Fran Drescher Talks Body Image, Her Favorite Bathing Suit Hack and More
When I was in sixth grade, Fran Drescher’s Beautician and the Beast was one of my favorite movies, and The Nanny was still on TV. Now, the actress and producer is also the president of the Screen Actors Guild and the brand ambassador for Laura Geller Beauty. To celebrate the launch of the brand’s new Spackle Skin Perfecting Primer Broad-Spectrum SPF 30 ($38)—yes, they added SPF to their cult-classic primer—I was able to catch up with Drescher on Zoom. Scroll through to read our interview about body image, bathing suits, skin care and more.
Did you inspire Laura to create her new Spackle SPF, knowing you’re passionate about sun protection?
“Well, I wish I could take the credit for it. Laura and I are both cancer survivors and she is very supportive of Cancer Schmancer, my nonprofit. I feel like when you have a product that’s as great as Spackle, and they’ve covered so many different possibilities—there’s hydrating, bronzing, brightening, etc.—it was the obvious next step to make one with mineral-based sun protection. I’m just thrilled that they came up with it, and I’m especially delighted to be the spokesperson for it. It’s also approved by the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Everyone loves Spackle—that’s a no-brainer. It makes your skin look super smooth. All my girlfriends love it; so does my mom. During the day, I’ll now wear the one with SPF—if I’m not outside, I’ll use the Hydrate one—and I always try to sit in the shade. At night, I’ll wear the Bronzer for a glow. It gives me a sun-kissed, summer vacation look all year-round.”
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Your skin is beautiful. How has it changed in your 60s?
“Well, I do get a lot of compliments on my skin, and I think that the way I keep it clean is important. I don’t pull at my skin or stretch my pores. I apply my cleansing products and then I make very soft circles with a wet washcloth until everything comes off. I also don’t bake in the sun.
But, that said, my skin has gotten a little more saggy. I see it around my chin and my jawline—it looks a little different—but it is what it is. When I work in front of the camera, I’m more aware of shadowing it. Sometimes I get the 11s over here [Drescher points between her brows]. I do facial isometrics, which helps I think. I would recommend it to anyone. If you’re going to exercise your booty, exercise your face. That’s important, and I think it makes a difference.
I see my age more on my upper, inner thighs and my upper, inner arms. Those are windows into my future. Looking at my mom, I see where I am heading. I don’t think there’s much I can do about it, but I do dry brush with natural bristle dry brushes. That stimulates the lymphatic system—you have to know which direction to do it—and it feels great. And, it gets off all the dead skin. I don’t know if it really does much for crepey skin in some of those vulnerable areas—ugh—but oh well.
I just bought two new bathing suits exactly like the only one I like that I already have. One is black and the other one is in something called dark cherry. I just said to a friend earlier today, ‘My torso looks great, I still have good cleavage, my face still looks great. So, I wear a two-piece. If I wear a one-piece, then it’s all solid, and I feel like the eyes go more to the thighs. With a two-piece, there’s all this skin here [Drescher points to her waist], and I think the eye goes more to the torso. I’m specifically trying to fool the eye of the viewer into looking at the good spots on my body, and not focusing on the more aging spots.”
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What are your other favorite skin-care products right now?
“I also like very natural botanical oils, which I use on my face and body. My favorites right now are from True Botanicals and Penny Frances Apothecary. I don’t love rose smells, but Penny works with geranium and all kinds of other oils that smell good. The Eye Serum has a cold rollerball on top and I use it all around my eyes—I even put it on my lashes. I also use the Botanical Mist before bed.
It’s funny because, I like to keep things so pure, so I’m rarely a victim to the pressures of selling you the next big thing. I see through the advertising and I don’t trust the ingredients. You’ve got to know what you’re using—your skin is a living organ. Becoming a mindful consumer makes a huge difference in your overall well-being and how you age.”
