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Anyone who wears makeup knows that your glam is only as good as your skin prep. And Mariska Hargitay clearly got the memo. Before hitting the red carpet at the 2026 Emmy Awards, the Law & Order: SVU star prepped her skin with the Cetaphil Skin Activator Firming Body Cream, a drugstore find designed to target dryness, crepey texture and loss of firmness.
Celebrity makeup artist Kate Synnott said the cult-favorite cream became an essential step in Hargitay’s pre-glam routine.
“It helps activate surface skin cells while delivering 72-hour hydration and helping skin look smoother and firmer, giving the skin the moisture and nourishment it needs before makeup,” the pro said.
Get the Cetaphil Skin Activator Firming Body Cream for $17 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
While “firming” can sometimes feel like an ambitious promise, this formula has the ingredients to back up its skin-smoothing claims. It pairs mandelic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), with centella asiatica (CICA). Mandelic acid helps encourage surface cell turnover to tackle dullness and uneven texture, and CICA supports the skin’s moisture barrier and helps skin appear plumper and smoother.
For those with mature or chronically dry skin, the cream is meant to provide up to 48 hours of hydration while helping repair the skin’s natural moisture barrier over time. It’s particularly beneficial for areas of the body that tend to show dryness first, like the arms, legs, chest and anywhere else skin could use an extra dose of moisture. Like many of Cetaphil’s formulas, it’s gentle enough for those with sensitive skin. Massage it into areas you feel are dry, crepey or have lost firmness twice a day.
One Amazon reviewer said it “works well at plumping saggy skin on my 71-year-old legs,” while another raved: “This stuff actually works […] My neck is visibly smoother and has no creases or loose skin.”
Hargitay is an on-screen icon with access to pricey products, so the fact that she relies on something you can easily order on Amazon tells you that it’s good-good. We’re adding a bottle to cart, ASAP, and if you’re ready to glow like this star did on stage, you’ll want to do the same.
Get the Cetaphil Skin Activator Firming Body Cream for $17 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
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