Miranda Kerr is known for many things, including being a Victoria's Secret Angel, being the founder and CEO of Kora Organics, and being a health and wellness devotee. This list is made all the more impressive when you consider she's juggled it all with motherhood. (She's a parent to three boys.) So yeah, you could say that Kerr knows a thing or two about committing to little moments of self-care in the midst of a demanding day.
On the eve of her 40th birthday, I caught up with the multi-hyphenate to talk about all things skincare, health, and wellness. And let me tell you—Kerr just might be my new beauty icon. She approaches life, and her routine, with quiet confidence and lighthearted humor.
Ahead, learn all about Kerr's newest product, which just so happens to be the world's first certified-organic retinol alternative (but more on that in a minute). Plus, see every product she uses in her daily skincare routine, the easy things she does to ground herself in the midst of chaos, and the lessons she's learned throughout the last decade.
Kerr recently launched a serum that acts as a natural alternative to retinol. Translation? It promises to do all the things retinol does—plump fine lines and wrinkles, smooth texture, and even skin tone—without the irritation that's often synonymous with the powerhouse ingredient.
Instead of retinol, this serum is formulated with bakuchiol, alfalfa, and plant stem cells. Together, they firm the skin, target signs of aging, and defend against environmental stress. Here's the kicker: It does all of these things without causing dryness, peeling, flakiness, and redness. In fact, it's so gentle that it can be used both morning and night to speed up results.
"I really want to change the narrative of organic skincare being less effective because I think that's a bunch of BS, especially knowing that there are 60% more antioxidants in a certified-organic ingredient," Kerr says. "We have a lot of customers with sensitive skin, and I myself have sensitive skin. I'm super proud that this is the first certified-organic retinol alternative that's ever been launched."
Miranda Kerr's Wellness Essentials
For Kerr, like for so many of us, skincare is part of a self-care routine. Along with her go-to Kora Organics products, Kerr counts on little rituals to keep her calm and centered throughout her day, which usually starts before the sun rises. "I wake up between 5 and 5:30, so I'm up for an hour to an hour and a half before the kids get up," she says. "I really value that time in the morning. I try so hard to not check my email and all that and just go into my routine for myself, whether that is doing a workout in my bedroom or doing a 20-minute meditation."
"I'll do my dry body brushing, which I love to wake me up and stimulate circulation," she continues. "I'll hop in the shower and do my skincare routine and make sure that I'm ready for the day ... like I've given back to myself for the day before it starts."
After dry-brushing, Kerr heads to the kitchen for celery juice, which she drinks every morning. "I prep the juice the night before. I make sure that I cut and clean it, so in the morning, I just have to quickly make it fresh," she says. "It's a bit overwhelming when you've got three kids running around. You're trying to make breakfast, and you're also trying to make celery juice. … It's too much. The celery juice helps me with energy."
Kerr continues to incorporate moments of self-care throughout the day by carrying a rose quartz crystal, burning palo santo ("You burn the palo santo, and it resets your whole energy"), and using the Theragun to relieve tight muscles. "I'll often get it out of my bag—I'm a big bag lady—and do it for like five minutes," she says.
She also sticks to herbal tea in an effort to avoid too much caffeine. "I love lemon balm tea with honey," she says. "Growing up in Australia, my parents were like, 'Let's have a cup of tea!' But those cups of tea add up to a lot of caffeine if you're having black tea. I love lemon balm because it's soothing and good for the digestive and nervous systems."
It's not just tangible products that Kerr counts on to keep herself well. In true holistic fashion, she also focuses on her mindset. "We can look outside and say, 'I can't believe it's raining again.' Or we can be like, 'I love the rain. We really needed this. It feels so cozy.' It's our perspective, and only we can change that. If we change our perspective and we change our mindset, we can really change ourselves at the end of the day. We can [be] better. We can feel more vibrant and feel more alive."
On the cusp of a landmark birthday, I suspected Kerr had been reflecting on her 30s, and I was curious how her habits and perspectives might have changed. "Sleep is more important to me now than ever. That's probably because… well, having kids. My husband and I would rather go to bed early, cuddle up, and wake up early with the kids, so that's definitely changed. I'm also more committed to exercise as I'm getting older, and strength training is something I’ve gotten into," she says. "I used to be more of a yoga and Pilates girl, but I can do both because, as you age, your muscles just aren't the same. I'm just trying to keep my skin and my muscles strong and also try to be as healthy as I can. At the same time, I think it's important to have fun, and the more gentle and kind you are with yourself, the more it reflects in your whole energy."
I also suspected that she might even have some advice to offer those who are soon entering a new stage of life, and I was right. "The age of 27 to 30 is when you're going through your Saturn return," she says. "That's when I always say to people that it might feel like a lot at the time, but it's such an incredible time to let go of whatever is not serving you and step into the new that's coming. It's almost like everything gets turned upside down at that point, and then new things come. You'll notice, between 27 and 30, there'll be different shifts in people, whether they completely change jobs or move countries or move houses. … At the time, it might have felt really overwhelming, but they realize it was always for the better. I always say brace yourself for that."
As for the biggest lesson she learned during her 30s, Kerr says it was learning to ask questions and to ask for help. "I grew up in a little country town in Australia," she says. "It wasn't a normal thing to reach out to people and be like, 'Can you help me?' I didn't want to impose on other people and their time. I wanted to do it all on my own, but it's important to realize you can't do it all on your own. It's important to ask for help. My husband taught me that. When we're younger, we feel like we have to know it all and it would be silly to ask that question, but no, if you don't understand, there's no point in pretending as you do. Just ask, 'Can you explain that?'"
Kerr sums it up so succinctly: "Realize that, no matter what, there are going to be challenges in your life. It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from. It's all part of growing. Embrace those challenges as opportunities to grow and learn. Don't sweat the small stuff."
Miranda Kerr's Skincare Essentials
Daytime Cleanser
"What's in there aren't only incredible ingredients to cleanse your skin in a gentle way, but I'm really all about the sensorial benefits. It has peppermint essential oil to prevent the overproduction of sebum and also to uplift you. It also has palo santo to clear your energy. I use that in the morning. It's a good wake-up call," she says.
Nighttime Cleanser
"At night, I pretty much do the same thing, but I wash my makeup off with the Milky Mushroom Cleanser, which is a whole experience in and of itself," Kerr says. "It's an oil-based cleanser. When you're cleansing your skin, you're cleansing your spirit. It's filtered through and touches upon clear quartz crystals to cleanse your energy. At the end of the day, it's a really good makeup remover."
Daytime Mask
This mask-scrub hybrid is one of Kerr's all-time favorite products, and she uses it every other day to slough away dry skin and smooth and brighten her complexion.
Face Mist
"It invigorates your skin and your senses. There's a little aquamarine crystal in the bottom, so it's very soothing energetically as well as for your skin," Kerr says.
Daytime Serum
In the morning, Kerr layers this vitamin C serum underneath the Plant Stem Cell Retinol Alternative Serum. "It's a 12% vitamin C serum. It was the first certified-organic vitamin C serum in the world. It contains kakadu plum from Australia. My mum would always give me kakadu plum powder for the vitamin C benefits," she says.
Nighttime Serum
At night, Kerr uses this AHA Resurfacing Serum in place of the aforementioned vitamin C serum. It targets enlarged pores, dark spots, and uneven texture with a blend of AHAs, BHA, and ferments.
Retinol Alternative
Kerr applies the new serum both morning and night.
Morning Moisturizer
In the morning, Kerr uses this lightweight moisturizer, which has green algae, alpine rose, and green tea.
Nighttime Moisturizer
At night, Kerr chooses this moisturizer, which includes turmeric, licorice, noni fruit, microalgae, and desert-date oil to boost moisture and visibly plump skin.
Face Oil
Twice a day, Kerr seals in her moisturizer with this antioxidant-rich face oil.
Eye Cream
With 5.5% active vitamin C, this eye cream brightens, firms, and reduces signs of aging.
Eye Oil
Kahai oil, rosehip oil, and tomato fruit hydrate, soothe, and firm the skin.
Nighttime Mask
The final step in Kerr's nighttime routine is to apply a thin layer of this sleeping mask. "It seals everything in. You put a light layer on your skin, and it dries and locks all the moisture in. It doesn't rub off on your pillow, and you wake up in the morning, and your skin is so plump and dewy," she says.
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