Scarlett Johansson has a genius hack for lifted lashes

As the square lights up on my screen, that’s exactly what I get. Scarlett is wearing a baggy bottle green jumper and glasses, her hair haphazardly thrown up in a messy bun. My eye is immediately drawn to that famous mega-watt smile and her marble-smooth, makeup-free skin.

Over the course of the next 20 minutes, Scarlett considers each question I ask for a few beats before giving a considered, savvy answer. She is also warm and funny about how her highly reactive skin has made her the perfect human guinea pig for her cruelty-free skincare line, which comprises cleanser, exfoliator, serum, oil, day and night creams.

I immediately like her and our interview’s relaxed vibe is a green light to discuss her relationship with her skin growing up, why as a woman approaching 40 she is deviating from the norm by not throwing harsh anti-ageing actives at it and how motherhood is her most life-changing role to date.

“My skin was an endless struggle for me growing up. I had acne when I was going through puberty and I guess I assumed that would change. As I got older, it never changed and, in fact, it was worsening.”

Even if I hadn’t been in the public eye, just having this skin that I was hyper aware of day to day was a source of a lot of anxiety and frustration for me. I was so scared to put moisture and nourishment into my skin because the trend since I was a teenager was “acne’s bad, strip it away.” I was constantly cleaning my face – I had no idea. I was like, why am I still having this problem if if my skin is so ‘clean’? It wasn’t until I started taking a gentle approach to my skin that was more mindful and nourishing that I realised my skin can actually heal itself. It’s this organ and tissue that can repair itself if you just treat it kindly, you know? It transformed my skin quality completely. I never looked back after that.

“Beauty standards come from outside, but then you digest them and so they start to be a pressurising thing that’s self actualised.”

I think I’ve probably put those pressures on myself. I’m also a person who at work spends two hours in front of a humongous mirror with lights all around it. I don’t think most people spend two hours at 5:30 in the morning staring into a mirror. So yeah, I think you are hyper aware of how you look, ageing and the changes in your body and your face – like how you looked different before. You’re also documented for decades of time. So, I don’t know, it would be a Herculean effort to not be conscious of that stuff. Maybe if I was a dude I’d be less conscious, although I don’t think that’s true because the actors that I know are getting all kinds of treatments in the [makeup] chair. I’m like, are you doing a lymphatic facial?

“We had to get over the stigma of being a celebrity brand. I didn’t want to license my name, I didn’t want to white label a skincare line.”

The Outset came from a genuine need. I just want to streamline my routine so it’s approachable and consistent. I’ve been so obsessed with skincare since I was a teenager. I knew that I had a passion for this project, but it’s such a different world than the one that I come from. With the encouragement of my friends and family saying, “You know a lot about this stuff, you could do it yourself,” I felt like maybe I’ll scratch the surface and then see what the process is. It was 1 million times more involved than I could have imagined! I reached out to a couple of friends of mine, just wondering if they knew someone who could be a producing partner. We [Scarlett and The Outnet co-founder, American entrepreneur Kate Foster] did not make it easy for ourselves. What does it mean to be clean? There’s got to be a certain standard? So we just started going down that path. Trying to find alternatives to petroleum is very, very challenging. But then you have that moment like, “Oh, it’s actually really working. My skin’s actually transforming.” The products are so good and we put so much intention behind each one – that’s really been what sets us apart.

“I love the hopefulness around the word ‘outset’.”

We wanted something that feels like these are essentials. So we have this ‘hyaluroset complex’ in every one of our products. It’s a botanical alternative to hyaluronic acid. The Outset is like the beginning of your day. It’s a fresh start. It just feels like there’s an optimism about it, this idea that at the outset is where healthy skin begins, you know?