Jennifer Aniston has had plenty of headline-making moments in her career — but one constant is her hair. Whether it's long, short, beachy or pin-straight, there's no shortage of styles the multi-hyphenate has tried. And yes — the haircut that started it all still comes up.
While she burst on the scene with a hairstyle that inspired a movement and continues to live on in the lexicon, it wasn't a natural fit — at first. In a phone interview with Shop TODAY editorial director Adrianna Brach, Aniston explains that to her, "The Rachel" wasn’t easy. “I have curly hair, and unless you have a live-in Chris McMillan, you’re left going, ‘Oh my goodness.’” Learning to manage her curls led her to healthier habits — including McMillan’s push to embrace dry shampoo instead of daily washes. “I resisted at first, but once I tried it, I was hooked. It’s one of the easiest ways to protect your hair.”
For the actress, who turned 56 this year, healthy habits don't just stop at the hair. She also opened up about her fitness routine, crediting one workout as her exercise of choice. The pick? Aniston opened up about Pvolve, a low-impact workout, which she's been doing for four years. “I needed something that wasn’t destroying my body,” she says. While she is partnered with the brand, Aniston previously told TODAY.com that "[It’s about] keeping your bones and keeping your muscles strong, so we avoid osteoporosis or falling and breaking a hip."
But physical wellbeing isn't her only focus. When it comes to wellness, Aniston emphasized the importance of taking care of your mind as well. “We’re living in a time filled with unimaginable things. Our mental wellness is extremely important right now," she shared.
When asked about "Friends," Aniston still lights up. Courteney Cox recently called a Thanksgiving episode her favorite, while Aniston fondly remembers dancing to TLC’s "Waterfalls" between takes and delivering the now-iconic line “Monica broke my seashell lamp.” “'Friends' was like doing a play. The best part was always when we were all in a scene together.”
Now, decades after “The Rachel” became a global phenomenon, she’s still finding new ways to keep her strands healthy and helping the rest of us do the same through her brand, LolaVie.
The latest launch? Perfecting Dry Shampoo, which Aniston says took “a while to perfect.” She refused to settle on how it should look, feel or function. “We didn’t want an aerosol. It had to be mess-free, precise and actually good for your hair — not just mask oil.”
Made with rice powder, the formula absorbs oil, revives roots and adds lift. On a recent shoot, her longtime hairstylist Chris McMillan even used it as a texturizer. “It’s such a win when something works in more than one way,” she says.
LolaVie debuted in 2021 with the Glossing Detangler, born from Aniston’s “Swiss Army knife” approach to hair care. “For years, I’d mix products together to get the result I wanted,” she says. “I love creating things that are natural, cruelty-free and actually effective.”
For now, Aniston is wrapping post-production on season four of “The Morning Show” and preparing for season five — all while developing the next LolaVie product. “If I’m making something, I want it to be worth your while,” she promises.
As part of our Shopping Diaries series, we spoke with the actress more about her favorite products from her go-to lotion to her photoshoot must-have.
Shopping Diaries: Jennifer Aniston
Her budget-friendly must-have:
We're always pleasantly surprised when a celeb favorite is also an affordable drugstore find. For Aniston, this bar is a staple as she notes that "I’ve used this since I can remember.”
According to the brand, the bar is packed with good-for-you ingredients like glycerin and is free from harsh detergents, dyes or hardeners.
The home mainstay:
When it comes to a beauty staple that's never far from reach, this pick is Aniston's go-to. While the actress does have a longtime partnership with the brand, she notes that this pick is “always in my bathroom.”
Per the brand, the lotion is fast-absorbing, is made with prebiotic oat for gentle hydration and is non-greasy.
Her photoshoot must-have:
Between shooting movies, running a brand and working on all the projects Aniston has in the pipeline, sticking to a skin care routine might be hard. When it comes to a product that helps with a variety of concerns, Aniston cites Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream as a go-to, saying that it's “great for sunburns, skin irritation and photoshoots.”
