Kelly Rowland Swears By This $47 Serum For Iridescent Skin

“Olay has been in my family for a very long time,” their new brand ambassador Kelly Rowland told Essence exclusively. Even before “Oil of Olay” was officially shortened to “Olay” in 1999, “I remember my great-aunts using it, and seeing it on their countertops and amongst their beauty must-haves.” 

Like Rowland’s, many Black families have long considered Olay as a generational standard for skincare, regardless of age. With deeper skin tones more prone to dry skin, building a routine for an iridescent glow means layering gentle cleansers with moisture-rich creams and oils. 

But there’s one shimmering serum Rowland swears by that even her great-aunts have yet to try: The $47 Super Serum. “The iridescence is gorgeous,” she says. “As your days are piling up and you get so busy, sometimes that shine just needs a little ‘oomph!’” 

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She’s been using the serum since before the press run for her film Relationship Goals earlier this year. In fact, she even introduced the product to her makeup artist, Sheika Daley, who now has the serum in her makeup kit. “We tried the product and she was like ‘You have got to be kidding me’,” Rowland says. 

As a 5-in-1 facial serum, Super Serum uses a potent blend of ingredients, including niacinamide, collagen peptides, AHA, and vitamins C and E, for improved skin texture, tone, and firmness, while smoothing lines and of course, keeping your skin hydrated for longer. And for Rowland, her skin actually showed a visible difference. 

Courtesy of Dalvin Adams for Olay

“With all of the jobs that it does, I feel like it really shows up for you as a product,” she says. “On my busiest mornings, I’m grabbing that because I love a step-by-step situation and I’ll just layer products on.” For example, the 16-product Super collection is complete with formulas like the cream-to-lather Super Cleanser and Super Cream with SPF to complement Rowland’s favorite serum. 

But what’s a glowing face without the body to match? The new Super Body Oil and limited-edition Super Serum Glow Remix Body Wash are the foundation of her body care routine, which is the very first self-care ritual she’s teaching her children (just like the ritual of practically being bathed in petroleum jelly). 

As the mother of two sons, Titan, 11, and Noah, 5, Rowland is passing down the same generational routines her elders passed to her. “I just want my boys to bathe,” she laughs. “So, later on when they’re dating, no one’s calling me going, ‘This is a nasty little person.’” Instead, she says she wants to hear about how good they smell, how well-groomed they are, and compliments on their hygiene. 

Getting their routine down, she starts by teaching her sons the basics. “Get in the shower, you bathe your body, you get out, you moisturize your body,” she tells them. But, with all the time she spends pouring into her two young children, she still manages to pour into herself. 

Even after her family vacations, “funny enough, I got home [and] I’ve been in the sauna every day, so I’ve sweated every day,” she says. “My eating [and] wellness habits have really picked up on just wanting to make sure that I feel great.” Although she’s still understanding what wellness means to her, whether it’s eating right or using new classic products, “as your life is evolving, you want to evolve as well.”