If you were paying attention back in the early 2000s, you know who Rachel Zoe is. Fashion designer, stylist to the stars and an original reality TV celeb and creator of lifestyle brand, The Zoe Project, Zoe has no shortage of style and beauty expertise. And with her long-awaited return to reality television just announced (we are so ready to see her as a Bravo Housewife), it’s a great time to round up her skin must-haves, beauty tips and tricks. Discover the Rachel Zoe-approved products in her rotation and how she stays hydrated despite the notorious Los Angeles dryness.
Rachel Zoe’s Beauty School
As the creator of a lifestyle brand, host of a weekly podcast and mother of two, Zoe has her beauty routine balanced between tried-and-true favorites and new, trending launches. “I love testing out beauty products and am always down to try something new,” she writes in The Zoe Report. “I’m constantly testing face serums and skin creams, new nail polish colors, eye shadow palettes, lipsticks – you name it, I’ve probably tried it!”
That said, not every beauty experience is inherently positive. Back in 2020, she shared her postpartum hair thinning journey with us, explaining how it impacted her confidence.
“I think for me and a lot of women, our hair really acts like a security blanket,” she said, noting that Nutrafol helped restore her hair postpartum. “After having my boys and experiencing hair thinning and weakening, I was definitely feeling less confident. I think it’s hard for women to discuss hair loss because there is so much pressure on us to look and be perfect all the time. It’s so important that women share their experiences with one another when it comes to hair thinning because it happens to so many of us.”
And just like us, Zoe isn’t without a beauty regret or two.
“[I regret] the ’80s entirely!” she told us. “I wore so much heavy makeup and hairspray, it was awful. Also, laying out in the sun nonstop in my teenage years without sunblock.”
Staying Hydrated in LA
When it comes to tried-and-true beauty tips, being a busy mom means her routine is all about speed and effectiveness.
“I very quickly put a brush through my hair and put like three Barbara Sturm serums on my face,” she told Marie Claire. ” And always a lip product. L.A.’s very dry, so I have a thing with dry skin and dry lips, dry nails, so I’m constantly applying oils on my face and my hands throughout the day.”
On her podcast, Climbing in Heels, she notes that there isn’t an upper limit to how much moisture she needs in a day. “I’ve now lived in LA for twenty years, which is one of the driest places to live in the United States for sure, and the amount of hydration that I can put on my skin throughout the day is…it’s almost [like] it doesn’t matter.”
“The limit does not exist,” her personal assistant and producer, Mary Elizabeth, agreed.
Part of her hydration-focused routine is a healthy dose of serums.
“I literally open my eyes in the morning and I put on my hyaluronic serum on my face and maybe a vitamin C serum over that,” she says. “I use a lot of serums without question.”
Rachel Zoe’s Favorite Beauty Products
Amidst all her beauty testing, there are definitely some standout brands that keep popping up in her recommendations. From her favorite serum formulator, Dr Barbara Sturm, to her fragrance of choice, these are the products she goes back to, time and time again.
