Beauty Inside & Out: Elizabeth Chambers

In the ultimate quest for inner beauty and outer glow, Marie Claire asks our favorite trailblazers to share intel on finding balance in their busy lives. Read it all here, in Beauty Inside & Out. 

When it comes to self care, Elizabeth Chambers believes in the oxygen mask theory. “You can’t take care of others if you don’t have your oxygen mask on,” she says. “So for me, wellness is literally making sure you have that mask on—whatever that looks like for you. Self-care is finding a way to make sure that you're putting yourself first, so that you can be there for your other responsibilities in life.” When her kids Harper and Ford were little, that meant whipping out her oxygen machine during late night breastfeeding sessions (yes, we’re obsessed with this). More recently, it’s taken the form of late-night baths, power walks, and science-packed skincare talks with trusted skincare guru Lena Bratschi. 

Here, the Bird Bakery founder and Food Network host shares the daily practices—and products—that keep her on her A-game. From morning dance parties with the kids to the supplement that keeps her melasma away, Chambers is sharing all her beauty and wellness secrets, ahead. 

Inner Beauty 

Morning Dance Parties 

Especially on school days, we have a full dance party when the alarm goes off. I am not a morning person and neither are my kids. If left to our own devices, we would all probably sleep till 10. My daughter is obsessed with Dolly Parton, so today we had a dance party to "9 to 5." Music is a huge part of our morning. The adrenaline of getting both the kids out the door is better than any type of coffee. 

Productivity Walks 

Walks are everything. They get my thoughts in order, my blood flowing, and my brain going. For years, I’ve always called them urban hikes. I don't love the treadmill walk, I’d rather have a destination. I also weirdly like writing in my daytimer. I'm an old lady with a paper daytimer. Even going through my schedule or filling stuff in that happened in the past few days is really centering for me. I wouldn't call it journaling, but maybe walk and agenda-ing. It has to be productive. I am looking down, answering emails, dictating—it’s a productivity walk. 

Supplement Situation 

So in my twenties, I was obsessed with supplements and detoxing. I was always doing these crazy elaborate cleanses to pass gallstones that I didn't even have and detox heavy metals that probably weren't there. At one point, I think I was taking 45 supplements a day. My dad is super, super healthy and my mom opened the first health food store ever in San Antonio, so it was always a big part of my life. But, I really overdid it. Balance is everything. Now randomly I’ll take some multivitamins—not on a schedule. I really believe in glutathione; I do an IV push every other week. I also do a vitamin B12 complex—that’s huge. I see a boost in energy and clarity. 

Late Night R&R

I love a bath-wine-candle moment. Obviously life doesn’t allow for that all the time, but [when I can,] it’s a treat. A couple days a week I try to go to sleep around 8:30 with the kids. Other times, I’m up until 3:00 a.m.—polar opposites. If I am up until 3:00, that’s when I can do my wind down or actually get work done without being disturbed. I love an Insta scroll and I actually love a photo organization moment. I have 295,000 photos on my phone and my goal is to be better about being able to find photos as I need them. I love using that time to organize my photos.  

Outer Glow 

Melasma Fix 

I had melasma when Harper and Ford were born. I swear, I’ve done every laser and treatment available. But melasma has a mind of its own and there’s nothing more frustrating than someone saying it’s hormonal and there’s nothing you can do. But I cracked the code to melasma. Seven years later, I figured it out! It’s a prescription called tranexamic acid. It was originally used to eliminate heavy bleeding and then they realized it was making skin clearer and brighter. I went on it and I saw a little bit of a difference. Then, this other dermatologist said the acid alone is not going to cure it completely—you need to combine it with a supplement called Heliocare. It’s derived from a fern in the Amazon, which, I know, sounds like every gimmick. But it has completely changed my life. My skin has never been clearer; it’s my best kept secret. 

Science-y Skincare 

I used to use this foaming facial cleanser from Jurlique that I loved so much, then they discontinued it. I tried to reverse engineer it with a lab in LA. It was not the same. I actually never felt like anything made my skin as clean as that product. That was three years ago, but finally I decided to do the combination of Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Foaming Cleanser and Enzyme Cleanser. It creates the cleanliness without the squeaky imbalance of the pH. I love the DNA Vitamin C Crystals—they're incredible. I mix that with a variety of different oils or serums. I rotate my products a lot, but don’t necessarily rotate the lines. I love DNA, I love Osea, and I love Argentum.

My facialist, Lena, is like my skin guru—nobody in the world has more beautiful skin than she does. She’s so smart and is truly a mad scientist. She makes this cold fusion cream in LA and it’s a very buttery, whipped texture that’s just super, super hydrating. Everything I use is Lena-approved. 

Simple Makeup

My makeup routine is super simple—but it works. It’s literally a 45 second makeup routine. It’s efficient and it gets me out the door for drop off. I don’t feel like myself unless I’m wearing Clé de Peau Concealer. I put my concealer directly on my skin and then I take my Artis, which my kids call “The Magic Wand,” and I buff in the concealer. Then I do maybe a half a squirt of Clé de Peau Foundation directly on the Artis brush. I set it with Hourglass Translucent Powder. I always have my lashes lifted and tinted, which saves time in the morning. So maybe I’ll do a little mascara, maybe a cream-based shadow. It’s so fast. 

In-Office Treatments 

When I lived in LA, I was the most high-maintenance human. I didn’t realize it until I moved to an island where they didn’t have any lasers or treatments. I love Dr. Diamond's skin tightening treatment. It's incredible. I really do think emsculpting is incredible. I've done it on my abs. I've done it like on my triceps, and I've done it on my glutes. Consistency is key and I haven't really been able to be my high-maintenance self since I've been in the Caymans.

I also really love something that they’re doing here in the Cayman Islands. It’s not FDA-approved yet, but it’s called Profhilo. It’s an Italian product that is pure hyaluronic acid and it’s basically an injection into your face and neck. I’m scared of filler because, well, I just am. This doesn’t add volume, just texture—it’s moisturizing from the inside. This is the only thing that’s saved me from not having my high-maintenance routine the past two years. I see a really big difference under my eyes and just with the quality of my skin. 

Recipe for Success: Elizabeth’s Granola 

We have a Bird Bakery granola, which I promise you is the best granola you've ever tasted in your life. It can be frustrating because we think of granola as healthy food, but most of them are made with butter and a lot of refined sugar. Ours is made with olive oil, grade A maple syrup, pumpkin seeds, salted pistachios, and dried cherries. It's honestly the perfect snack. My kids love it. I put it over ice cream, have it with yogurt, have it with whatever nut milk—it's just incredible.