Much of Paloma Elsesser’s skincare arsenal can be found at Rescue Spa, the cult destination for beauty obsessives. She’s even loyal to Danucera, the clean, results-driven line created by Rescue Spa founder Danuta Mieloch, a detail that feels fitting for a model who takes her glow as seriously as her runway prep.

Just days before walking her second Victoria’s Secret show, the 2023 British Fashion Council Model of the Year was at home in Brooklyn, fine-tuning her skincare ritual. “I didn’t grow up seeing women who looked like me on that kind of stage,” she says. “So to be that image for someone else, it’s bigger than the job.”

By the time she’s backstage, with oversized rollers in her hair, a pink angel robe draped over her shoulders, and her playlist blasting, her skin is already prepped to perfection. The glow that catches the light under makeup artist Pat McGrath’s highlighter starts long before showtime.

Elsesser’s routine is anchored by discipline and texture (she’s even known to change her pillowcases every other day to prevent breakouts)! Her evening regimen begins with Biologique Recherche’s Lait VIP O₂, a brightening, oxygenating cleansing milk that removes pollution and impurities without stripping the skin. “I like to massage it in before adding water—it just grips better to the skin,” she says. She follows with iS Clinical’s Cleansing Complex, a gentle gel cleanser that sweeps away residue and keeps pores clear without drying.

Next comes MBR’s Starter Facial Booster, a lightweight essence packed with anti-aging botanicals and multiple forms of hyaluronic acid. “I pat it in with my hands to help everything that follows sink deeper,” she explains.

Her serum lineup is where the glow really begins. She layers Danucera’s Mega Serum, rich in peptides, niacinamide (vitamin B3), and plant collagen, to firm, hydrate, and boost elasticity, what she calls her secret to “juicy” skin. On top, she adds iS Clinical’s Pro-Heal Serum Advance, a potent vitamin C blend that brightens her tone while preserving her natural freckles. To seal everything in, she presses on MBR’s Cytoline Concentrate, a deeply moisturizing treatment that keeps her complexion supple and balanced.

For hydration throughout the day (or mid-flight) she mists Valmont’s Priming with a Hydrating Fluid, a luxurious, glacial-inspired spray that refreshes skin and locks in luminosity. “Glacial skin is the goal,” she says.

Before major events, she levels up her routine with a masking combo from Biologique Recherche: the Masque VIP O₂ under her eyes and around her nose to oxygenate and depuff, and the Masque Vivant everywhere else to rebalance and brighten with yeast extract.

It’s a meticulous routine, but the results speak for themselves: skin that looks alive, lit-from-within, and ready for the spotlight, just like Paloma herself!

Read more at The Cut