Alexis Ren is an open book. The 24-year-old model, influencer, and soon-to-be actor has been forthcoming about topics like body image and mental health since the start of her career nearly 10 years ago. She even has a dedicated platform called We Are Warriors, where she goes deep on physical and mental health, shares wellness tips, and spotlights experts in everything from finance to Pilates.
When it comes to skin care, Ren has a similarly candid approach. “I’ve made it a purpose of mine to break the taboo [when it comes to treatments],” she tells Glamour. “It’s weird when celebrities say, ‘Oh, yeah, I just used this cream.’ It’s like, ‘No, you don’t.’ I want to help girls understand that.” When it comes to treatments, new technologies, and cosmetic surgery, Ren is all for it. “I think it’s spiritual and so empowering to be like, ‘I literally can be whoever I want.’”
She continues, “I want to be that girl to be like, ‘No, get the nose job. If you want it, get it. Don’t feel like you’re being peer-pressured into society’s beauty standard. You’re doing what you know is going to make you happy, and that should be celebrated.”
Her view on it: Anything you do—including cosmetic surgery—should be for your own health and well-being. “I have so many conversations with young girls where they’ll say, ‘Yeah, I would love to get this done, I would love to get this one.’ I am like, ‘Don’t feel guilty for that. Don’t be ashamed, because every single girl that you look up to, I promise you, has had work done.’”
And she’s so passionate about educating her Warriors that she recently hosted a workshop with celebrity facialist Sonya Dakar, who Ren credits for most of her own skin-care knowledge. “She’s helped me understand the types of substances that work on my skin,” Ren says. “She came on and taught a skin course to my community, and she broke down why we need vitamins, why we need hyaluronic acid. Then you don’t have to rely on one brand. You can be like, ‘I’m just looking for these exact ingredients.’ It puts the power back in your hands.”
When it comes to her own routine, Ren is all about consistency. “It’s similar to how I feel about working out,” she says. “It’s not about doing intense products or harsh things. It’s really just about consistency and making sure that when I wash my face, it’s 100%. If I have to, I’ll wash my face twice. That’s what I think really took my skin to the next level: when I realized how hard it is to get everything off. It’s more of training your skin or body to be on a certain regimen.”
Below, Ren breaks down what she calls her “skin-care army” for the latest installment of Drop the Routine.
My cleansers
I use two facial cleansers: One of them is the Sensi Wash by Sonya Dakar, and the other one is the Blueberry Rebalancing 5.5 Cleanser from Innisfree. The Sensi wash is made with oat milk, so it has this milky feel. That doesn’t actually get the makeup off; it just cleanses my face. If have makeup on, I use something soapy that’s going to get rid of everything and that’s the Innisfree.
My toner
I use the Elaluz All Day Beauty Water. That’s not a toner, but it does the same thing for me. I spray it on just to hydrate my skin, and then I put on my serums.
My serums
I just started implementing the Sonya Dakar Super Clear as a base. It’s a preventative thing for breakouts, and I use it every day. Then I use the vitamin C serum with hyaluronic and vitamin C, which I’ve learned is important. I kind of pat it on as opposed to rub it in, because it peels away, which is kind of weird.
My spot treatment
For the actual breakouts, I use the Starface patches. They’re so fun; I forget they’re on, and people are like, “Why do you have a sticker on your face?” They really work, it trips me out! I’m like, “Whoa, it’s gone.”
