Angelina Jolie’s Longtime Dermatologist Shares Her Skin Secrets

Angelina Jolie is one of the most talked about stars on the planet. The Oscar-winning actress, director, humanitarian, and mother of six has worked with refugees on behalf of the UN, helmed a cinematic tribute to the birthplace of her oldest son, and shown us what it’s like to live as a global citizen. After over two decades in the spotlight, it’s no wonder we remain intrigued. But with all that chatter comes a lot of speculation, most of which is flat-out bunk.

In a 2018 interview with InStyle, Jolie revealed an important person in her life, one that even the tabloids hadn't uncovered: dermatologist Rhonda Rand. “It’s who my mother [Marcheline Bertrand] brought me to when I was little with my first scar,” she told the publication of her mom, who died in 2007. “To have somebody who is very encouraging of being as natural as possible has really helped me, I think.”

It’s a revelation that not only shut down a lot wayward skin treatment claims that have been made about the actress over the years, but it’s also shined a light on Dr. Rand herself. Through three decades of treatment, which includes treating Jolie’s kids, Dr. Rand has never spoken publicly of her (or any of her A-list clients). “I take care of a lot of celebrities and part of the reason I think I do is that I don’t talk about it,” she tells us. “A lot of dermatologists will disclose famous patients and post it on Instagram. I’d never do that because it’s not me.”

Ahead, in a Refinery29 exclusive, Dr. Rand breaks that rule (with Jolie's blessing) and shares why the beauty icon looks better than ever, the actual products you'll find in her medicine cabinet, and the rewards of maintaining a doctor/patient relationship that spans generations.

"When [Jolie] knew she was going to have an acting career, she wanted to take care of her skin in the most sensible way. She’s lucky she has her mom’s beautiful, olive skin. She’s always been such a natural beauty, so she didn’t ever have to do much. It was really just sunscreen, proper cleansing with a mild, gentle cleanser, antioxidants, sometimes glycolic [acids], and natural products. Some alpha hydroxy [acids] are good too, and they’re very natural. She doesn’t need major scrubs or products with lots of chemicals."

"The thing about [Jolie] is she never wears makeup unless she’s working — it’s probably another reason her skin looks good. She’s also good about removing makeup. I know her makeup artist is super careful about what she puts on her skin and takes good care of it when she's working."

"Her skin is naturally beautiful — again it’s not like she has to run to the doctor all that often. If she’s gone for a month or two, or is using a lot of makeup for filming, she doesn’t lose ground."

"When she travels, she takes a good skin care regimen with her [including] alpha hydroxys or antioxidants. There’s a product of mine that she loves [called] Dermbasics RR Perfection Cream. It’s a chemical-free antioxidant sunscreen and that’s a good thing to travel with.

"We also have another product she likes and takes with her: Dermbasics Glycolic Acid Pads 20%. They remove the stratum corneum, increase collagen and elastin, keep pores clean and appearing small, and even out discoloration."

"She’s olive skinned like her mom, but it’s not like she lets herself get dark. She’s been so good about using sunscreen from such an early age to protect her skin. She knew that the sun is not good for skin in general — in terms of pigmentation problems and that sort of thing. She’s also good about wearing hats, which is so important. She hydrates a lot and does a lot of good moisturizing, but again, it’s the sun protection that’s going to stop you from aging more than anything."

"I basically try not to do too much. There’s a light laser resurfacing we like to use sometimes, but just once in a while. It’s used to improve your skin and give it a little bit of a glow, but it’s a little more than a facial. When she was pregnant, she got a little pigmentation. And sometimes, when she’s in very sunny climates working, she can get some pigmentation, too. We can help take care of that with a photofacial or Intense Pulsed Light (IPL). We’re super careful. None of these things change the quality of your skin or cause scarring.

"She doesn't have any kind of a plastic look because [she] doesn’t do anything drastic — she doesn’t need it. She has really good genes and gets more and more beautiful with time.

"Every woman goes through menopause, some women do at 48, some at 53. Yes it’s true that Angelina experienced forced menopause a little bit earlier [following her preventative surgery to have her ovaries removed because she carries the BRCA1 gene]. But if you take care of your skin, it’s going to look so much better. Even through the menopause changes, as long as you moisturize and use some good, quality products like antioxidants, alphy hydroxys, or maybe retinol — those things are all great for your skin."

“She’s such a lovely person and is always kind and thankful when I see her. I think we’ve stayed with this relationship so long because I never really talked about treating her. I never asked her to disclose that she was my patient. Then one day she came to me saying, ‘I’m so tired of people saying that I go to that place and I don’t — I only go to you. I want to set the record straight, I want people to know about you.'"

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission. This story was originally published May 1, 2018.