The 6 Affordable Products Alicia Keys Uses for a Flawless Face
The Grammys host is sharing her secret skincare weapons.
Alicia Keys knows a thing or two about putting her best face forward. The former Voice judge has made no secret of her commitment to celebrating inner beauty, donning a minimal or makeup-free look much of the time. Needless to say, with her bare skin often on display, skincare is of the utmost importance to the singer — did you see her flawless complexion at the 2020 Grammys?
Lucky for us, she recently took to YouTube to share her nighttime secrets for getting a gorgeous visage, from her trusty, deep-cleaning cleanser to her go-to lip balm for preventing a chapped pucker.
Keep scrolling for Keys’ favorite skincare products and to learn why she adores each one.
1. Osmosis Deep Clean Detox Cleanser
Where to buy: $21, Amazon
For the Secret Life of Bees star, who struggles with acneic skin, not just any cleanser will do. “My face is very prone to breakouts, so I’m a fanatic about my face wash,” she shared. “I can’t just use everything … I gotta use things that are either really strong and have a lot of almost, like, medical grade ingredients in [them], or I gotta use things that are super simple.”
For the former, she turns to Osmosis’ Deep Clean Detox cleanser. “I like it,” she said. “It’s got a deep clean, really strong… boom!”
It’s also infused with orange and pink grapefruit essential oils and is suitable for all skin types, though it works particularly well for those with oily complexions.
2. kNutek Advanced Toner
Where to buy: $28.95, Walmart
Next up, Keys gives her epidermis a break with a more relaxing product. “This one is more like therapeutic toner,” she said of kNutek’s face spray. “A little more organic, this definitely has tea tree oil, it has honey — it’s definitely anti-fungal, antimicrobial, because, again, my skin wants to cause me trouble with breakouts, so I always have to be thinking about that. … And it smells good!”
The musician uses her fingers to rub it in an upward motion after spraying it on (“I think the contact is really important”), but you can also put it on a cotton pad and swipe.
3. Advanced Skin Care Advanced Anti-Blemish Lotion With Sulfur
Where to buy: $29, Advanced Skin Care
When pimples (gasp!) do arise, Keys doesn’t sweat it — she just pulls out her secret weapon. “My favorite trick is this crazy thing called the Advanced Blemish Lotion with sulfur,” she revealed. “Sulfur is the bomb.”
Using it as a spot treatment, Keys applies the solution, which helps to dry up acne and reduce irritation, oiliness, and redness, to her problem areas with a Q-tip.
4. Scottish Fine Soaps Au Lait Body Butter
Where to buy: $4.99, T.J. Maxx
To cover up the strong sulfur smell of the aforementioned lotion, the actress reaches for a bit of scented body butter on her arms and neck. “I use this lotion — it smells unbelievable!” she exclaimed of the Scottish import. “Top secret, secret.”
With cocoa butter and milk proteins, this butter also leaves skin feeling silky-smooth, according to Amazon reviewers, with one writing, “Leaves skin amazingly soft for a long time!”
5. Smith’s Rosebud Salve
Where to buy: $7, ULTA
“You need your lip balm,” Keys advised in her video. “Don’t have some dry lips, it’s not cute.”
Her go-to pick? “I use this rosebud salve, I’ve used it for a long time. It just feels good, easy, simple. Love that.”
6. Epicuren Discovery X-Treme Cream
Where to buy: $43, Amazon
On days when the “Fallin’” singer needs a little extra help in the hydration department, she turns to Epicuren Discovery. “If I need some extra moisturizer, I love this company, Epicuren, they’re really, really, really beautiful,” she gushed. “This has, like, propolis, from bees … It smells … good! Anything with honey in it, fire, amazing.”
Keys uses it on her face as her last step in her nighttime routine: “Because we want the skin to be, like, moisturized when I’m dreaming up my dreams.”
