‘Cobra Kai’ Star Courtney Henggeler Drops Her Skin-Care Routine

Obviously that’s not the case, which is part of the reason why Henggeler doesn’t look at aging with as much fear as she used to. “I’m 43—I do have lines in my face that I take away. Let’s be honest about that. I don’t spend money on purses or shoes, but skin-care, I do,” she says. 

Shereene, M.D., is a well-known cosmetic dermatologist. in New York City a few years ago to help fill out the hollows around her cheekbones and hasn’t looked back. “Dr. Shereene uses a mix of microfiller and filler for me. She never touches my inner face. She fills in the [hollows], which lifts up the orbital bone around my neck to give me some lift. I go once a year,” Henggeler says. 

It’s the kind of treatment that looks so natural, you’d never know Henggeler does anything, though she frequently jokes that she loves the look of a frozen face. But in addition to using injectables, plus the lotions and potions that Henggeler swears by (more on that below), she’s very disciplined when it comes to what she eats. The married mom of two—and reformed “sugar junkie”—cut out sugar not long ago and says it cleared up her skin and helped her PMS and constant bloating: “I do believe in diet a lot for skin. And sunscreen. I was child of the ’90s who bathed herself in baby oil and laid out. I was like, ‘I’m invincible.’ Now I’m like, ‘Oh, God, I’m not.’”

Speaking of feeling vulnerable, Henggeler wasn’t feeling all that confident when she got the call to audition for Cobra Kai, which premieres its fourth season on New Year’s Eve. “I was over it,” she says of acting. “I had my first kid and was like, ‘I think I need to change career paths.’ I was hustling since I was 20 years old, and I was tired of it all and not getting any further. But I needed health insurance.” 

And then, as luck—and timing—would have it, the role of Amanda LaRusso came along. “Thank God, because I do love acting,” she says. “It’s nice to do it on this show in a role I love, where she’s the one who gets to call it like it is. It’s fantastic.” 

Much like Henggeler herself. So, for Glamour’s latest Drop the Routine, she’s giving us the lowdown on the products she swears by for her combination skin.

My cleanser

Bioderma micellar waters is my regular cleanser. I normally don’t wear foundation, but when I do for work, I use an oil cleanser from Sulwhasoo that I got at Sephora since it’s all about keeping the moisture in as I get older. I felt like I used to strip skin in my 20s/30s with those sonic tools, so now I only use gentle cleanser. I also wash my face every night.

My essence and toner

Biologique Recherche Lotion 50 PIGM for pigmentation due to the sunspots. The Vintner’s Daughter essence is then used. I don’t know exactly what they do, but I just know I needed it. I invested a lot of money in these products, so I’m not going to not use them!

My serum

I was using a lot of serums, and now I’ve pared down to just one with vitamin C. That’s really all I need. I love the Maya Chia Vitamin C serum. 

My moisturizer

Augustinus Bader’s The Cream. It is so soft and luxurious. In winter, I use La Mer Moisturizing cream. I warm it in my hands, then apply it to my face. I can recall hearing J.Lo mention La Mer about 20 years ago. It was then that it became a priority for me. I remember crying a little the day I bought it. I was like, “You’re here, Courtney. You’ve gotten to the place where you too can now own a jar of La Mer.” It was a right of passage for me. 

My eye cream

Susanne Kaufmann’s Eye Cream Line A. I stopped using an eye cream for a little bit and then noticed how dry my eye area was, so I realized I needed to go back to using one. It just feels so good, so I recommend Susanne Kaufmann’s, which I get at Violet Grey. 

My face mask

Biologique Recherche’s Masque Vivant. It looks like you’re putting chocolate all over your face. I read somewhere that if you use it twice a week, you’ll never age. I don’t know if that’s true, but it feels like it. I tell myself it’s working, especially when I’ve had a lot of makeup on my face all week. 

My retinol

Maya Chia The Straight A Advanced Gentle Retinol Treatment is what I use. It doesn’t ever feel drying. My skin feels great the morning after I use it, so I’m a big fan of that.

My face oil

There are so many face oils out there, but my favorite is True Botanicals Pure Radiance Face Oil. It’s anti-aging and also very affordable. It smells wonderful. 

My face was cloudy

I love Tatcha’s Luminous Dewy Skin Mist. It’s so great. And I love Caudalíe’s face mist too. Although it smells antiseptic, I’m obsessed with the scent. My husband’s horrified by it. I love the scent of it, and had them spray it on me on the set to keep my day going. I’ve got to have that face mist all over the place. 

My sunscreen

I started using Suntegrity. They have a tinted five-in-one mineral sunscreen, which I love because it also really moisturizes and it’s a clean brand. It’s my favorite thing that I’ve purchased all year.

My lip balm

Ilia Tint Hydrating Lip Balm. It is used on sets a lot. It’s so sheer. They’re in my purse, my car, everywhere. They’re great.