The face of True Botanicals reveals her before-bed rituals.
Jessica Chastain’s nighttime routine is sacred. It’s when the Oscar-winning actress can wind down, reflect on the day, and reconnect with her own wants and needs. And with the launch of True Botanical’s new Phyto-Retinol Anti-Aging Body Lotion, her routine just got an upgrade.
Ahead, you can learn about all the different ways Chastain takes care of her skin and decompresses before her head hits the pillow.
How do you use your body-care routine to wind down in the evening?
I love a bath. But the thing is, I don’t just go with water. I’ll use the True Botanicals Bath Soak, and it’s amazing. I’m a scent girl and it smells like the forest, so I love bathing in that. It’s a moment to settle yourself into nature. There’s eucalyptus and lemon, and it’s filled with aloe vera, so it’s really nice for the skin. So there is a moment when I feel like, “Ah, okay, I live in New York City, and this is my moment right now. I feel like I’m walking through the forest.”
After a hot bath, I do my face skin care, and then I apply the Phyto-Retinol body lotion. We spend so much time on our faces with retinol and all of these things, and we sometimes forget our necks, chests, and legs.
How do you set the vibe when you're getting ready for that Zen moment in the tub?
Well, I’m a big candle person. So I have cabinets filled with candles because whenever I’m at a store and I smell something delicious, I’ll buy it for sure. So I’ll set the mood with a candle and I just try to sit in silence in the tub and think and wash away my day. That really just knocks me out. My mind can overthink sometimes, and so I need to reset to just clear out and be ready just to get a good night’s sleep.
What scents do you go for in a candle?
I like a floral scent like gardenia in the daytime, and in the evening, I like a richer, muskier scent. I also like the Santal candles.
What are some of your other favorite ways to wind down and relax?
Well, I do like a glass of wine, so that is nice.
Red or white?
At nighttime, red for sure. And not too much because red wine is a little heavier for me. I like a full-bodied red, so I'll do maybe a half glass. But sometimes if I'm not feeling the wine in the evening, I'm a big tea girl as well. I love licorice tea; it's so good for your immune system. I'll put a little bit of agave in it if I want something sweeter. It's the warmness of tea or the warmness of a glass of wine because the alcohol warms your body a bit; it sends me right to sleep.
Aside from the retinol lotion, what else do you use in your body routine to make it feel just as special as your face routine?
Being a redhead, I have very sensitive skin, so I prefer products that are really clean and that don’t irritate the skin. So I love the Rescue Balm — it smells incredible. I don’t use it in the bathroom; it’s on my bedside table. At nighttime, I put it on my cuticles and I’ll rub it on my feet right before I get into bed. Again, it’s a moment of just resetting and calming myself down. But then what I can do is really lather it on. And then, when I’m feeling a little sexier, I’ll do the Radiant Oil, which also just smells delicious.
The face gets all of the interest when we think about skin care. Why is it important for you to treat your body the same way?
Well, your body is just as important as your face. My grandmother taught me so much about skin care when I was younger, but no one ever talks about the skin on your chest or your hands even, which actually get so much sun exposure, so it’s just as important to care for that as we’re getting older. For me, any part of my body that’s really in the sun I’ll focus on to prevent wrinkles and age spots. It’s very important to me, especially the arms, the chest, the legs, the neck, anything that can help me address the signs of aging.
I love that! It feels like nighttime routines are a pretty sacred moment for you.
Oh, absolutely. I think they should be for everyone because our days are so full. We have so much that we're doing for other people in some sense, whether or not we have a partner, we're mothers, or we're busy with our jobs. All throughout the day, we are constantly doing things for other people, and so at nighttime especially, I like a moment to myself that's just connecting me to really listen to how I felt about the day, how I feel about the day coming ahead, the next day, and what actually I'd like to do for myself so it doesn't feel like all my energy is constantly going outward.