Jenna Dewan on Her Postpartum Skincare Routine and the Art of Juggling in the Mornings

If you’re like me (an older millennial who swears she was a backup dancer in another life), then you probably know (and love) Jenna Dewan best from her role as Nora in the 2006 Step Up film. The actress also stars in ABC’s The Rookie, where she plays Bailey Nune, and has recently added starring and producing some Lifetime films (which all single-handedly kept my spirits alive during my recent maternity leave) to her repertoire.

When she isn’t working, Dewan is clocked into her full-time role as mom to three little ones, which, in my eyes, as a first-time mom, makes her a certified superhero. Ahead, I caught up with the actress, who is currently partnering with Neostrata, a professional skincare line offering targeted formulas for specific concerns (like hyperpigmentation, melasma, and acne, to name a few) to chat about her post-baby skincare routine, plus how she gears up for busy days juggling, well, all the things.

Tending to her kids comes first

“Generally, there are two kinds of mornings I can have depending on if I have an early call time or not. For example, this morning I wake up when Rhiannon [Dewan’s youngest child] wakes up, which is usually before everyone. Then, I breastfeed her, bring her into the bathroom with me to change into some sort of outfit that is presentable enough for school drop-offs.”

Then, her skincare comes next

“Then, of course I do my skincare routine which helps me to prioritize keeping my skin healthy, despite being busy. I use the Neostrata Glycolic Face Wash ($40), Vitamin C Serum ($55), and the Triple Firming Neck Cream ($98) every single morning and everything takes me literally less than one minute.”

“I’ve struggled with melasma for years after a laser treatment that I did in an effort to smooth out acne scarring. I didn’t know at the time, but I’m a lot more informed about the condition so I am always trying to keep it at bay, but hormones and heat really triggers it. So far, it has gotten a bit worse with every pregnancy, but using the right ingredients consistently has helped me for the most part. I did have really bad acne in my early twenties and my breakouts would leave scars, but luckily postpartum acne hasn’t been on my bingo card which is great.”

A lot of juggling is involved to get out of the door

“Once my skincare is done and I am dressed I go in and wake up my daughter and Callum, and this is where the juggling act begins. I put the baby in a carrier and while she’s chilling, we all go downstairs and get breakfast and lunches made in an assembly line. I take my vitamins if I remember, and pour some coffee then it’s time to go. Then, Steve and I are carting all the kids off in the car, sometimes I take them to school or vice versa. Then we come home around 9:30am and we have a whole day ahead of us, which usually involves tons of work calls.”

On mornings when she isn’t prioritizing family and working, she carves out time for self care

“I would say when I’m not momming or working I do carve out time for a good bath which is one of my go-to ways to really calm my nervous system. I love to pour a ton of epsom salt and some essential oils, even if it’s just for 20 minutes. If I can’t get into a long bath, I like to read a bit or watch a TV show. I do like to meditate but a lot of the time when I get a moment to myself in the morning I call my mom or a friend. It’s truly the little things that turn into self-care that you wouldn’t have realized before you have kids.”

Or schedules a massage

“If I have time for a massage it’s definitely my favorite wellness treatment. Lymphatic drainage massage has really helped me post-baby and post-surgery to really help get things moving.  So a long bath, massage, facial—anything along those lines you really appreciate more when you don’t have all the time in the world.”