Helen Mirren is proof that beauty has no age. At 80, the actress still leaves the GH beauty team in awe at her red-carpet appearances, always glowing. With a glam squad on speed dial, you might expect her bathroom shelves to be lined with luxurious serums and creams but, as it turns out, her beauty routine is refreshingly down to earth.
Ever since her role as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, fans have continued to refer to her as ‘the Queen’ – so it might come as a surprise to learn that the woman who portrayed royalty and elegance so convincingly is also an avid fan of high-street beauty.
Helen isn’t shy about it, either. In an Instagram post the actress shared in 2021, she photographed a bottle of CVS castor oil sitting on a counter, writing: ‘Things I like.. Castor oil, not for its laxative properties, but for hair, skin, nails in tiny amounts.’ Better yet, the post didn’t seem affiliated with any ads or sponsorships; it was just a woman sharing a beauty secret she was proud of.
While the exact bottle of castor oil Helen uses isn’t available in the UK, that’s hardly a barrier – you can pick up a good-quality bottle for less than £5.
100% Pure Organic Cold-Pressed Castor Oil
Indeed, castor oil has its fair share of beauty benefits – our pros at the GHI Beauty & Personal Care Lab just advise to use it with caution. ‘Castor oil acts as a lubricant, coating and conditioning [hair] strands to improve smoothness and shine,’ says senior chemist Danusia Wnek.
GHI Beauty Lab reviews analyst Chiara Butler agrees, adding that products formulated with castor oil are ‘designed to work well on hair by combining the emollience of castor oil with other conditioning ingredients’. She just notes that too much oil can cause your hair to feel oily and weighed down.
In addition to castor oil, in an interview with Marie Clare Helen recently shared that her go-to for nighttime is a face cream from L’Oréal. ‘I have no beauty routine, except I do always clean my face at night. I’ll always put a moisturiser on at night, usually the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Anti-Aging Face Moisturizer.’
Helen’s glowing skin is more than enough to convince us…
