SOPHIE HABBOO shares her skincare secrets
Made in Chelsea star Sophie Habboo talks to HELLO! about hyperpigmentation and how she wishes she had taken sun cream more seriously growing up
It’s been a busy time for Sophie “Habbs” Habboo. Having started her dilemmas podcast Wednesdays We Drink Wine with fellow MiC castmate Melissa Tattam, the 27-year-old was announced as an ambassador for skincare brand Eucerin after speaking about her struggle with hyperpigmentation, where patches of skin get darker. “It was really knocking my confidence and, although you try to not let it affect you, the sense of ‘no control’ was really getting me down,” she says.
Here, Sophie reveals her skincare routine – and the one product boyfriend Jamie Laing steals from her side of the bathroom…
Sophie, your skin looks incredible. What do you do to get that glow?
“It has not been an easy journey! I’ve had my ups and downs with it, but it’s down to sticking to a routine and not slacking off. As you know, I had hyperpigmentation, so I’ve been using the Eucerin range daily. My favourite product is the Spot Corrector. It’s so small that you can fit it in your handbag.”
Tell us about your experience with hyperpigmentation…
“It started around two years ago. I was filming in Sri Lanka and thought it was fake tan on my face. It was over my nose, then it moved on to two circles on my cheek and onto my forehead. While I was filming I felt like everyone was thinking: ‘What are those marks on her face?’
“When I got back to the UK, it just wasn’t going. I couldn’t cover it like a spot because make-up just made it more prominent. So I went to see a dermatologist, who said I could try laser, along with various other treatments, but they all came with quite significant side effects or were expensive.
“I started to see a huge difference two weeks after starting Eucerin.”
What’s your skincare routine?
“During the day, I use Pigment Control SPF50+, which is key for me because my skin’s triggered by the sun. Also, I’m never out without a hat, which is slightly annoying because sometimes it doesn’t go with the outfit. Before bed, I use the CeraVe Gentle Cleanser and then the Eucerin Anti-Pigment
Dual Serum (£38), followed by the AntiPigment Face Night Cream (£25).” What was the first post-lockdown beauty treatment you booked in for?
“I have been to see my skin therapist Annice at Esho Clinic and we’ve done a micro facial, which was luxurious.” You have five minutes to leave the house – what products are you taking with you?
“Push Up Lashes mascara, Pillow Talk lipstick, Iconic Nude lip liner – all by Charlotte Tilbury – and Rodial’s BB Cream.” Does Jamie use any of your products?
“He does love fake tan. He steals my tanning mist.” What is the most important beauty advice you have been given and who gave it to you?
“It’s wearing sunscreen, and I wish I’d listened to my mum when I was five years old, because I definitely didn’t reapply my sun cream and that probably would have saved me now.” Do you have a favourite scent?
“Costa Azzurra by Tom Ford. It’s actually unisex but I love it.” Do you have any beauty regrets?
“Over-plucking my eyebrows. Mine were honestly invisible; I think I had one hair across my whole head.” Do you feel pressure to look a certain way?
“There definitely is a pressure, but I think that’s another thing lockdown taught me; there’s so much more to life than the way people look, and to not worry about that and to actually appreciate what’s around you.”