Laverne Cox has pretty much tried out every hairstyle there is. From a blonde bob to long, honey-colored waves to bangs to braids and more, it’s clear that the Orange is the New Black star is all game for experimenting and maintaining self-confidence no matter what.
The 47-year-old actress and equal rights advocate sat down with Stylish to celebrate her partnership with BAND-AID Brand Adhesive Bandages (RED) to fight and end AIDS in our lifetime and dished on her top hair and self-care tips.
While Cox admits that she loves getting dressed up for a fancy event, she’s also comfortable being makeup free and embracing her natural beauty.
“I came from the gym yesterday and I was sweating and was just in my gym clothes and I looked in the mirror and I felt really beautiful. I didn’t have any makeup on and my hair was a mess, but I felt really beautiful. I think there’s something about this time in my life and about being single again. … I’m really not doing it for anyone else now. I’m just like, ‘I wanna look cute for me and I’m working out for me and for my health,’” she explains.
To keep up with her self-care regimen, which she jokes can be a “full-time job,” Cox meditates and that’s one of the reasons she was excited to sign on with the bandage brand.
“Band-Aids are synonymous with caring for yourself and caring for others and for me right now, at this stage in my life as a 47-year-old woman, caring for myself is super important. … Partnering with a company that’s all about caring for yourself and caring for other people also feels really great. … All you have to do is go to CVS and buy (RED) Band-Aids and 20 cents from that purchase will go to a full day’s worth of medication for someone living with AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa,” she says.
When it comes to her hair-care routine, Cox uses hair pieces including wigs and weaves to test out different styles while also keeping her locks damage-free.
“I think the beautiful thing about wigs and weaves is that you can try different hair colors, and different lengths with a wig. I think that every woman or non-binary person or even a man if you want, if you identify as male, should have a human hair wig that kind of looks like their own hair that they can style in case they have a bad hair day,” she reveals.
From there, Cox believes you can get inspired to make a change to your real hair, which she notes is important to take care of too. “If something works for you with a wig, you may decide to dye your own hair. … If you are a wig person, you have to take care of your hair underneath, so make sure you’re not using products that destroy your edges,” she suggests.
Other than harsh products, the Netflix actress also avoids getting facials before a big event. “I don’t actually do facials. Facials can sometimes open your pores and kind of destroy your skin,“ she dishes.
Some practices she does swear by: eating breakfast, getting lots of sleep, drinking water and piling on moisturizer. “It’s about feeling good on the inside too,” Cox dishes.
