Kate Winslet Talks Skincare, Beauty Essentials And Aging In Hollywood

Kate WinsletPhoto Credit: Shutterstock

If you were asked to name an iconic actress with a just as legendary film career, you’d probably feel tempted to say Kate Winslet. From her classic role as Rose on Titanic to her recent part as a police investigator on Mare of Easttown, this 45-year-old actress boasts the luxurious experience of being a Hollywood star. Thankfully, British Vogue realized our need for an update on Winslet's lifestyle and sat down with her to discuss her skincare, beauty, and hair regimens while also picking at her thoughts on aging in Hollywood.

Like most Brits, Winslet starts her day with a cup of tea. However, she’s anything but solitary in the morning. “I always think I should be a person who has morning rituals by now but when you have a family, you just have to roll with whatever is happening that day,” Winslet told Vogue. “I’m very good at getting up – I don’t have a hard time springing out of bed and normally get up at 6:30 a.m. on a school day.”

As a global ambassador for L’Oréal Paris, Winslet surely remains an advocate for skincare. Her morning skincare routine begins by washing her face with extremely cold water (in fact, the actress mentioned she does a lot of cold-water swimming and showering, though she spends just as much time under hot water as well). Then, she applies moisturizer and SPF. 

Maintaining her blond locks, Winslet relies on L’Oréal’s Préferénce (in the shade 9.1) to color her hair at home, which she admittedly did twice during lockdown. However, she’s always been a devoted fan of Elnett hairspray: “I’ve given up meat, I don’t really eat dairy, I can still use Elnett and feel I’m making myself as neutral as possible?!” 

To exude her signature aroma, the actress will spritz L’Eau D’Issey by Issey Miyake. “I’ve been wearing it for so long that when my kids smell it on a scarf or jacket of mine, they’ll go, “Oh it’s the mummy smell!” It’s very sweet,” Winslet said. “It shows how important senses can be because it gets so bound up in memory and nostalgia and certain times in your life.”

Winslet likes to keep it simple on the makeup. To conceal, she dots the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer around any red areas of skin. Finally, she brightens her pout with the L’Oréal Colour Riche lipstick. “I try to keep it juicy and fresh – the trick is wearing a few great products and not slathering on too much,” she said. 

As for cosmetic tips she’s learned on set, Winslet said it’s best to avoid touching your face. “When you fiddle and touch your face, it just moves everything around and means you then have to have more makeup put on and extra time taken to fix things,” she said. “It’s not great for your skin and it can be very frustrating if someone’s coming in and fiddling all the time.”

After a long day of wearing makeup (when she wears makeup), Winslet ensures to take everything off carefully with a warm washcloth. She likes to treat dry skin using Weleda Skin Food on the backs of her hands at night; though, she also combats dryness by drinking about 2 liters of water each day. Before bed, she’s been loving a new nighttime serum from L’Oréal that has yet to be launchedambassador perks, of course. 

“[L’Oréal is] non-discriminatory in how they approach and access the mass market – they stop skincare from being an elitist thing, which is good,” she said. “Everyone should be able to afford to look after their skin even if it’s just one great product.” 

When it comes to aging in Hollywood, Winslet doesn’t hold in any secrets: “It’s honestly a myth. Women on the red carpet have been sat in hair and makeup for four hours to look like that and probably had facials every day during the week in the run up to the event. I know because I’ve been there and had that many facials. It’s a moment in time.” Remaining authentic, she explained that beauty comes from within and emphasized the importance of accepting that you can’t entirely fight your changing appearance.