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Sarah Michelle Gellar is sharing her approach to “aging with grace” with PEOPLEThe Olay brand ambassador talks the product and treatments that help her feel like the best version of herself“I love the idea of dramatic results without drastic measures. And the idea of, ‘I don’t want to cut up my face if I don’t have to,’” she says
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Olay go way back.
The actress, 48, can remember a time when her mother displayed the brand’s then pink-tinged bottle on her vanity.
“She would tell me that was just hers,” Gellar recalls. “I wasn’t allowed to use it.”
Today, Gellar has no shortage of Olay jars at her disposal, as the star is its new brand ambassador. Yet, this isn’t their first collaboration.
“I had the pleasure of being in Olay’s first ever Super Bowl campaign in 2019, which was incredible,” she says.
After the milestone moment (it was both her and the brand’s first Super Bowl commercial) they actually stayed in touch “because we had so many similar ideas,” she explained. “We just always talked about the evolution of beauty.”
So it’s only fitting she’s kicking off this new partnership by celebrating the launch of Olay’s upgraded Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream.
“I think Olay and I have similar life philosophies, in the sense of we always want to better ourselves,” Gellar shares. “We always want to be the best version of ourselves we can.”
Sarah Michelle Gellar for Olay.
Courtesy of OLAY
Gellar tells PEOPLE how that POV affects her beauty philosophy.
“I think more than even the average person, I’m constantly compared to my younger self [because] in my position, every interview I do, they’re like, ‘Let’s look at this picture from 25 years ago.’ The good news is I don’t want to be my younger self. I mean, sometimes I wish I had the skin and the glow of a 21-year-old, but I don’t want to be a 21-year-old,” Gellar tells PEOPLE exclusively.
As she’s grown more confident in my own skin, she’s embraced the notion that “less is more.”
“I don’t need a 27-step skincare routine. I need the best possible products that have the most effect, with the least amount of work for myself,” she says.
For the mom of two, efficiency is key. She relies on products that can make a noticeable impact in a short period of time.
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Enter the reformulated iconic red jar, which along with Olay’s Regenerist24, has been boosted with an ingredient the brand calls triple collagen peptide which “strengthens cellular bonds, activates surface cells, and supports natural collagen for visibly firmer, smoother skin,” according to a release.
True to the brand’s DNA, it’s also got a new version of its pro-Vitamin B5, which the brand says “delivers deep cellular hydration to restore volume and boost surface cell renewal.”
“As science evolves, Olay evolves with it,” Gellar says of the brand. “I don’t love change, I joke with them about it. I fear change like everybody else. I sometimes still think it should be a pink bottle. But with the red jar, I swear to God, in seven days you see the difference.”
Sarah Michelle Gellar for Olay.
Wini Lao
“Being able to know that you can make a difference in your skin without doing something so drastic, to me is really important,” Gellar says, adding, “I love the idea of dramatic results without drastic measures. And the idea of, ‘I don’t want to cut up my face if I don’t have to.’”
“I mean, who’s to say?” she continues. “You might see me at 80 looking all tight and whatever, but right now, I’m an actor. I need my face to work.”
That doesn’t mean Gellar doesn’t question — or act on — her fine lines.
“It’s a dance,” she admits. “I’m seeing younger and younger girls get facelifts. And then, I’m not going to lie, there are times where I start questioning, ‘Should I be doing that?’” she says.
“Do I have Botox? Yeah, of course I do, but I can still move my face. So, it’s about aging with grace. I like to smile. I like to laugh, my laugh lines are earned.”
These days Geller is focused on low-stakes maintenance. When it comes to her skin, she’s got her system down pat, even on set.
“I do have to wear a lot of makeup from my job, and I constantly want to let my skin breathe. So when I’m filming, I’m known for taking all my makeup off right before lunch, and then I reapply all of my skincare, and have [the makeup] put back on so that my face,” she says.
There’s more room for improvement when it comes to wellness. For instance, she knows she needs to drink more water. And, she’s also only had one facial this year, which she says is a result of her extra-busy schedule, and is a sign she needs to carve out more me-time.
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But, if she had more free time, she might choose a massage over a facial these days. “We have such great access to better products now, that you don’t necessarily [need as many],” she says.
She personally has Olay to thank, and she’s grateful “to be able to work with a brand that I not only use, but I have such admiration for how they’ve evolved.”
She ends, “I hope my career is like Olay. I hope that I’m around for 70 years, and that I continue to improve with age.”
