Jennifer Garner's Mom Gave Her the Greatest Advice About Getting Older

And a little help from these must-have skincare products.

Jennifer Garner's Mom Gave Her the Greatest Advice About Getting Older

From cooking tutorials to arts and crafts, Jennifer Garner is full of amazing advice, and skincare is no different. Take this gem from our recent interview: “Nothing looks better in your 50's than sunscreen in your 20s," Garner says. "Dermatologist Dr. Doris Day told me that and it's the best line ever!"

Thanks to Dr. Day, Garner also learned that she was under-applying most of her serums, sunscreens, and creams. “She told me you should almost have a tackiness to your skin after you apply a product, and I think that's really smart.”

Garner's application method is relatively simple—"I always use my hands," she says—unless she has a photo shoot or an early call time on set. Then she'll rely on ice-cold cryo sticks to help her look more awake and reduce any puffiness. “My makeup artist has them as well, so it's better if I help my skin out with those.”

The mom-of-three has had a long time to experiment with what works for her, given that she's been a Neutrogena brand ambassador for 14 years. “I've been with them for all these product lines, as new technology has emerged, and there's nothing like retinol,” she says. Of the products she swears by now, she points to their “amazing” retinol oil and the newest launches in the Rapid Firming collection (Collage Triple Lift Serum, Peptide Contour Lift Face Cream, and Peptide Multi Action Eye Cream). “I'm geeking out about it, because they've been talking about this product line for so long. My skin is very happy.”

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Oil

$38UltaBuy Now

Neutrogena Rapid Firming Collagen Triple Lift Face Serum

$28AmazonBuy Now

Neutrogena Rapid Firming Peptide Contour Lift Cream

$30AmazonBuy Now

Neutrogena Rapid Firming Peptide Multi Action Eye Cream

$27AmazonBuy Now

Speaking of products that deliver, Garner was game for a round of Glamour's Big Beauty Questions, where we asked her about everything from hair care essentials to her mom's best beauty advice. Read on.

What is one beauty trend you’re obsessed with right now?

Using hair oil. I use Virtue’s Healing Oil, which is so delicious on my hair. I love the smell. It makes me so happy.

Virtue Healing Oil

$42DermstoreBuy Now

Is there a beauty rule you think is BS?

There is a trend that I haven’t done—and I’m wary of—and that is peels. Take good care of the skin you have since there's so many great products available. Personally, I’d rather use those instead of doing lasers and peels.

What’s the best beauty advice your mom gave you growing up?

My mom lived it more than talking about it. She would say don’t spend too much time looking in the mirror, and that you should be looking out at other people and how you can [be of service to] them. She said as you get older, the temptation is to stare into the mirror and focus on what’s changing, and here’s the secret: don’t look! Just care less, be grateful that you’re getting older and use the time you have to be leaving the world a little bit better instead of staring at yourself in the mirror and worrying.

I love your mother. And what do you tell your kids about skincare and beauty?

Don’t pick at your face is a given! But I definitely tell my kids you have to go to bed with a clean face. My daughters are 12 and 15 and this is the time to set that into your brain as a habit. I could no more go to sleep without washing my face than I could without brushing my teeth. It’s just such a total given for me. And I want them to have fun and to know what feels good, looks good. Makeup is a great form of expression; they don’t wear a ton of makeup, but they’re also not afraid to play, and I think that’s really important.

Fill in the blank: I love my hair when ___.

Adir [Abergel] does it! [Laughs] But otherwise, I love my hair when I have used Virtue’s hair mask.