Duchess Sophie's beautiful natural feature she 'embraces' to get her glow, revealed by a skincare expert

Duchess Sophie embraces her natural glow

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh attends The 'Together At Christmas' Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 8, 2023 in London, England. Spearheaded by The Princess of Wales, linked to her Shaping Us campaign and supported by The Royal Foundation, the service is a moment to bring people together at Christmas time and recognise those who have gone above and beyond to help others throughout the year.
(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh embraces one of her most beautiful natural features in order to achieve her gorgeous glowing complexion, a skincare expert says. 

It's undeniable that Duchess Sophie always looks incredible. The 58-year-old is constantly impressing us with her amazing sartorial ensembles and beauty looks, just as all of the other women of the royal family do. One thing that Sophie always has in spades, though, is an effortless glow. And while she no doubt has access to all of the top tier beauty products from incredible skincare to the best lightweight foundations for radiant skin, a skincare expert has revealed the natural answer to Sophie's complexion. 

According to Tracey Ryan, skincare scientific advisor at Skin Trust Club, it's not as much about the products Sophie uses to achieve this glow - it's about the things she doesn't do that help her maintain a youthful radiance. 

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh attends a service to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NHS at Westminster Abbey on July 5, 2023 in London, England. The NHS was founded in 1948, introduced by Labour's Health Minister Aneurin 'Nye' Bevan, and was the first universal health system free at the point of delivery to be available to all. Currently, the NHS has over 1.6 million interactions with people across the UK per day. Nine in 10 people agree that healthcare should be free of charge, more than four in five agree that care should be available to everyone and that the NHS makes them most proud to be British.

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Tracey said that the key to Sophie's glow is keeping things minimal, and not being afraid to let her natural complexion show. 

Speaking to the Express, she said, "She embraces her natural glow and freckles and maintains a low-key skin routine on a daily basis." While sometimes people attempt to hide their freckles, Sophie embraces them and doesn't try to hide them away, letting her natural beauty shine through likely with a simple no-makeup makeup look. 

Apparently, though, we weren't the only ones wondering about how Sophie gets her skin so glowy. "Sophie Wessex is known for looking much younger than her age. Her youthful skin is much remarked upon in the media, and it's not hard to see why!" Tracey added. 

Although the exact details of Sophie's exact skincare routine are unknown, it's speculated that the Duchess uses exfoliants to help keep her skin glowing and free of dead skin and texture. 

Tracey expects that Sophie "exfoliate[s] regularly to keep her skin clean and glowing."

It's unknown whether she would use a chemical or physical exfoliant - and although both are great for sloughing away dead skin, certain types of exfoliants can be harsh on more sensitive skin types.


Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, £31 | Selfridges

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, £31 | Selfridges

If you're trying to perfect your skincare routine to get a glow, this would be the first product we recommend adding in. Salicylic acid helps clear away blemishes but crucially without leaving your skin dry and sore. A true skincare hero.

Ole Henriksen Lemonade Smoothing Scrub, £27 | Sephora UK

Ole Henriksen Lemonade Smoothing Scrub, £27 | Sephora UK

This gritty option cleverly combines chemical and physical exfoliation, making it a brilliant all-rounder if you're not sure where to start. 

If you're wondering how to exfoliate your skin safely, it's best to pick a product that complements your skin's natural type - for example, if you have sensitive skin, you may want to stay away from chemical exfoliants like AHAs, BHAs, and even retinoids.

Ultimately, though, exfoliating is extremely important for all skin types, and it doesn't matter how old you are - you still should be doing it. "Gently exfoliating once or twice a week to remove a build-up of dead skin cells, makeup, and oils will reveal glowing fresh skin underneath," Consultant Dermatologist Dr. Shaaria Nasir told woman&home. "Regular exfoliation also helps minimize the appearance of large pores, and helps other active ingredients in skincare be absorbed better."

Madeline Merinuk
US Lifestyle News Writer

Madeline Merinuk is woman&home's US lifestyle news writer, covering celebrity, entertainment, fashion, and beauty news.

She graduated in 2021 with a B.A. in Journalism from Hofstra University, winning multiple student journalism awards, including a National Hearst Award, during her time there. After graduating, she worked at today.com, the digital site for the Today Show, where she wrote pop culture news and interviewed big-name personalities like Emily Ratajkowski, Haley Lu Richardson, Emma Corrin, and more.

Her personal interests, in no particular order, are: cheese, Joni Mitchell, reading, hot yoga, traveling, having multiple chapsticks in every handbag at all times, and dancing to ABBA songs as if she were in the Mamma Mia movies.