“I work long hours and am constantly out in the elements,” Liu says when asked about caring for her skin. “I have to be very rigorous about reapplying sunscreen and wearing a hat and handkerchief around my neck and chest, which are actually more sensitive to the sun than your face.” Her preference, she adds, is sunscreen that doesn’t leave behind an oily residue.
Step-by-step
On days when she doesn’t need to wear makeup, Liu exfoliates in the morning and evening with a washcloth and water—no soap. But for the actress, the typical routine is more complicated.
“After a long day of filming, I use eye makeup remover. You don’t end up scrubbing and irritating the skin around your eyes—no matter how much makeup you’ve been wearing,” she explains. “Then I use soap with a washcloth to wash my face. Afterwards, I mix cream [containing colostrums], aloe vera and a touch of oil together, then massage the mixture into my face.”
Liu finishes up her skin care routine with various moisturizers that protect from dryness in the winter as well as sun damage in the summer.
Ethnic considerations
“Being Asian, I can burn in the sun if I’m not careful,” Liu admits. “I also have some olive in my skin and can keloid easily, so I take extra precautions whenever I do stunts or anything active.” Keloid scars are thicker or more pigmented than normal scars, and often affect people with darker skin.
But according to Liu, proper skin care is mostly common sense. “The main secret is simple: what you eat will eventually be reflected on the outside as well,” she says. “Drink lots of water, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and meditate.”