Kristin Cavallari Says This Is the One Moisturizer That Doesn't Make Her Break Out

It’s never good to judge a book by its cover, and it’s even worse to judge someone based on their early 20s. Kristin Cavallari’s foray into the public eye was during the mid-2000s on MTV reality shows Laguna Beach and The Hills, which followed her and her castmates as they frequented LA's hottest nightclubs and got into the occasional screaming match. Fans of the show might remember Cavallari as a blunt villain-type who added spice to each episode—but she still had her tender moments that left fans rooting for her until the end of the series.

These days, Cavallari has traded Los Angeles for Nashville, where she lives with her family. Since her time on reality TV, the star has published three New York Times bestselling cookbooks—True Roots, True Comfort and Truly Simple—full of mindfully-crafted meals, and just relaunched Uncommon Beauty, which is all about skinimalism, under her lifestyle brand Uncommon James.

Cavallari has certainly changed since she first hit our screens—but the thing that hasn’t wavered one bit? It’s her near-constant glowing skin. We had to know her secrets, so we sat down with Cavallari to get the scoop. Ahead, exactly what Kristin Cavallari puts on her face.

About Her Skin

I have combination skin. Even though I’m 36 years old, my biggest concern is still breakouts from time to time.  

How She Got Into Skincare

I really credit my old marketing guy at Uncommon James. He noticed that the number one question I got was about my skincare routine. Because of that, I decided to explore it and ended up being alarmed at the “clean” skincare and beauty world—you can essentially say you’re clean when you’re not (at least not to my standards), So, I felt there was a need for a line that was, in fact, clean while doing what it says it’s supposed to do. 

Her Morning Versus Night Routine

My morning routine is pretty simple. I don’t even wash my face, I just splash it with water then use the Uncommon Beauty Pineapple Peptide Nectar followed by the Daily Water Cream and Triple Effect Eye Cream. That’s it! [For] my nighttime routine, I first take off my makeup if I’m wearing any (most days I only wear mascara) then I wash my face with our Daily Foaming Powder Cleanser and use the Retinol Alternative and the Triple Effect Eye Cream again. I put face oil on my décolletage (our face oil is coming out early next year!). 

The Skincare Step She Never Skips

Taking off my makeup at night. It doesn’t matter how tired I am or how many drinks I’ve had—I always take it off. When I don’t, my skin feels disgusting the next day—super clogged and I always end up with breakouts a couple days after. 

How Her Routine Has Evolved Over Time

In my 20s, I had no loyalty to a brand whatsoever. I would use any product sent my way. Now, I will not stray no matter what. I have my routine and my products and that’s it for me. Once I have something that works, it’s impossible to get me to break from it. 

The Product That’s Made the Biggest Difference

The Uncommon Beauty Daily Water Cream. It’s the product that gives that perfect dewy glow. I’m prone to breakouts and this is the only moisturizer that I can load on without it clogging my pores. The texture is just so great—it’s almost a hydrating gel and goes on the skin beautifully. There isn't a day I don't use it.

The Best Skincare Advice She's Ever Gotten

When I was in middle school, my mom told me you’re never too young to start moisturizing. That stuck with me, and I think it holds true today. 

The Product She’s Used the Longest

Since I developed our core five products at the same time, all of these have been: the Daily Foaming Powder Cleanser, the Pineapple Peptide Nectar, the Daily Water Cream, the Triple Effect Eye Cream, and the Mango Lip Balm (relaunching soon).

Her Latest Skincare Obsession

Biologique Recherche Anti-aging facial mask. I’m such a mask girl, always trying new ones. That’s the one area I’ll try new products, and I’ve found this one to help with fine lines.