Tune In: Molly Sims’ Best Beauty & Well-Being Tips For Any Age & Skin Concern

Actress and model Molly Sims is just as luminescent as I thought she'd be. But more importantly, she's just as kind, thoughtful, and curious as I suspected as well. I know because I had the pleasure of sharing an hour of her time for this week's Clean Beauty School. In the episode, we chatted about how her career shaped her relationship with beauty, dealing with insecurities while being in the spotlight, and how she (finally!) found solutions to her dark spots. 

We also talked a lot about beauty standards and how, with age, Sims' has come to embrace not being "perfect" all the time: "It's not about how you look, it's how you feel. If you feel good, you look good," she says. "But it’s OK if you don't feel great all of the time. Sometimes you have to acknowledge that things can be shitty. You can't cover that up—because, ultimately, it will come out." 

She shared so many of her beauty and wellness habits and insights that she's earned from a long career in the entertainment and fashion industries, but most recently as a podcast host of Lipstick On The Rim. 

Here are some of my favorite beauty and wellness tips from the episode—but you simply must tune in to hear more. 

So often when beauty pros talk about color care, it's all about what you do post-appointment. You know the drill: Use non-stripping, sulfate-free shampoos, color-correct with toning products (like purple formulas), and avoid things that can singe the color, such as heat damage. 

But did you know you should be prepping for coloring appointments? I sure haven't been, but according to Sims, it's the secret to her famously bright blonde locks. 

"People always compliment my hair color. I have really good hair color because right before I do my color, I use a clarifying shampoo or do some sort of detoxifying treatment before they put the color on," she says. "It’s like your makeup: Before you put anything on, the skin needs to be exfoliated so the makeup lays well." 

If truth be told, skin care can feel like a cruel game of sacrifices. In the pursuit for solving a problem, you can trigger other, unexpected reactions to show up. 

Sims explains she had this problem with hydroquinone. The skin-lightening active is often used for treating melasma and fading age spots—and for lots of folks, it's very effective at doing so. But it comes with some pretty famous drawbacks: It's not only irritating, but it can make you more sensitive to the sun, which will ultimately make dark spots worse. 

"I had to get off that cycle," she says of her skin care journey. Now she uses her brand's YSE Beauty The Problem Solver Brightening Treatment, which features tranexamic acid, licorice root, niacinamide, and pomegranate seed oil.

Another great example is retinol, an ingredient loved for its ability to treat acne and smooth wrinkles. “There are so many incredible retinols on the market, but if you don't know how to use them, you’re going to end up dry or irritated,” she says. "You have to ask yourself, What do you really need?"

Because who doesn't love a smoothie recipe, I thought I'd include Sims' daily blend: "I think this smoothie is really delicious,” she says. "It makes me feel full. It makes me feel good."

Tune in for more of her health habits.