Zooey Deschanel’s 10 favorite beauty products essential to her routine

Consistency is key when it comes to Zooey Deschanel’s beauty routine. The actor and musician has never strayed far from the brunette fringe and rosy lips that are a trademark of her personal style. Her retro-inspired look never stales, though, and that’s thanks in part to the ethos behind her shopping choices.

Long before it became de rigueur for every famous person to publicly, at least, subscribe to and expould on living an eco-conscious lifestyle, Deschanel was living it. For years she’s talked up more sustainable brands, and urged folks to stop using plastic water bottles and embrace a more plant-based diet.

It’s all about making smart(er) choices when possible. To that end, Deschanel is a partner in the app Merryfield, which connects consumers with “better for you” products that are screened for being kinder to the planet. She’s a big fan of Stasher silicone reusable bags, for example, which she says are a godsend for packing lunches and snacks for her two kids.

“One of the reasons why I co-founded that company is because we have a strict set of standards, both for food that’s better for you, but also brands that are making better choices on an eco-friendly level,” she says. “The main obstacle to people doing things in an eco-friendly way is mainly just convenience. People want things to be convenient.”

As for the products she uses on her face, body and hair, Deschanel is equally conscientious. She reads labels. She pays attention to the mission of certain brands, especially given that the term “clean beauty” is utterly meaningless because it’s completely unregulated. And most of all, she’s aware of what works for her. Here, Deschanel shares her go-to beauty products.

Zooey Deschanel’s favorite skin care products

Herbivore Bakuchiol Retinol Alternative Smoothing Serum

$54 at Credo Beauty

Retinol is the holy grail of skin care, because it helps boost the production of elastin and collagen, which can make you look younger. But it’s not for everyone, especially anyone with really sensitive skin. So Deschanel found a workaround. “I use bakuchiol, which is like a retinol alternative,” she says. “I have really sensitive skin and I can’t use retinol. It just dries it out.” Bakuchiol, instead, is a plant-based skin care ingredient that touts similar anti-aging effects as those of retinol, without the side effects. “It doesn’t dry your skin, I use it every day and I use the Herbivore brand,” she says.

Dove Sensitive Skin Unscented Beauty Bar Soap, 4-Pack

$5.79 at Target

Deschanel doesn’t use shower gels, because of the plastic waste. And with bar soaps, she goes about as basic as you can get. “I use bar soap because it’s a lot better for the environment,” she explains. “I haven’t gotten into bar shampoo yet — I would love to find a bar shampoo because that’s also better. We just use Dove Sensitive. I have sensitive skin and it’s just a regular bar of soap.”

Eminence Organic Skin Care Clear Skin Probiotic Moisturizer

$59 at Dermstore

Fun fact: Eminence sources its ingredients from its own organic farms, in Hungary and elsewhere. And the products are handmade. “I love Eminence Probiotic Moisturizer,” Deschanel says. “That’s one product I can always use no matter what. Sometimes if I’m tired or something else, I start breaking out, and then I have to stop using all other moisturizers. That’s the only one that will not break [my] skin out at all.”

Zooey Deschanel’s favorite makeup products

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick

$48 at Violet Grey 

Celebrity makeup artist Gucci Westman founded this luxury line that’s as beautiful as it is streamlined. “For makeup, I love Westman Atelier,” Deschanel says. “I just love her products, they are eco-friendly, vegan and clean beauty choices. Everything seems to be made for the busy person who needs to get ready quickly.”

Westman Atelier Lip Suede

$85 at Violet Grey 

Less is always more for Deschanel, and she’s a big fan of this four-in-one lip kit, a richly-pigmented formula made with cold pressed cherry oil. “Westman Atelier, they have a really great lip palette [with] four different lipsticks. You just throw that in your purse and have a little lip brush,” she says.

Merit Flush Balm

$28 at Merit

“Another clean beauty company that also makes it easy to do your face very quickly is Merit,” Deschanel says. “Merit is fantastic and has all kinds of everything. [The Flush Balm is] kind of small and you can just screw the top up and just put your cheek color on. They’re great cheek crayons.”

Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom Lipstick in 130 Blossom

$42 at Ulta

For the most part, Deschanel, when in mom mode, keeps things simple and streamlined. But when she needs a wow moment, she turns to this Chanel lipstick, a vibrant coral-red with warm undertones and a high-shine finish.

Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner

$28 at Violet Grey

The former Posh Spice’s beauty line is a standout, especially this product. “The eyeliner glides on really easily and stays on so well! There is not an eye pencil that compares and they have the best colors,” the actor says.

Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette

$48 at Sephora

“This is an essential! There is every neutral color in one palette,” says Deschanel, who uses this set, created by Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist, when she wants to add just a little drama.

Zooey Deschanel’s favorite hair product

Vegamour Gro Revitalizing Shampoo

$48 at Amazon and Vegamour

She’s a fan of this luxury line of shampoos, made with plant-based formulas. This one in particular uses a vegan silk keratin to smooth and help repair damaged hair. “I just started using [this shampoo], and I like it,” she says. “It’s supposed to clear your scalp up. I’ve been using it for the past couple months.”