Jennifer Garner Shares Her Go-To Skin-Care Products: 'This Bad Boy Is No Joke'

Jennifer Garner committed to a "50 before 50" series on her Instagram Stories this April, sharing daily posts in the lead-up to her 50th birthday. "Do I wish I could go back and, do the last 20 years with everything I know now, of course, but also not really," she now tells Shape of her outlook on the milestone. "Because where I am now is great, and I want to just really enjoy it and not waste any time that I have on this planet wishing for something else."

Behind the scenes, turning 50 has also made Garner generally "more mindful" about skin care, but she hasn't felt inclined to give her routine a complete overhaul. Instead, she's sticking to a formula that's been working for her: sunscreen, hyaluronic acid, retinol, and consistency, she says.

More specifically, in the morning she's reaching for Neutrogena Hydro Boost Moisturizer after washing her face in the shower. A longtime ambassador for the brand, Garner appreciates the ease of applying a product that's a hyaluronic acid moisturizer and SPF 50 sunscreen in one, she says.

During her p.m. skin-care routine, Garner incorporates Neutrogena products containing retinol, a vitamin A derivative that stimulates collagen production and speeds up cell turnover. "I love the Retinol Pro+ Power Serum," she says. "This bad boy is no joke. I'll start with serum and sometimes while I have the serum on, that's when I'll floss and brush to give it a minute to absorb."

Then, she'll apply Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Pro+ Eye Cream followed by Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturizer. "I'll tell you something, I was a little nervous to try this new Retinol Pro+ Eye Cream, because I'd never used retinol around my eyes," she admits. "But it's super gentle. I have no issues and I wear contacts and I'm always super, super careful...And it does help with getting little wrinkles and things around [the eyes]."

The actress alternates between using the retinol products and Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Serum and Moisturizer every other night, to avoid irritation. "I'm not an every-night-retinol person," she says. "It's too strong for me and I'll turn bright red, but I love the effects of it."

While Garner has evidently put some thought into her skin-care routine, she also believes her workout regimen plays a key role in her skin's health. She favors workouts with trainer Beth Nicely that incorporate dance, plyometrics, and strength training. "I do think that being consistent with workouts is a big part of having healthy skin," says Garner. "You've got to keep your blood moving." She notices a change in her skin immediately after her sweat sessions. "Man, there's no time that I feel more like myself, more like I look pretty...The time I'm going to feel absolutely my best is right after a hard workout and a shower because my skin has a lot of vibrancy," she says.

Another factor that Garner believes has had a positive effect on her skin: cutting back on alcohol. "After the pandemic when [my friends and I] were all stuck at home, we all realized that we look better if we are not drinking," she says. "And that was really like, 'Uh, oh no, I wish that weren't true.' But the more we talked about it amongst ourselves, the more we talked to each other, the more we were like, 'Oh no, it's really true.' So, all of my girlfriends, we've all cut way back on drinking and that's a big thing."

Garner seems to take skin-care just as seriously as celebrating milestones in her life. Her current strategy includes applying a lineup of drugstore products, moderating how much she drinks, and completing workouts that boost her circulation.