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'Love Island USA' Host Ariana Madix Reveals Her Affordable Skincare Secrets

Plus, the former Vanderpump Rules star shares the one home product she "can't live without."

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In the Celebrity edition of What's in My Cart, stars reveal the everyday products they're shopping — complemented by expert insights from our editors and analysts when it's something we love too.

Reality TV fans may know Ariana Madix from her 11-season run on Vanderpump Rules, or as the current host of Love Island USA. But what you might not know is that the actress and TV personality was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2018, and she subsequently underwent surgery to remove a tumor. Now, Ariana is partnering with Bio-Oil on their Scar Stories digital campaign.

"My scar is a reminder of what I went through. But it's also a reminder for me to really be conscious about taking care of my skin and my health," Ariana tells Good Housekeeping about her personal reasons for joining the campaign. "It is right there on my chest, so I see it every single day. And I'm proud of it, but I'm also reminded to not only take care of myself, but to make sure that I'm not putting things off that may or may not be bad for my health or could get really bad."

"I learned that lesson the hard way. But I'm glad that I was able to learn the lesson," she emphasizes. "I'm still here to be able to talk about it and to encourage others to take care of themselves as well."

Good Housekeeping spoke with the 39-year-old about how she takes care of her scar and her skin in general, and she shared her favorite anti-aging products. Keep reading for her beauty essentials, plus the surprising home product she "cannot live without."

Ariana's Skincare Essential

Bio-Oil Skincare Body Oil

Skincare Body Oil

"In the morning, for me, it's all about hydration and getting the day started. And of course, protection to go out into the sun and the elements," Ariana tells us about her daily skincare routine.

"In the morning, I only wash my face with water. And then I start with Bio-Oil. I do my face and my chest of course, where my scar is, when I'm getting ready in the morning. Then I hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. And of course SPF is super important, so I use a 50 SPF. I keep it with me throughout the day in case I need to reapply."

Bio-Oil was selected by the Good Housekeeping Institute's Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab as the best overall body oil, according to testing. A Good Housekeeping Beauty Award winner, it's "proven to help improve the look of dehydration, uneven skin tone and scars and stretch marks."

A Gentle Cleanser to Use Before Bed

TONYMOLY I'm Rice Exfoliating Enzyme Cleanser

I'm Rice Exfoliating Enzyme Cleanser

Before bed, Ariana says, "I wash my face with a gentle cleanser. I have an enzyme cleanser that's a powder that I use."

While she didn't name a specific brand, this budget-friendly enzyme powder face wash from popular Korean beauty brand TONYMOLY has over 900 5-star ratings on Amazon.

Browse GH Expert Picks: Best Korean Skincare Brands

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Ariana's Anti-Aging Pick

VT COSMETICS CICA Reedle Shot 100

CICA Reedle Shot 100

"At night, it's all about repair. I want to moisturize as much as possible before I lay down and go to sleep. And then it's all my anti-aging products," the 39-year-old shares. "I love the Reedle shot."

Browse GH Expert Picks: 13 Best Anti-Aging Serums That Really Work, Tested by Our Scientists

Ariana's Nighttime Skincare Must

VT COSMETICS PDRN 100 Essence

PDRN 100 Essence

After cleansing her face, Ariana also uses PDRN serum. "And then it's moisturize, it's Bio-Oil again, getting all ready [for bed]," she explains.

"The biggest thing for me, though, is not necessarily all of the different steps. It's about being consistent in the steps and doing all of these things, or at least most of these things, every day. And I've definitely noticed that with Bio-Oil and my scar. If I have a product and I use it once or twice, I'm not really getting the benefits. So that's something I make sure to have morning and night in my routine."

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Ariana's Self-Care Moment

Omnilux Contour Face

Contour Face

"Sometimes I use a red light mask at night as well just to really do everything I can," the Love Island USA host adds about her skincare routine.

While she didn't specify which one she uses, the Omnilux Contour Face is the Good Housekeeping Institute's pick for the best FDA-cleared at-home red light therapy device.

"My favorite way to use it is while I am laying down before bed when my eyes are closed because although there are no lights on the eyes, some of the other lights can make it too bright to see," says GH Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Danusia Wnek.

Ariana's Style Staple

Thrive Société Brushed Rib Pleat Sleeve Hoodie

Brushed Rib Pleat Sleeve Hoodie

"When I'm not getting glam and getting dressed up, I love a matching set. It does all the work for you," Ariana says when asked about her style staples. "If you throw on a trench coat over a matching sweat set, you look cool. It doesn't look like, 'Oh, I'm just leaving the house in my sweats.' A cool sneaker, a matching sweat set and a cool coat, and you look like you're the boss lady walking down the street."

"As long as that sweat set is soft, that's what it's all about for me," she adds. "I have a bunch of sets from Thrive Société, and they're really soft, so I end up wearing them a lot."

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The One Thing Ariana Can't Live Without

Dyson V12 Detect Slim Cordless Stick Vacuum

V12 Detect Slim Cordless Stick Vacuum

"I cannot live without my vacuum cleaner," Ariana says seriously. "I have a Dyson vacuum cleaner, and I use it every single day. I shed, my dog sheds, the cat sheds, the rug sheds — in da clerb, we all shed. So I am constantly vacuuming. Even if it has nothing to do with the three of us, it's like the rug itself is producing something. I'm walking around with a vacuum all the time. That is truly the thing I can't live without."

The Dyson V12 Detect Slim Cordless Vacuum is the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning and Home Care Lab's pick for the best lightweight Dyson vacuum. Our pros were impressed by its suction during testing, and the vacuum "aced our performance evaluations for bare floor cleaning, pet hair pickup and edge cleaning."

Ariana's Hack for Jet Lag-Free Travel

Fount FlyKitt Jet Lag Prevention System

FlyKitt Jet Lag Prevention System

"I've been using these [supplements] to try to combat jet lag," Ariana shares. Intended to help the body adjust to time changes when traveling in order to prevent jet lag, the system includes a FlyKitt app where you can input your travel information. "The app will tell you what time to take everything," she points out.

RELATED: 50 Best Amazon Travel Items That Are Useful for Every Trip

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Ariana's Morning Pick-Me-Up

Slate High Protein Milk Shake

High Protein Milk Shake

"I've been trying to be better about protein," Ariana admits. "It's hard when I'm trying to get enough protein every day and getting it from food sometimes isn't enough. I found these Slate shakes, which have 20 grams of protein."

She notes that she's "been really liking" the latte iced coffee flavors, which have caffeine in addition to protein. "You can have the protein and the coffee all in one, and you're getting all the things that you want to get in the morning."

Browse GH Expert Picks: Best Protein Shake Brands, According to Our Nutritionist

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Headshot of Jamie Kravitz
Jamie Kravitz
News & SEO Editor

Jamie (she/her) is the news and SEO editor at Good Housekeeping. She oversees GH's digital news strategy, assigning and editing celebrity and entertainment news content. Before joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she was the digital editor at Woman's Day. She has over 7 years of professional experience writing and editing lifestyle content for the Rachael Ray Show, The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings, Insider, Elite Daily and more. She holds a BFA in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College and lives in Brooklyn with her cats Lumos, Linus and Milo.

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