Nicole Richie Has Followed One Body-Care Rule Since the Day She Was Born

I have yet to meet anyone, celebrity or not, who claims they’ve never made a beauty mistake, and I’m thrilled to add another big name to the list of those willing to admit them: Nicole Richie. The actress and fashion designer recently partnered with Eucerin, joining Lucy Hale as a face of the Radiant Tone collection, a lineup of products formulated to reduce the look of dark spots and boost radiance.

And, as I learned when we spoke, the partnership is a natural fit. Richie’s admitted skin-care mistake was skipping sunscreen as a self-described “sun girl,” which she says led to the dark spots she manages with Eucerin today. But that’s not all I found out. Ahead, the notorious hair product we both regret using, the Southern-parents rule behind her body-care routine and the heavy winter cream she wears year-round, even in Los Angeles.

“I’ve been a Eucerin user for as long as I can remember. I’m a sun girl. I like to lay out in the sun, and unfortunately I didn’t use sunscreen. I do now, kind of, but that’s just who I am. So I was expecting the dark spots, and I was trusting the stars that somebody would come out with a product to help me keep everything even. And here we are. Eucerin ended up doing it, so it was a very natural partnership, and I’m really happy to work with them.”

“I have Southern parents, and it was a rule from the day I was born: You never left the house without both oil and lotion on. It would never occur to me not to focus on body care. Skin care is body care to me. That’s just the way it’s always been.”

“Probably 10 years ago. I was like, ‘Oh, here they come.’ I’ve tried different products, but I have to be really careful with my skin, so I always take a less-is-more approach. I can’t do lasers and all of that because of my skin tone. Eucerin is such a trusted brand, and it’s really worked for me.”

“I live in L.A., so unfortunately the weather isn’t getting that much colder. I actually use a heavy winter cream on my face truly all year long. I can handle that kind of moisturizer.”

“I really have to use something extremely natural. I can’t get fancy with products. I can’t just pop into Sephora and grab whatever face mask or anything else off the shelf. I simply can’t do it. I break out, and it’s bad. I know what I need, and I stick to it.”

“The biggest difference is that in my twenties I was down to try anything. There was a stage when I would put Body Shop body butter on my face because I’d run out of face moisturizer and figured I’d get more later. I’d grab anything I could and use it, and it was really bad. I was doing too much to my skin.”

“Oh, I loved Sun-In. I forgot about that. It didn’t work for anyone. I don’t know anyone who became a beautiful blonde from it. I would be orange.”

Radiant Tone Dual Serum Dark Spot Corrector

Radiant Tone Dark Spot Corrector Body Cream

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

At NewBeauty, we get the most trusted information from the beauty authority delivered right to your inbox.

FIND A DOCTORFind a NewBeauty "Top Beauty Doctor" Near you