Selma Blair Reveals How Her Latest Skincare Endeavor Helped Her Come to Terms With Aging: 'I Don’t Want to Fight My Face'

Selma Blair may be known for playing mean girl Vivian in Legally Blonde, but her personal brand is anything but bitter.

The actress, 53, is using her platform to empower women to embrace aging. Case in point: her latest endeavor, a collaboration with skincare brand ESK. After years of dealing with “reactive, inflamed skin,” she launched the Ultimate A Gold night cream to show others who suffer from the same that there is hope.

In an exclusive interview with OK!, Blair broke down why ESK is not just another celebrity beauty brand she’s “slapping [her] name on,” and why she’s living her best era yet.

Blair never considered herself a skincare junkie — until a facial disaster inspired her to start taking care of her complexion.

“After a facial went terribly wrong and a parade of harsh products left my skin raw and painfully reactive, I felt like nothing would ever calm it down,” she shared. “ESK was recommended, and within days the burning stopped, the redness faded, and my skin finally began to heal. For me, it was transformative.”

For years, Blair “threw everything” at her complexion, including harsh peels and lasers. She damaged the barrier of her skin, and the visible redness and irritation was a “big wake-up call.”

“Once I found ESK, I became much more intentional about what I put on my face,” she said. “I wouldn’t call myself a 'junkie,' but I am a student of it now. I want to understand what actually works and what’s worth trusting.”

It was important to the actress not to just “slap [her] name” on a skincare brand. Unlike other celebrity beauty companies on the market, she believes her partnership with ESK was born out of “necessity” and “desperation” to heal her face.

“After years of reactive, inflamed skin, I finally found something that worked gently. ESK had already been quietly doing that: science-driven formulas, evidence first, no fluff,” the mom-of-one said.

Blair worked hand-in-hand with Dr. Ginni Mansberg to create a moisturizer that would tackle fine lines, hyperpigmentation, pore size and aging, while still protecting and repairing the skin barrier.

“For me, this is about authenticity, about relief, about something I felt safe endorsing, not just marketing,” the Dancing With the Stars alum expressed. “If someone with very reactive skin like mine can use it, then you know it’s different.”

Now in her 50s, the Cruel Intentions actress feels like her best self and is comfortable with maturing — and embracing her skin has helped her build that confidence.

“Honestly, there’s no secret. Aging is natural, and it’s happening whether we like it or not,” she pointed out. “What’s helped me is being gentler with myself and my skin. I don’t want to fight my face, I want to support it. Products like Ultimate A Gold are part of that, because they help with cell renewal, hydration, and tone, without wrecking my skin.”

The movie star — who was diagnosed with MS in October 2018 — has had her fair share of medical scares, but she isn’t letting that stop her from leading her life with purpose.

“I’ve had health struggles, I’ve had setbacks with my skin, but now I feel grounded,” she said. “Launching Ultimate A Gold with ESK feels like a culmination of a lot of lessons learned, and it’s deeply personal to me. So yes, I feel like I’m my best self, but know that I am always still growing. I’m excited to be in this new chapter of my life.”