Zendaya Built Her Skin Care Routine Around This Beloved Drugstore Moisturizer

If there were ever someone to follow on social media, it’s Zendaya. From her earliest days on-screen as a plucky Disney tween, she’s grown up both with us and in front of us to become one of the most celebrated stars of her generation. She picks poignant, interesting projects (and then does so well in them, she snags historic victories), lends her voice to causes she cares about, speaks with fans like she’s talking to her friends, and looks incredible while doing all of it. Zendaya’s skin care routine is also one to follow — have you ever seen her not looking so healthily dewy and luminous?

For an inside look at Zendaya’s day-to-day essentials, TZR compiles her top tips, favorite products, and routine order straight from the Euphoria star herself. Over the years, she’s given plenty of insight into her skin-perfecting regimen, including accessible drugstore picks, luxury treatments, and her hard and fast rules for morning and evening. And considering how long the 27-year-old actor has been in the biz, surrounded by the best professionals in the game on assorted sets and shows, it’s safe to say she knows exactly what she’s talking about. Scroll on for Zendaya’s complete skin care routine.

Zendaya’s Skin Type

Before diving in, it’s critical to get a handle on Zendaya’s specific skin type and how she approaches it. In an on-camera interview with GQ filmed January 2023, she shares that she has sensitive skin that’s prone to acne, which means she always opts for straightforward products without too many add-ons — fragrances included. “When I start to apply too many layers of things, too many masks...I break out or I get an eczema flare-up,” she says in the video. With that in mind, she’s adamant that consistency is the most crucial part of her routine. It’s often said that the best skin care products are the ones you’ll actually use, and Zendaya’s relatable advice corroborates the idea.

Her Hard & Fast Skin Care Rules

It will probably come as no surprise, but Zendaya has said that she considers sleeping with her makeup on a cardinal sin, always taking care to remove it completely before moving on to any subsequent steps — “that’s a big rule,” she told British Vogue. In the past, Zendaya’s been vocal about her love for Shea Moisture African Black Soap Facial Cleansing Wipes, which are fantastic on-the-go and those nights when even turning on the faucet seems like way too much work. For a more sustainable option, go for an oil-based cleanser or micellar water, both of which can cut through even the most stubborn waterproof mascara remnants. To further remove daily dirt and lingering cosmetics, Zendaya said in a since-deleted Twitter post that she loves African Black Soap, a traditional plant-based cleanser made with plantain leaves to invigorate and protect skin as well as cleaning it.

From here, it’s all about what the star is up to next. If she’s at work or headed to an event, it’s time for a face masque. “Before Zendaya — or any of my clients — has a red carpet, the first thing we do is a face mask,” said Sheika Daley, celebrity makeup artist and Zenday’s go-to for some of her all-time best looks. In her interview with the Daily Mail, she explained she prefers the Natura Bissé Diamond Ice Lift Mask, which only takes about 20 minutes for full results.

Zendaya’s Favorite Products

If Zendaya’s home or headed to bed, the next steps look a little different. She’s a self-proclaimed toner fan, preferring a rose water-infused witch hazel formula, applied with a cotton pad, to follow cleanser. “It's really refreshing,” she explains via a 2017 post on her app. After toning, it’s whatever she’s feeling at the moment. “I find it therapeutic to give myself a facial and do all those extra steps: cleansing; cleansing with another cleanser; toning with, like, eight different things; then a spray; a sheet mask or a clay mask,” Zendaya told InStyle in 2019.

Vitamin E oil is one she swears by, preferring to smooth it all over her skin for added moisture — it’s also great for healing minor burns, small cuts, and acne scars. Critically, though, Zendaya says she needs a heavier moisturizer, too. “I never skip moisturizer,” she’s sworn to British Vogue. “I feel like my face would just crack in half.” According to InStyle, her hydrating agent of choice is one from derm-loved line CeraVe. To keep lips soft and supple, she’s a loud and proud fan of straight-up Aquaphor, which she told Glamour she keeps on her person at all times.

Finally, Zendaya’s routine concludes with some very necessary sun care. Though she credits her own radiant complexion to time spent in the sun, she also notes how important it is to layer on plenty of SPF when she does bask. “SPF, SPF, SPF! This is absolutely my ultimate non-negotiable,” she declared in a 2020 Glamour story, and doubled down on the proclamation in her 2023 GQ interview. “I’m really loving the Lancôme UV Expert Aqua Gel SPF 50. It’s amazing on its own, but also serves as a really great primer under makeup.”

With so many affordable picks in her lineup, it looks like an Emmy-worthy glow is all but promised. Shop her favorites just below.