Keke Palmer’s drugstore secrets to banishing acne

I don’t know anyone who isn’t obsessed with Keke Palmer right now – and I’m also not the only one who has noticed the One of Them Days star is absolutely glowing lately despite having battled severe acne in the past.

The mom-of-one and self-described “product girlie” has been open about her skincare troubles, from chronic acne to hyperpigmentation, even once confessing on social media, “My skin has made me sad many nights but I do not give up on myself.”

I’m always looking for tips on how to get clearer skin and Keke’s candid beauty and skincare videos, whether on TikTok or YouTube, have notched up tens of millions of views. I think one reason why she’s one to follow is that she’s been just as honest about how she managed to turn her skin around, acknowledging that she has found the solution both with the help of prescription solutions and skincare products we all can try.

When it comes to skincare, I love Keke’s faves because while she does have some more expensive products in her routine she also depends on budget buys and some trending French drugstore wonders that are also my go-tos. The end result is a smooth canvas to make her red carpet makeup look amazing.

Keep skin calm with thermal water mist

Keke’s beauty routine includes this basic must-have that I also don’t leave home without: thermal water to spritz on your skin during skin prep, before bedtime, or any time of day you need a refresh. The Hustlers star has been spotted on in her GRWM videos spritzing on both La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water, $13.99 / £10 as well as the thermal spray I’ve used for more than a decade, Avene Eau Thermale, $10 / £9.99.

The natural minerals from spring water truly work wonders, and it can be used for everything from calming redness and irritation, to cooling summer skin or setting makeup. As someone with eczema and occasional pimples, to me its the one thing that really keeps my skin in check.

Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate

In a Get Ready With Me video for Vogue, Keke, who is a La Roche-Posay partner, showed how the first step to her skin prep is gentle exfoliation, using the French drugstore brand’s Mela B3 Gel Cleanser, $27.99 /£22 – a clarifying and barrier-boosting micro-peeling gel, formulated with niacinamide and gluconolactone to also fight dark spots on all skin tones. The next step is applying the viral Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, $14, / £12 also loved by Kaia Gerber.

“A lot of you have been commenting on how good my skin looks and I do want to tell you that while I am still very much a product girlie, I am also a person who believes in dermatologists and aestheticians,” Keke said in an October 2024 TikTok captioned “nighty night”, explaining how she combines reliable skincare products with her dermatologist’s advice.

“With the hormone issues that I’ve had to deal with, the medical approach was always something that worked best for me, so in addition to what my dermatologist prescribes for me I will also say that one of my favorite products is La Roche-Posay, and I’m not just saying that, I’m really truly meaning it.”

Aquaphor for the win

You can add Keke to the list of glam celebrity fans of Aquaphor! Sure, the multitasking, greasy-feeling Aquaphor Healing Ointment, $13, / £14.50 might be as about as un-glamorous as it gets. From my experience I can tell you it isn’t going to be the most Instagrammable product in your bathroom cabinet, but it will definitely be one of the most used! 

While in the past she’s used it for TikTok trending slugging, it appears that she now uses the ointment to just treat targeted dry spots on her face.  “I’m going to put on some good ole Aquaphor around my nose. Because I’ve been getting cracked up over there,” she said during a Vogue video, also applying the balm to her lips, too.

Nicole Kidman, Beyonce and Sofia Richie are also fans of the healing ointment and Meghan Markle’s makeup artist Daniel Martin even uses it as a highlighter. “Glowing skin is simply the appearance of very healthy and moisturised skin,” he once revealed. “Aquaphor will give you that same texture, especially in a photo when applied on the high points of the face.”