Jenna Dewan on the One Beauty Treatment She Regrets and How She Keeps Her Melasma Under Control

She dropped the skin care deets.

Celebrities, they’re just like us. Actress, dancer, and Step Up star Jenna Dewan recently opened up about her skin care struggles, and her top two concerns? Acne and melasma.

“I struggled with cystic acne in my 20s that I never had growing up, and it left scars. I wanted a quick fix and didn’t do enough research,” she says. After deciding to undergo a laser treatment, which she now looks back on as her biggest beauty regret, she was faced with dark spots that she would have to conceal before going on camera.

Dewan also notes how much her changing skin through motherhood affected her mental health. “It really is hard facing something that you feel so out of control with,” she says. “I think how people perceive us is connected to things like our clothes and skin because it directly affects how we feel. I do think inner beauty kind of transcends all of this and if you feel joyful about something, that will come off as the most beautiful. But it doesn’t hurt to take care of your skin to feel more confident.”

We sat down with the actress to discuss her back-and-forth battle with melasma, current skin care routine, and recent partnership with Neostrata.

Out of all the brands out there, why did you decide to sign on with Neostrata?

Jenna Dewan: I think it was just effective for me. The product really worked, and it worked fast. Within a few days, I started seeing my skin getting brighter and the texture becoming better. My melasma also cleared up faster than any other product I’ve used in the past—and I thought wow, this is a gamechanger. There’s constant cell renewal happening with the acid component, and it just really helped me. Plus it took my product routine down to like three or four products, which is so helpful when I’m really busy.

What's been your biggest skin care struggle to date, and how has that changed over the last few years?

JD: Melasma. Skin discoloration. Well, it's been about 10 years of me dealing with it. It’s been better at certain times and gotten worse at certain times, but it's always been there. Hormones make melasma worse, so certain times when I was pregnant, the fluctuations of hormones would make the melasma darker. Something I learned is important is finding an ongoing, long-term product that I could use to keep it under control rather than attacking it with more extreme peels, lasers, and higher-potency products.

Do you have any beauty regrets?

JD: Oh gosh, I regret the laser I did that brought out my melasma. Actually, this all began when I was trying to get rid of some small acne scarring, but I didn’t do enough research and just wanted the quick fix. Instead, I got melasma.

How did your skin affect your lifestyle as an actress?

JD: I had to learn a lot of tips to cover my melasma in front of the camera. Skin is really so important—it shines through the makeup. When you’re on camera, you can really see everything, so thank God I found good skin products that worked for me so I didn’t have to use as much coverup as I was using. The more I take care of my skin, the easier it is for me to have a good base to do my makeup. I’m a dewy skin girl all the way, so my main goal is to just look naturally glowy at all times.

Who has taught you the most about skin care?

JD: My mother. From a very young age she was super into skin care and makeup—she's a total girly girl. She would tell me lots of things, like how to protect my skin and making sure I would moisturize my neck and my chest at the same time as my face. She's also the one who was on me for years about using Retin-A, and here I am now using retinol and going like she was right! She’s 70 now and looks amazing for her age, like not one wrinkle on her face.

What skin care learnings would you want to pass on to your children?

JD: I think taking care of your skin at a young age, using good products, and washing your face really does play off. I think you just need to get into preventative skin care early.

What does your current skin care routine look like?

JD: I wake up in the morning and the first thing I do is drink a glass of lemon water before I even get to coffee or a meal. My skin really brightens and you can really notice a big difference. As for products, I use the Neostrata Glycolic Face Wash twice a day, then I use their vitamin C serum and do four or five drops of that all over my neck, chest, and face to get that glow. At night I use retinol—usually switching between a retinol pad and Retin-A. And then I use a neck-firming cream all over, and Neostrata’s daily moisturizer with PHAs in it. Overall, I keep it pretty simple.

For makeup, I use the CC cream from It Cosmetics—it literally does everything for me because it’s my sunscreen and foundation. I’m always thinking what I can find that can do 3 things in 1 because I’m so busy and usually apply everything at a stoplight in the morning.

What's your top tip for people struggling with their skin?

JD: I think we all go through difficult skin care phases. I had random cystic acne when I was in my 20s that I never had growing up, and it really is hard facing something that you feel so out of control with. But there's going to be ups and downs, good times and bad times, and ultimately it's just a phase. I recommend cultivating things that make you happy that will help you get through those phases mentally. And there's also a lot of things out there that you can find help for, so you don’t just have to struggle through it. There's so many advances and treatments in the beauty world, and I think as long as your intention is right and you just want to feel better in your life, you shouldn’t feel ashamed of doing anything.

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