Mandy Moore Reveals the Skin Issue She Dealt with While Filming “This Is Us”
For six wonderful, cry-your-eyes-out seasons of This Is Us, Mandy Moore, 39, played the Pearson family’s matriarch, Rebecca. As the story dipped in and out of their lives, Moore’s character had to look like a teenager in one scene and an 80-year-old in another—which called for spending hours and hours in makeup every day. “I had red, itchy patches all over my face. And for a while I thought, Well, I’m working a lot, and this is probably makeup-related,” Moore says. “I threw everything at it, but the symptoms persisted. It was really bothersome and very irritating. It was something that I was constantly thinking about. I’d be on camera trying to divorce myself from feeling like I wanted to scratch my face off.”
Eventually, Moore decided it was time to go to the dermatologist, who diagnosed her with atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema. “It was such a relief to know what I was dealing with,” the mom of two shares.
Keep reading to learn how she manages her eczema, why she skips most beauty treatments these days, and what her routine is like while parenting her two boys, Gus, 2, and Ozzie, 1.
Have you figured out what triggers your eczema?
It’s sort of seasonal. So knowing that we’re going into the winter months and it’s going to be drier, I know that that’s when I’m going to have more flare-ups, and I need to keep my skin hydrated. Stress is also a trigger for me. And there’s a little bit of a correlation between what I eat and my skin. I’ve found that eating foods rich in omegas has been really helpful. I’m a big salmon fan, and I take fish oil supplements. Probiotic foods, like yogurt and kefir, and fermented foods, like sauerkraut and kimchi, seem to have made a bit of a difference in my skin. It isn’t a cure-all by any means, but it’s very helpful to recognize that these things can help keep my skin barrier strong and the moisture locked in.
Does the itch and irritation affect your sleep?
No, but my little guy has mild eczema, and it does affect his sleep when he’s having a flare. It’s heartbreaking. I think that’s why we’re both so passionate about being a part of the Moments of Clarity campaign, which is centered around real people and real stories, because everyone’s eczema journey is different. I met this sweet girl, Anna, and her mother, Rachael, and we talked about feeling so helpless as a parent when your child is suffering and not wanting to go to school. That’s why I’m so passionate about sharing that there are options out there.
Speaking of being a parent, how has your beauty routine changed since becoming one?
Oh, it’s significantly pared down. It’s not much of a routine at all anymore. The only routine in my life right now revolves around anything child-related, which is totally okay. I recognize that this is not the season for me, and I’m fine with that. If I can get out of the house and feel like, Okay, I have my wits about me, then it’s a good day.
The pandemic plus becoming a parent was this one-two punch that showed me that, actually, none of that beauty stuff that I would run around and do—my eyelash extensions, getting my hair highlighted, getting manicures—is necessary. I’m definitely a lady, and I lean into all that stuff and I find it to be really fun, but I also recognize that it doesn’t define me and it isn’t how I want to spend my time anymore.
Has wellness taken a backseat, too?
It’s not the biggest priority in my book right now; 2024 is going to be the year that I turn the camera back on myself a little bit more. But I feel like getting a nice bath at the end of the day is good self-care. Ever since being pregnant with Gus, I’ve been good about sticking to a supplement routine. I’d always let it fall by the wayside in the past, so I’ll pat myself on the back for doing it now. That and I’m good about carrying around my water bottle and prioritizing sleep. My dudes are sleeping well. They’re down at 7, and then we’re good till 6.
What are your thoughts on aging now?
I had this weird sneak peek from years of playing a character older than my age, and it sort of demystified a bit of the aging process for me. I feel like maybe I understand what it might look like. My character had clearly taken very good care of herself and aged in a very graceful way, and I would like to do that. But I’m also really celebrating this chapter of life I’m in. I love being a mom. I love being almost 40; I feel most like myself. And if that correlates to getting older, then I’m all for it.
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