen though, and they have to go to bed with a clean face. Oh my gosh, if I saw mascara on a pillowcase in the morning, I would be like, ‘Excuse me!’ [laughs].”
Also, I was just with a group of 12-year-old girls, and they have so much fun with what’s viral, but they are spending a lot of money on skin care! And it really has nothing to do with their skin health.”
Which products are front-and-center in your skin-care routine right now?
“As you’re aging—I’m about to be 52—your skin gets drier and you want to hold as much moisture in the surface of your skin as possible. That comes from hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is my boo. It is everything to me. I wash my face with the Hydro Boost Gel Cleanser ($11), and then I use the Water Cream ($20) after. It reduces fine lines and gives you dewiness and plumpness. It’s a woman’s best friend, and we should all be using it.
You also want cellular turnover, which we get from retinol. Every other night, I go ham and I use the retinol eye cream, the serum and the moisturizer—all the way down my neck and all over my décolleté, too. Then the other nights, I use my hyaluronic acid products.”
So that’s kind of like your version of skin cycling.
“Yes! Yes it is.”
Are these products you would recommend to other women your age?
“Yes, 100 percent! My bathroom is stocked with these products. Not just because of me, but because every girlfriend who comes over, I send her home with them. Everybody thinks you have to spend a catrillion dollars, but you don’t. You can go to the drugstore and get products from the best scientists in the world who have worked with best dermatologists to give you the best skin you could possibly have. Honestly, it changes your skin. Neutrogena is all I use. I’ve been with these people for almost 16 years.”
What about exfoliation? Does it have a place in your routine?
“I’m not trying to scrub myself so I look like a little naked peach [laughs]. I want the skin that I have to thrive—I’m not trying to get rid of it. But, once a week I’ll use an exfoliator or even just a wash cloth to give myself a little bit of a more vigorous scrub. Especially if I’m working, then I’m more on top of it. But what I understand from my dermatologist is that you’re not trying to scrub your skin every day.”
Your long-time aesthetician, Nerida Joy, is on our NewBeauty Brain Trust—we love her! What does she do to your skin?
“Yes! She’s the only person I see. I have seen her since 2000, and she is IT! I’m scared of all the stuff other people do. I’ve never done a peel; I don’t do lasers. I like my skin and I don’t want it to be thinner. Nerida is so big on just having a great skin massage. She can also always tell if I’ve switched products, and she really loves the zone that I’m in right now with my every-other-night cycle. If she’s happy with my skin, I’m happy.”
Do you see her before red-carpet events for an extra glow?
“No [laughs]. I am usually scurrying so fast that I only see her when I’m at great duress. Nerida will text me and say, ‘Honey, get in here, it’s been a minute.’ I go everywhere as fast as I can. That’s why I need my products to multitask, and I need to multitask myself. Sometimes I will be listening to a podcast and thinking about developing it for a script while Nerida is working on me, while I’m taking phone calls, while my eyes are covered. But, we make it all happen. When I’m good about it, I see her once every six weeks. Normally, I see her once every few months. Unless I have a shoot coming up—like a Neutrogena shoot—and then I like to show up as my best self.”
