What I Put On My Face
All pores and skin is nice pores and skin, which is why good skincare is extra of a journey than a vacation spot. All of us love a one-off tip—however, at Byrdie, we’re extra excited about how our pores and skin evolves over time. The product we have used for a decade, the ingredient cocktail that made us glow, the step we by no means skip, and all the recommendation in between. That is the stuff that makes an actual distinction. With What I Placed on My Face, we’re bringing you the rituals, suggestions, and failed experiments (we’ve all had them) straight from celebrities, founders, and influencers who’ve gone by way of it themselves.
On November 18, one thing unusual occurred. Alex Cooper, host of “Name Her Daddy,” the second most-streamed podcast on Spotify—and primary amongst girls globally—launched a brand new Instagram account to her 3.5 million followers: @alexssupersecretproject553968. Over the following two weeks, she went on to drop hints about what precisely her tremendous secret undertaking could also be, from informal selfies with a wine glass to an ultra-glam boardroom photoshoot. The stunt has been met with loads of guesses from Cooper’s “Daddy Gang,” from coming for Jimmy Fallon’s job to a line of eyeshadow palettes.
However followers will not must guess any longer. On December 4, Cooper reveals her newest enterprise and really first bodily merchandise: Unwell Hydration, a line of practical drinks made particularly with girls in thoughts, dropping at Goal on January 1. The title is an extension of Cooper’s Unwell Community, which prides itself on making a neighborhood of creators—similar to Alix Earl—that share her similar uncooked, cheeky, and informal candor. However whereas the title might not be taking itself too severely, Cooper is undeniably pleased with the launch.
“My Daddy Gang is aware of that I by no means do something outdoors of ‘Name Her Daddy” and Unwell until I find it irresistible and I put all the pieces behind it,” Cooper tells Byrdie. “It is my child.” After touring in 2024—”I wasn’t house, I wasn’t sleeping”—Cooper realized that the majority practical drinks are focused in direction of males recovering from high-intensity exercises, and that simply did not converse to her. As a substitute, Unwell contains electrolytes, a mix of B-complex nutritional vitamins, and is available in enjoyable flavors like Mango Citrus and Orange Hibiscus, all with solely three grams of sugar. “Clearly, males can drink it too,” Cooper clarifys. “It is for everybody, however I am excited to current one thing that [puts] girls have been on the forefront, as a result of we’re underserved.”
In honor of the launch, we requested Cooper all about how she cares for her pores and skin, from the within out. Forward, her zits journey, her winter routine, and the TikTok tip that modified her pores and skin.
Unwell Hydration
About Her Pores and skin
“Once I was youthful, I suffered with loads of zits, and I went on Accutane—I used to be clearly nervous about that, as a result of I do know there’s sure uncomfortable side effects, but in addition, socially, it is so debilitating when you might have one thing in your face that you simply really feel like persons are looking at. So I received on Accutane, and I truly did a pair rounds. It’s a life changer, however the unlucky half is the dryness.
“Hydration has been with me each step of my life, and it looks like a factor that you do not even take into consideration, as a result of we’d like water to dwell, however it’s so crucial. I’d be so upset when my pores and skin was so dry, so after Accutane, I used to be all the time so obsessive about ensuring my pores and skin was hydrated, which may be scary when you might have acne-prone pores and skin, as a result of you then additionally affiliate that with oils, and like, what am I placing on my pores and skin? So I feel the journey actually started the place I began to care extra about my pores and skin after school.”
@alexandracooper/Instagram
Her Skincare Philosophy
“Positively getting extra into this business, I see so many individuals speaking about merchandise, and it was overwhelming, to the purpose the place I do not understand how a lot I belief sure folks anymore, as a result of everybody has totally different pores and skin proper? Everybody has totally different pores and skin varieties. And so I did loads of analysis by myself, and loads of I take advantage of loads of French merchandise that I’ve discovered work very well for me, however it’s a relentless wrestle. I am all the time ensuring I am attempting new issues, and my hero merchandise are interchangeable as a result of it additionally is determined by the time of yr. Like winter you are a lot drier than summer time, so it is sort of like a revolving door.”
@alexandracooper/Instagram
The Most Vital A part of Her Routine
“From a really younger age, as a result of I used to be a really aggressive athlete and I performed Division One soccer for nearly the whole lot of from once I was younger by way of my 20s, hydration was on the forefront. If I knew a sport was arising that weekend, I might begin hydrating on Monday. So hydration has all the time been part of my life. I’ve all the time struggled with my pores and skin, [especially with] hormonal zits, and I acknowledge that there is so many merchandise available on the market and it is sort of exhausting as a result of everybody has such totally different pores and skin varieties. The one factor that I do know is a common factor is all of us want is hydration. So I’d say, like, that has been a cornerstone of my skincare routine. My make-up appears 10 instances higher when my pores and skin is hydrated. It has been one thing that I’ve beloved to include into my routine, regardless that it was extra athletically primarily based once I was youthful. As I am rising up, it is extra to maintain myself wholesome. I am not enjoying sports activities each single day. I am generally not even figuring out, however I wish to be hydrated, as a result of it impacts your well being.
“I feel as a result of [drinking water] appears so easy, folks look previous it. They’re like, what process do I would like? What laser do I would like? What Botox do I would like? And it truly is that straightforward. As a result of particularly on my final tour, I used to be placing a lot make-up on my face stage each single night time and doing stage make-up and I used to be not hydrating, I may actually see the distinction between the tour I went on in [early] 2024 versus the tour I simply went on. My pores and skin was utterly higher this time round as a result of I used to be hydrated.”
Her Winter Routine
“I’ve to say, I used to be that lady that hopped on the prepare of the snail mucin. And I am not kidding you, it has modified my life. I can inform a noticeable distinction once I’m placing that on my face. I began utilizing this new pores and skin barrier serum, after which I’m going in with the snail mucin after it, after which I’m going on with a cream. I can inform the distinction within the glow of my pores and skin primarily based off of the snail mucin. So, TikTok was proper.”