Summary
Like Dorian Gray, does Pharrell have a painting of himself that ages instead of him? Probably not and Pharrell has been extensively sharing his grooming routine, his secret to getting older without showing it on your face.
Pharrell is 51 years old and does not look like it. He started in music with his buddy Chad Hugo as The Neptunes. Together they produced the music of the 2000s: Nelly’s Hot in Herre, Jay-Z’s "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)”, Britney Spears’s “Slave 4 U”. He’s been in the business for 30 years, now being the creative director of Louis Vuitton Men’s and nothing shows on his face.
“Your face is your personality, it’s the expression of who you are,” he told GQ in 2020, adding “you gotta take care of that!” So let’s get into it.
Step 1: Cleanse Like You Mean It
Pharrell has always emphasized the importance of clean skin, treating it as the foundation of any good skincare routine. The grime and oil that accumulate on our faces throughout the day need to be removed, not only to prevent breakouts but also to allow the skin to breathe and regenerate. A top tip from Naomi Campbell that Pharrell often quotes: "When you wash your face, you go upward, not downward—gravity!" So there you have it.
A great way to kick off your Pharrell glow-up is by using our Purifying Face Cleanser. It rids your skin of impurities without pulling or drying it out. The result is refreshed, clean skin ready to absorb the next step in your routine. Cleansing twice daily—just like Pharrell—helps maintain clear, radiant skin, ensuring that your face looks as fresh as the beats he crafted for Kelis’ hit Milkshake. Whoever you’re bringing to the yard.
Step 2: “Exfoliate like a madman”
That’s what Pharrell told Vogue back in 2020, adding “that’s what keeps you fresh!” So it’s clear that regular exfoliation is a key part of Pharrell’s youthful glow. By shedding the old skin cells, you make room for fresh skin to shine through, allowing your natural radiance to take center stage, just like Pharrell does when he’s on stage.
The Gentle Face Scrub is perfect for this. It unclogs pores and buffs away dead cells while remaining gentle on your skin, preventing irritation. Swap it for your cleanser once a week. It’s all you need to keep your face smooth and ready to absorb all the goodness from the rest of your skincare routine.
Step 3: Hit the Target with Serums
As Pharrell has aged, his skincare routine has also evolved to include clever serums that work beneath the surface. Serums are essential for addressing specific concerns like fine lines, wrinkles, and dehydration. Pharrell’s ability to maintain his youthful look is partly due to using these high-performance treatments that go beyond skincare basics. As he once advised Tyler, The Creator: “Get older, not old.”
To get your own slice, try the Bio-Retinol + Argireline® Peptide Serum. It works on two fronts: bio-retinol reduces the appearance of dark spots and fills fine lines, without making skin sensitive in the way that retinols and retinoids do. Argireline® peptide—aka "Botox in a bottle"—relaxes facial muscles, smoothing the formation of new wrinkles. The combination will keep your skin looking as fresh as Pharrell’s hooks in Gust of Wind.
Step 4: Don’t Neglect the Eyes
The skin around your eyes is delicate, and as Pharrell shows, paying attention to this area can make a big difference in how youthful you look. Pharrell’s routine definitely includes an eye cream to keep the area smooth and bright.
The Moisturizing Eye Cream is an excellent way of targeting puffiness, dark circles, and under-eye bags. Remember, the skin around your eyes is one of the first places to show wrinkles, so taking care of it will help you avoid looking tired or older than you feel.
Step 5: Moisturize and Protect
"We as Black people or people of color all need to be cognizant of the UV rays,” Pharrell told Vogue back in 2020, adding “skin health is something I think everyone needs to pay attention to!” He’s also drawn attention to the dramatic impact climate change is having on sun exposure.
Hydrating and protecting your skin - as well as counteracting those UV rays - is easy with an SPF. That’s where the Mattifying Face Moisturizer SPF30 comes in. It hydrates your skin, controls shins and most importantly, offers that crucial SPF protection to shield your skin from harmful UV rays. Exposure to the sun is one of the main causes of premature aging, but this moisturizer will keep you looking as fresh as Pharrell's classic tunes. By moisturizing daily, you’ll help prevent the kind of skin damage that’s irreversible over time.
Step 6: Lifestyle Matters
"Your face is only as good as the energy that comes from behind it," Pharrell said. (He’s a skincare fanatic, in case you hadn’t caught on yet). His youthful glow is also a product of his healthy lifestyle. Drinking plenty of water, eating a balanced diet rich in antioxidants, and getting enough sleep all contribute to healthy, vibrant skin. His outlook on life, combined with his skincare habits, is why he looks just as radiant as he did when Frontin’ became a global hit in 2003.
"The routine is number 1," he says, "I don’t care what you’re doing—genes, genetics. It doesn’t matter. You’ve got to cleanse your face and use a cloth, people! We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.