Sabrina Elba Fills Us In on Her Entire Skincare Routine

What I Put on My Face

All skin is good skin, which is why good skincare is more of a journey than a destination. We all love a one-off tip—but, at Byrdie, we’re more interested in how our skin evolves over time. The product we've used for a decade, the ingredient cocktail that made us glow, the step we never skip, and all the advice in between. This is the stuff that makes a real difference. With What I Put on My Face, we’re bringing you the rituals, recommendations, and failed experiments (we’ve all had them) straight from celebrities, founders, and influencers who’ve gone through it themselves.

Sabrina Elba is a skincare connoisseur. Having grown up with a Somalian mother who taught her about ancestral African beauty traditions, one would expect nothing less. However, the model and philanthropist's skincare journey has still been full of ups and downs. She's dealt with acne since her teenage years—and like many women of color, hyperpigmentation is one of her primary concerns. Throughout her teens and 20s, Elba's pursuit of healthy, balanced skin led her to experiment with countless products and ingredients, with many worsening her existing conditions.

This trial and error experience inspired her to join forces with her husband and award-winning actor, Idris Elba, to launch S'able Labs in July 2022. Through the brand, they create inclusive skincare products powered by responsibly sourced African botanicals. "There are so many bits I love about our brand," she says. "We look at 'A-Beauty' as more than just a trend. Our sourcing is community-led [in Africa]; we combine African ingredients with powerful science. We spotlight our ingredients not because they're trendy but because they're powerful, and we want to see them get the attention they deserve. It's surreal to have that connection with these often appropriated ingredients and reclaim ownership over them."

We recently caught up with Elba to dig deeper into her relationship with her skin, day-to-day routine, and the brand's newest launch, the Okra Face Serum. Ahead, find out everything Elba puts on her face.

About My Skin

"I have combination skin and deal with acne and hyperpigmentation. In my teens and 20s, I was damaging my skin barrier while trying to get rid of my acne. I'd use really strong products like benzoyl peroxide or apricot scrubs, and that would make my hyperpigmentation worse. I would wash my face ten times to try to get rid of the acne and oil, but my skin would become even oilier."

How She Got Into Skincare

"My mom taught me about the skincare benefits of things like goat milk at an early age. However, through my experiences with my skin, I didn't find myself fitting into the beauty space. Many of the products I used weren't even tested on skin like mine. So, eventually, Idris and I saw an opportunity to create a luxe product that meets people where they are with their skin, prioritizes the planet, and celebrates the ancestral traditions my mom would use on me as a kid."

Her Morning Versus Nighttime Routine

"In the morning, I use our Rooibos Micellar Water, Black Seed Toner, Okra Face Serum while my face is still damp, and then finish with the Baobab Moisturizer. At night, I'll use the entire product line. I'll incorporate the Qasil Exfoliating Mask once or twice weekly."

The Skincare Step She Never Skips

"I use the Black Seed Toner all day—it's become one of my favorites. It comes out in an ultra-fine mist, so it's great as a setting spray or to refresh my skin. It contains AHAs, black seed, vitamins C and E, ferulic acid, chamomile, and vitamin B. So, it's an exfoliating, hydrating mist."

The One Ingredient That Made The Biggest Difference

"Okra. I remember conversing with my mom about how prevalent okra is in our lives. It's a huge part of East African culture for its medicinal properties, and Idris probably eats it daily. Because it's so slimy, I thought it would probably be good for our skin. And lo and behold, it is. Our clinical trials for the Okra Face Serum found that it reduced hyperpigmentation by 120%."

Her Skincare Pet Peeve

"Much of what you see on TikTok is about doing so much to your skin—and there's proof online that I used to be that person. For me, doing too much came from a place of frustration. Once I understood how to simplify my skincare routine, things changed. That's why the whole premise of the brand is about paring things back and embracing skin health."

Her Most Used Product

"My Okra Face Serum. I have seen such an amazing change in my skin since I started using this product. This formula has multiple benefits, as it's made with the African resurrection plant and S'able Labs patented HyperPrevent technology to target hyperpigmentation at its source, boosting radiance and calming inflammation. Botanical peptides from Okra are also key to this formula, stimulating collagen and inhibiting expression lines. When creating this product, we used a next-generation bioavailable retinoid to renew skin and fight the visible effects of aging while minimizing irritation. Formulating a gentle retinoid serum was essential as someone who’s had a struggle finding one I could use day and night."

The Product She's Been Using the Longest

"I’m a huge advocate for sunscreen. I have been using the Bea Solar Defense SPF 50 for quite some time now. I love a mineral sunscreen, but it has been hard to find one that doesn’t leave a cast on my skin. So now that I’ve found one, I’ve stuck to it."

Her Newest Favorite Product

"The Biossance Squalane + Rose Vegan Lip Balm. It has a vegan formula, which is important to me. Pairing ingredients like rose wax and sugarcane-derived squalane creates such a lush combination."

The One Thing She Learned in Esthetician School

"I love to give my friends and family facials, and now I'm a trained facialist. The course involved a lot of memorizing a lot of the face's anatomy—we studied the muscles and bones of the face. The class also did a lot of myth-busting for me. I realized how much beauty marketing was in my head, and I unlearned a lot of it during the course. I've definitely gained a new appreciation for estheticians and understand how educated they are."