Alix Earle on Side Parts, Blowouts, and the Under-$20 Products She Used to Prevent DWTS-Induced Shedding

Alix Earle is hot off the stage. The social media star, podcast host, and founder spent the last few months of 2025 training, rehearsing, and performing on Dancing With the Stars (DWTS). She and her dance partner, Valentin “Val” Chmerkovskiy, shook, shimmied, and sashayed their way to the finale, ultimately winning second place. It was a novel experience for the 25-year-old, who’s used to chatting candidly with her collective 13.5-million social media followers, but who’s never been through such a rigorous and physically demanding competition.

The experience was also rigorous on her skin and hair. As a public figure who’s known for GRWM videos and honest beauty chats, she says she had to adjust her routine to compensate for heavy stage makeup, and most of all, super-tight hairstyles created with high heat. Earle is the face of Pantene’s new Abundant Strong Collection, which is a line of products designed to treat and prevent hair shedding and lead to visibly fuller-looking hair. “I’ve definitely dealt with hair shedding before,” she says. “I went through a period over the last two years where I felt like I started to lose my hair for the first time. This time last year, I rediscovered Pantene and [noticed] how good my hair felt while using it again. I was on board 100% and switched back to it. I have been using [the new Abundant Strong collection] during Dancing With the Stars, and it has been a lifesaver for me, because they are constantly doing tight hairstyles, curling them, and using a lot of heat. It’s just a lot on the hair, in general.”

Earle swears by the shampoo, conditioner, and scalp serum. She uses all three in her simple, daily hair routine. “It’s nice because I feel like I don’t have to worry about using 10 different things, or, you know, putting all these products together. It’s a really simple three-step routine, and it’s been keeping my hair healthy. … It’s really, really saved me.” She says it’s so good that it even passed the extension test. You know, when you take out your extensions and have to come to terms with how fine your natural hair feels (IYKYK). “I switched out my extensions, and I was very happily surprised with my hair and how thick and healthy it felt when I got them removed. I’ve been loving it and have been a Pantene girl for the last year. We're gonna keep it going.”

When I ask Earle about her favorite hairstyles at the moment, she lists a classic blowout with a side part (gasp!) as her preferred red carpet look. When I tell her that the side-part vs center-part conversation is contentious, as it’s often split down the millennial and Gen-Z divide, she laughs. “I like to switch it up. I mean, my middle part that I wear is actually not truly a middle part, because I guess I just picked the part one day, and it was not centered, and I didn’t realize until people started doing my hair. But I’ve been really liking the side part recently, and I feel like it's okay to switch between the two.”

When she styles her own hair, she uses T3 heat tools, specifically the curling iron and flat iron. “I think they have really good heat styling tools, and they feel nice on my hair,” she says. That said, when off-duty, Earle admits she chooses the path of least resistance when it comes to styling. She often reaches for her trusty claw clip. “When I’m lounging around, I usually take a claw clip and put it at the top of my hair, and that way I can lean back on the couch or on my bed. It’s a massive lump on the top of my head," she laughs.

Outside of her hair routine, I’m curious to know if there are any other in-shower staples she swears by. "I usually stick to pretty simple things, just because I am someone who has sensitive skin," she says. "I usually use anything fragrance-free, like Aveeno. I will say my one hack is I always use a men’s razor. I just think it gets a better shave for some reason. So there’s always a man's Gillette Razor in my shower."

And what about makeup and skincare staples? I had to ask. After all, Earle is the unofficial icon of GRWM videos on Instagram and TikTok. She walks me through her favorite makeup products first. “I have been loving the Victoria Beckham x Augustinus Bader Skin Tint, although it’s so expensive, it’s amazing. For Dancing With the Stars, I loved the Huda Beauty Lip Stain because we were on camera all day, every day, and I needed something that was going to last. I was drinking a ton of water and energy drinks in rehearsal. I would put on this lip stain so I didn't have to worry about my lip liner all day.”

As for skincare, she emphasizes the importance of a consistent and effective routine, especially with dancing-induced sweatiness and heavy stage makeup (Earle has been extremely open about her struggles with acne in the past). “Skincare was super, super important for me during this time, because we were doing so much dancing and sweating and heavy makeup every day,” she says. “I wanted to make sure I had a really good skincare routine with good ingredients that weren’t going to be too harsh on my skin.” She references a cleansing balm and mandelic acid for “keeping my acne-prone skin exfoliated and the texture under wraps.” When I ask which ones, in particular, she remains tight-lipped. “I’m going to gatekeep that for now,” she says.

Do I sense a new beauty brand in the future? When I ask what she’s looking forward to the most in 2026, she seems to confirm my suspicions. “I will be doing a lot more in the beauty space,” she says. “I will be stepping into the role of becoming a founder, so that will be my next big journey for me, and I’m very excited for that.” I can’t wait to see everything she does next.

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