Pharrell Williams performs onstage during the 7th Biennial UNICEF Ball on April 14, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California.
Pharrell Williams has always been pretty elusive when it comes to answering questions about his skincare routine. While making music is probably his most prominent creative endeavor, in the past 10 years there’s been an ongoing obsession among fans surrounding how he’s kept his skin so flawless — even Travis Scott was curious. When asked about it, the age-defying artist has typically attributed his perennial glow to the simple act of “washing his face only with cold water” and aggressive exfoliation. Now, the skin god has answered all of our prayers with the release of his new skincare brand “Humanrace,” created in collaboration with Dr. Elena Jones, Williams’ longtime dermatologist. The three-step system (which includes a cleanser, an exfoliant, and a moisturizer) will be a culmination of the years of skincare education passed from Jones to Williams as they’ve worked to perfect his routine overtime.
"We adhered to the European standard of 1,300 banned ingredients as an important starting point and then we went further to develop our own restrictions," she told InStyle. "We worked to create products that had no rocks, nuts, seeds, or plastic particles in our formulas to ensure no microtears occur which can result in damaging your skin."
We hope Pharrell continues to drop skincare gems throughout the course of his Humanrace rollout, but in the meantime, before the product drops on November 25, we’ve gathered his top skin care tips over the years:
Wash Your Face With Cold Water
In 2014, Williams chopped it up with Angie Martinez in a Hot 97 interview where he shared that model Naomi Campbell passed along the tip to “Wash my face with cold water to keep pores closed.”
In an article for wellandgood.com Dr. Sheel Desai Solomon said, “It helps give your face vitality and more color. It also enhances the brightness of your skin by getting the circulation going and literally waking up your skin,” she says. “Since cold water is capable of shrinking the pores, it’s also something that can help make your face less shiny. That’s because it’s via your pores that oils produced by the sebaceous glands reach the surface of your skin. With the size of your pores considerably reduced, the number of oils that cover your face can be kept to a minimum.”
Be Diligent About Exfoliation
“You have to exfoliate like a crazy man,” Williams told Gayle King in a 2019 interview for CBS This Morning.
While exfoliation 1-2 times a week is highly recommended by dermatologists, people that get into the habit of over exfoliation risk painful cracking and peeling of the skin according to this Healthline article. In it, dermatologist Dr. Aanand Geria stated, “Skin can look waxy from wiping away skin cells and natural oils, allowing premature exposure of underlying skin. The skin appears as if it has a radiant shine, however, it is in fact very dry and exposed.”
Drink a Lot of Water
In addition to exfoliation, keeping hydrated is something Pharrell has touted as a part of his skincare routine. “When you exfoliate and you drink a lot of water, that does good for you,” he told Dazed.
In this blog post by Forefront Dermatology, board-certified Dr. Steven Deliduka of the same practice said, “I’ve found that water can have a significant impact in skin health. Without adequate water intake, skin appears duller, and wrinkles and pores more prominent. Proper hydration levels help the skin to become plump and improves its elasticity meaning it’s less likely to crack and have irritations and blemishes.” Stay hydrated!
Use Toner
Back in 2013, Williams told Into The Gloss that he uses the Glytone Clearing Toner and Moisturizer in conjunction with their self-foaming cleanser, passed onto him by his dermatologist. While there is no toner available in the Humanrace line (yet), according to this Allure article, toners address a multitude of skincare concerts from the overproduction of oil on your face, to moisturizing dry skin.
Drug Store Cleansers Work
Model Riley Montana revealed in her Top Shelf essay on Into The Gloss that her cleanser of choice is Cetaphil, a gentle and accessible face wash trusted by dermatologists for over 70 years. “I got that from Pharrell,” she said of the cleanser. He looks so young —I had to know what he did, so I Googled it.”
Cetaphil offers an array of gentle cleansers that target different concerts such as dry, oily, and normal to combination skin. Chemist Direct describes the cleansers as “Specially formulated to gently cleanse your skin and minimize dryness and irritation. Unlike everyday soaps, which are often harsh, Cetaphil cleansers are non-drying and non-irritating. They gently cleanse, soothe, and soften dry, sensitive skin without harming your skin's natural protective barrier or normal pH balance.” We are sure Humanrace's facial cleanser will offer a simmilar or more enhanced experience, but until it's out, consider Cetaphil.