Aja Naomi King’s Most Expensive Skincare Product Is Only $30

Welcome to Beauty Around the Clock, Marie Claire's weekly peek into the daily lives of some of the most game-changing men and women in their industries. Ever wonder how they get it all done in a day? Here's your answer.

Skincare keeps getting more complicated, climbing up to 12 steps and thousands of dollars. So I can respect that Aja Naomi King starts and stops her routine with the basics. It’s three steps max—and the priciest product she owns is from the drugstore. “I’m so budget-friendly, and I love simplicity,” the actress exclusively tells Marie Claire while discussing L’Oréal Paris’ Stand Up Against Street Harassment campaign.

Her pared-down routine might be basic, but it’s effective. It keeps her adult acne under control and her skin so clear that she barely wore any foundation for the entirety of Lessons in Chemistry. “My acne turned me into a skincare person,” she jokes. Despite her no-frills at-home regimen, the How to Get Away With Murder star will invest in a good chemical peel or microneedling treatment.

Read ahead to get the breakdown on King’s entire routine and shop her favorite products.

I was so lucky when I was younger because I didn’t have acne. I thought, oh, so my skin is perfect. I didn’t think I had to do anything, and I never thought about skincare. But as I got older, the acne started. Everyone else was done with it, and I was just beginning the joys of acne. Then, working in the industry, all this makeup gets put on your face—layers and layers. Skincare became so essential for me because I didn’t want to see acne on camera or look like I had bad skin.

My morning skincare routine is all about hydration. It’s very simple because I like things to be easy. I’m a huge fan of L’Oreal’s Revitalift cleanser—it’s worked really well for my skin and I’ve seen such a difference. I’ve been using that for years. I use a hyaluronic acid serum and Bright Reveal; both are lightweight and not greasy. To top it off, I use SPF.

I am really low-maintenance. I’ll do mascara, my brows, and, of course, apply SPF. I was even wearing low-maintenance makeup like this on Lessons of Chemistry. The lead makeup artist was really big on seeing skin. The '50s can be very stylized makeup-wise, but we were going more for women who were doing so much out in the world that their makeup was very minimal.

I use the Calm app and do breathing work. I like to sit still with myself and really try to cleanse my mind and aura.

We get so bogged down by our thoughts sometimes—we try to save the world inside of our brains, and that can be overwhelming. I like trying to be present. What I did is done. Whatever I haven’t done is not going to happen until tomorrow. So I just let it all go.

If I have five minutes to bring myself back to Zen, I will find an essential oil—eucalyptus oil or a scent that really resonates with me. I will put that on my fingertips, smell it, and meditate for five minutes.

I try not to manipulate my hair too much with any kind of excess pulling, tugging, or touching. Everyone’s hair is different, but I keep it as low-maintenance as possible. If I’m going to put heat on my hair though, I’m using the Elvive moisture serum. I also really like their shampoo and conditioner.

I'm consistent with sleeping in a silk scarf. It helps prevent breakage or damage from rubbing your hair on a cotton sheet or pillow. It’s also so nice to keep your hair off your face. I also clean my pillowcases and sheets regularly.

I tried to get into all of those LED masks and stuff like that, but I can’t keep up with it. My most expensive product is probably like 30 bucks.

I'm a ridiculous human being, and I constantly buy the L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara. I just always put it in my cart even though I have some. It’s a compulsion. I have to have it. I don’t even know why or understand myself.

I love to get a beta-chemical peel. I’m really into that. It helps me get all the dead skin off and start fresh. I go to Facile Skin.

These days, if I’m not doing anything or meeting anyone, it’s going to be a brow and mascara day—especially if I’m just getting up, working out, and running some errands.

The best beauty advice I've ever received is caring for my skin. Every makeup artist that I work with has always noted how my skin looks so great. It makes it easier for them to do makeup and, I end up feeling really great because then my makeup isn’t about trying to hide something. It becomes about enhancing what’s already there.

I want to preface this by saying that I did like my results. But, I would never do it again. I tried microneedling and it sounded like someone taking a hammer and banging it against a wall every second. For me, it was really intense and I did not enjoy it. I actually found it traumatizing. I didn’t feel anything—I was totally fine—but the sound made me jump.

I also didn’t know that your blood is on your face, so that was really shocking. I did absolutely no research.

I once bleached my hair. I was going for this blonde-ish look, which I hated. I didn’t try to do it myself—I’m not that crazy. I went to a colorist and she was great, but I just hated it. It made me realize how much I love my dark hair.

Right now I’m obsessed with Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter. I’m listening nonstop. It’s just so good. I cannot wait for her to do a concert.

I cannot apply an individual lash to save my life. My hand trembles. It’s really hard and it seems like it shouldn’t be. I also cannot get behind the magnetic lashes. I can’t do it. I hear the word magnet and I just feel like it should not be near my eye.

My guiding beauty lights are definitely my makeup artists. I trust them all [Vincent Oquendo, Diana Shin, Joanna Simkin] and they’re brilliant.

The bleached brow look. I think it looks cool on other people, but I will never do it to myself. I’ll love it on you from afar.

It’s very quick and simple. I cleanse my face, apply my Revitalist serum and top it off with moisturizer and retinol. Then I just tie my hair up in a scarf and go to bed.

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