- Dolly Parton shared the simple skincare practice that keeps her skin healthy and glowing.
- She doesn’t believe expensive products or fancy serums are necessary to have good skin, but sun protection is.
- “I don’t have a lot of the same problems that women my age do ’cause I never baked myself in the sun.”
Dolly Parton loves her makeup. The bold eyeliner and glamorous eyeshadow are part of her trademark look (which, fun fact, was modeled after her “town tramp.”) But when it comes to skincare, the Queen of Country prefers to keep things simple and affordable. And she recently shared her best-kept secret for glowing skin at 76.
“I don’t do any big rituals with my skin or anything, and I don’t think you have to pay a ton of money to have good products,” she recently told Insider. “Most of the products that cost less are just as good, and sometimes better than the ones that cost a fortune.”
Even as one of the most celebrated celebs in country music, she’s not one to be swayed by labels. “I don’t buy for fame,” she added. “I just buy the ones that work for me.”
With that being said, for Parton, tending to the skin is more about practice than product. And the most crucial advice she still follows continues to make a huge difference: She avoids extended sun exposure at all costs.
“I never got out in the sun,” she said of when she was younger. “I don’t have a lot of the same problems that women my age do ’cause I never baked myself in the sun. I would’ve if I’d been able to tan but I couldn’t, so now I’m glad!”
Not only is proper sun protection inherently anti-aging, it, more importantly, helps prevent skin cancer, which is why everyone should wear at least an SPF 30 on a daily basis—yes, even when it’s cloudy.
“Sunscreen is the most crucial step of your regular skincare routine,” Y. Claire Chang, M.D., a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist at Union Square Laser Dermatology in New York previously told Prevention.
The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends applying a shot glass-sized amount to the entire body, which equates to about a nickel-sized dollop for the face and neck. And because sunscreen can easily sweat away, it should be reapplied at least every two hours.
But of course, no sunscreen or UPF sun-protective clothing will ever fully guard you from 100% of the sun’s harmful rays, which is why it’s crucial to follow Parton’s advice and take shade whenever possible. If you do that, you may have a chance at thriving as swimmingly as the Queen of Country is at 76.
For a more extensive list of dermatologist-approved sunscreen picks, check out our list of the 16 Best Sunscreens for Every Skin Type.
