At 54, Melissa Gilbert has finally found herself. And she loves what she sees.
“I feel very much solidly in my own skin. That comes out when I look at myself in the mirror — and I couldn’t have that when I looked like an ingenue,” she said.
Gilbert is embracing her laugh lines. She's let her red hair go gray. Inside and out, she’s all about authenticity. Her husband, actor and director Timothy Busfield, always reinforces how beautiful she looks. She had her breast implants removed. She stopped getting Botox injections. And she rejects all forms of plastic surgery.
Her turning point: "I looked in the mirror and saw an expressionless face. Our job is to show emotion. You can't do that if you can't frown and you can't smile. That's when I went, 'This has to stop.'"
She still has flickers of self-doubt, which is only natural.
“There are moments when I look at my profile or look at my face and see a wrinkle — but it’s mine and it’s there and it’s part of who I am,” she said.
She just co-produced the film “Guest Artist,” starring Jeff Daniels. When she’s not on camera or otherwise working, Gilbert is all about natural beauty: “No makeup. Sunscreen. I use a really nice skincare line. I use Eminence and it’s all organic."
Eminence Organic Skin Care Coconut Age Corrective Moisturizer, $50, Amazon
"I love this."
And it's also sold at Dermstore.
She also uses some tried and true drugstore favorites.
Eucerin Advanced Repair Creme, $12, Amazon
"Eucerin, the thick Eucerin that I use for hands, elbows, knees."
But for sun protection, she turns to Eminence.
Eminence Organic Sun Defense Minerals SPF 30, $58, Dermstore
“This is great. You can put it on over your moisturizer or your makeup."
In person, Gilbert is radiant, and she's a testament to loving yourself. "I feel great. I love the age that I am. I’ve grown exponentially as a human," she said.
For those of you who are into "clean beauty" products, here are a few more favorites:
FARMACY Dew It All Total Eye Cream with Echinacea GreenEnvy, $38, Sephora
Weleda Pampering Body Lotion, $12, Amazon
Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil, $32, Nordstrom
More celeb beauty boosts:
Jada Pinkett Smith's 'awesome' skin care secret costs $4
Pamela Anderson's anti-aging secret weapon costs $6
This 'American Beauty' relies on a $10 vegan silver mist to keep her skin clear