Ever felt that instant connection when you discover a celebrity shares your everyday concerns? Well, prepare to feel validated.
For the multi-talented actress, host, entrepreneur, and now proud mother, Keke Palmer, relatable issues like acne and hyperpigmentation are all too familiar. But fret not—she’s not just facing them head-on, she’s sharing her secrets, which includes the latest launch from expert-loved skin-care brand La Roche-Posay.
Enter: La Roche-Posay MelaB3 Serum. With 18 years of clinical research and a five-month clinical study under its belt, this serum targets and corrects even the most stubborn dark spots.
According to the brand, it addresses the third most common concern among facial moisturizer/treatment users in the U.S.—dark spots. The magic ingredient? Melasyl, a groundbreaking molecule developed by L’Oreal innovation.
In celebration of this launch, we sat down with Keke Palmer, diving into all things skin care, acne, podcasts, and the joys of motherhood.
Tell me about your partnership with La Roche-Posay. Do you have any history with hyperpigmentation?
“I have tons of history with discoloration or hyperpigmentation. I’ve always struggled with acne, since I was as young as 12. And even when I would get over my acne or my skin would be flat, I would always deal with discoloration. Anybody that’s ever dealt with it, or been highly melanated, knows it’s one of the biggest drawbacks. Even when you get your skin cleared, there’s always going to be some dark spots.
I was first introduced to La Roche-Posay on my search of good skin care to help clear my skin. I found them organically before we even started to work together. And then I got reintroduced to them in a more professional fashion, and really was interested in their new product, the MelaB3.”
Is MelaB3 part of your routine?
“I’ve just gotten into it and I’m learning so much about it. I’m using it morning and night every day. I’m really excited to just dive in. But I 100-percent believe that there will be positive effects considering all of the success that I’ve had with all their other products. They have a wonderful line entirely. So this new product, I know it’s going to be just as good as those.”
Has your beauty routine or your skin itself changed at all since becoming a mom?
“Insanely enough, my skin was better when I was pregnant. I think a lot of my skin issues came from hormones. So for me it was interesting that when I got pregnant, it started to make my skin a lot clearer and then it was the most horrifying thing in the world to see my acne come back and have all those fluctuations again after having my son.”
Your skin looks super smooth now. Has the acne faded with time?
“Yeah, I think it’s the consistent product usage. I’ll be honest, one of my favorite cleansers is the La Roche-Posay in the blue bottle, it’s kind of clear. I use that every single day and I really do feel like it helps my skin a lot. Also one of their balms I use and I really love it a lot. It really is good for my skin. It moisturizes it, it keeps it juiced up.
I think one of the things that we get confused about with skin is we assume that the more we dry it out, the better it’ll be. But actually, it’s the reverse. Keeping it moisturized actually stops that sebum from over-producing to make your face moisturized, which actually results in more acne.
So it’s been a big help. I still have stuff here and there, but I’m trying to always manage both the acne and the discoloration. Which is why this new edition of MelaB3 is so awesome, because it’s going to actually treat discoloration too.”
You sing, you act, you host, you’re a business owner. Is there a job you feel most yourself doing?
“I feel most comfortable when I’m doing either hosting or doing music because it’s me existing in my own space. But I will be honest, there’s a part of me that likes to play pretend and likes to explore myself through different characters. So I’m obviously not all my characters, but I do think we all have shadow sides and light sides. And when you can act, you get the opportunity to explore how deep you can go into those other spaces. I guess that’s why I love entertaining.”
It seems like it comes naturally. You interview so many incredible people on your podcast. Do you have a dream guest?
“That is so hard. I mean, I just recently had a dream guest, which was Snoop Dogg. I loved having him on and talking to him. That was absolutely amazing. I think I’m interested in poking Neil deGrasse Tyson’s brain, especially because I’m so into astrology and I feel like he would totally be debunking all of that, but also giving me new language that will be fun to explore.
I also think Taylor Swift is cool, in a business-savvy way. Just all the stuff that she’s done and how she speaks up against misogyny and just all the conversations we can have surrounding that.
I mean, obviously if you’re just shooting for the stars, Beyoncé, but she don’t talk to nobody.” [laughs]
I think she’d talk to you. In a recent interview you said you’ve had more confidence after becoming a mother. Is that still true for you?
“It is. I think when you have a baby, there’s something about life that becomes so much clearer. It puts everything into perspective. It really became so much easier for me to know what I wanted to be a part of my life and what I didn’t want a part of my life when I have someone that needs me to be my best. So it allows you to really understand it, to cut through the bullshit so to speak, because you don’t want anything that’s going to impede on you being everything that you need to be for this little person that is depending on you.”
