Shay Mitchell gets candid about her ‘bad’ acne — and journey to ‘completely cleared’ skin
Shay Mitchell may have played a “Pretty Little Liar,” but she isn’t keeping her skincare secrets hush-hush.
In a candid new video shared first with Page Six Style exclusively, the actress says she was once “very insecure” about her acne — until she started seeing celebrity facialist Shani Darden, that is.
“My skin when I first moved [to LA] was so bad,” Mitchell recalls. “I remember shooting the show that I was on, and you could just see it so much. No matter how much makeup you used, you couldn’t cover the texture.”
But after “six months or less” of facial treatments from Darden — who also offers a full line of skincare products, like the Triple Acid Signature Peel ($39+) — the star saw changes in her complexion, saying her skin “completely cleared up.”
Shani Darden Triple Acid Signature Peel
Following a brief experimentation with TikTok-trendy beauty products — “That wasn’t good,” she admits — Mitchell says her two “favorite” formulas to use now are Darden’s Moisture Boost Plumping Serum ($78) and Lactic Acid Exfoliating Serum ($89).
Shani Darden Moisture Boost Plumping Serum
Shani Darden Lactic Acid Exfoliating Serum
“I’m very critical — and I’m obsessed,” she raves of the duo, which Darden tells us helps keep the Béis founder’s famous face “glowing and hydrated.”
They’re hardly the only celeb-loved products in her lineup, however; the sought-after skin expert’s prepped stars like Irina Shayk and Jessica Alba for red carpets, with Jennifer Aniston calling Darden’s cult-favorite Retinol Reform ($89) “fantastic” in an interview with Byrdie.
Shani Darden Retinol Reform
“Retinol Reform is what I recommend to all of my clients to keep their skin glowing in between facials,” Darden adds, explaining that it “delivers a consistent stream of retinol throughout the night to minimize irritation often experienced with retinol.”
For those hoping to banish their own blemishes, she recommends alternating the product with iS Clinical’s Active Serum ($142 $140) for exfoliation and using a moisturizer — like her own Weightless Oil-Free Moisturizer ($50) or Hydration Peptide Cream ($60), which are intended for oily and normal or dry skin types, respectively.
iS Clinical Active Serum
At the end of the day, however, the skincare pro’s advice boils down to “less is more” — advice she often gives Mitchell, too.
“Shay is a beauty and skincare lover, so she likes to try a lot of things, but over time we’ve worked on the things that actually work for her skin,” she says.
Why Trust Page Six Style Shopping
This article was written by Hannah Southwick, Commerce Writer/Reporter for Page Six Style. Hannah spies deals on actually affordable celebrity-worn styles, puts Hollywood’s favorite labels to the test and finds the beauty products that keep stars red carpet-ready. She consults stylists and industry pros — including celebs themselves — for firsthand product recommendations, trend predictions and more. In addition to writing for Page Six since 2020, her work has been featured in USA Today and Parade.