Kristin Chenoweth on What She Wishes She Knew About Botox When She Was 25

Sitting down with Kristin Chenoweth feels like talking to your best friend — if your best friend just so happens to be a Tony and Emmy-Award-winning actress and musical theater icon. She wants to talk Scandoval (“Are they still together, Sandoval and Rachel?”), her favorite new skincare products, and Botox.

Yes, she loves that use of Botox, but she’s partnered with the brand to talk about how it’s helped her manage her chronic migraines, too. After struggling with often debilitating symptoms throughout her 20s and 30s, she started doing regular treatments to prevent migraine attacks. “I thought I was going to have to retire — the spotlight, the flashing lights of the lights from cameras, paparazzi — all of that was causing me to really melt,” she tells InStyle.  

Chenoweth’s first migraine attack happened mid-performance with the Virginia Symphony at 25. And like other famous women with migraines, Chenoweth says her motto was always to push through. “Those of us who do what we do at a high level, we’ve been taught — right or wrong — you go on. Sick, injured, trauma — you go on. And sometimes you can’t.” Now that she’s finally found a treatment for her migraines (for her, that’s Botox every 12 weeks), she’s no longer “living in fear.”

She’s also in tune with other migraine triggers like her menstrual cycle, the weather, her diet, flying, and stress. “I’m learning from the younger generation about self-care,” says Chenoweth. “I cut out alcohol, went on a low-sodium diet, and I drink crazy amounts of water with electrolytes which also helps my throat with singing. And I’m trying to sleep better — it’s not going very well! I have trouble turning off my brain,” she adds. “Meditation has become big for me in the past year. I was one of those people that never stopped. I still don’t stop, but I do make time for meditation.” 

Right now, the long list of projects keeping her booked and busy include season 3 of Apple TV’s Schmigadoon!, her concert tour, working on an album, and preparing for her upcoming Broadway musical, Queen of Versailles, based on the 2012 documentary about socialite Jacqueline Siegel. “I’m one of the producers as well, so that’s exciting to be starring in a show where I’m invited to the table that way,” she says. 

And while Chenoweth is coy about confirming or denying a cameo in the upcoming Wicked movie adaptation, she’s been mentoring Ariana Grande as she prepares to step into Chenoweth’s role as Glinda. “I’ve known Ari since she was 10, so it’s a full-circle moment for us both,” she says. (She’s also raved about Grande’s lip oil from r.e.m. Beauty helping it to sell out five times, so clearly, Chenoweth is a good friend to have in your corner.) 

Plus, she and her fiancé Josh Bryant are in the process of planning their wedding. As for how she’s changing her beauty routine in preparation, Chenoweth says she prefers a less-is-more approach whenever possible, especially before any big event. “I try to give my face a break. When I’m not working, I don’t put makeup on. Chapstick and an eyelash curler can go a long way,” she says. 

As for her anti-aging skincare recommendations, Chenoweth has a few key products in her arsenal. “I’m very simple. I’ve tried everything fancy, and I love the Augustinus Bader moisturizer. It’s a splurge but really worth it — it keeps my face glowing, dewy, and moisturized,” she says. She’s also remained loyal to one of her favorite affordable drugstore products: “I’m very much into Bio-Oil — I put it on my wrinkles, and I can tell the difference.”

Like the rest of us, she’s also become curious recently about the world of clean beauty. “I’m not a vegan, and I’m not vegetarian, but I’ve started looking at a lot of the chemicals [in my beauty products]. Right now, I've been trying a new brand called Pacifica, they’re a vegan brand, and I’m telling you, their moisturizer… I have some dark skin damage from being a kid in the sun, and it’s really, really working,” she says.

“My best beauty secret is — this is what Josh, my fiancé, always says to me, ‘When you laugh, you look 12!’” She adds, “It’s the simple things in life that work: Sleep, water, laughter, and a good moisturizer and call it a day.”