New York City Ballet's Tiler Peck Reveals Her Essential Drugstore Beauty Product for Backstage

Widely recognized as one of the top ballerinas of our time and regarded as a “dance luminary,” Tiler Peck just kicked off her 20th year with the New York City Ballet. Currently the only company-employed prima ballerina who also choreographs (in pointe shoes no less), Peck is truly one of a kind. While her work as a dancer and choreographer continues to surpass traditional boundaries, she also makes time for rest, recovery, family and her favorite local facials.

I was just talking about this with my family yesterday. I was saying that I would literally tell myself that there is no better feeling. If you love it, it’s so worth it. I’ve run into a lot of people who say, “Oh, I really hope my daughter doesn’t want to dance.” I’m so shocked by that because I’ve had such an amazing experience. Yes, it’s hard. I don’t think that by any definition we can say that it’s an easy career. I do feel like if you’re willing to put in the work and you love it, there’s almost nothing like getting to perform live on stage. The fact that I get to call this a job is crazy because I just love dancing so much.

I always say I’d probably be a lawyer.

Yes. I have to have Neutrogena wipes. They have to be somewhere in the theater! Our makeup is so thick. We wear grease, a pancake layer and then a powder layer. It’s a lot. When you’re doing that every single night, it’s pretty tough on the skin. I always have a Neutrogena wipe just to get everything off before I leave the theater. Then, when I get home, I do my Cerave face wash. Then, I have my favorite face lotion that I put on. It’s called Youth Corridor. It’s the Ultimate Nourishing Cream. It’s pretty thick, but I feel like I need that after so much makeup on and off.

Yes, I do. I go to Youth Corridor. After every season, I go for the facial. It’s so good, I do their no-peel peel. I don’t really know why it’s called that, but it really gives the pores a little refresher, because they’ve taken such a beating from our season. I definitely get that, “Oh, you’re glowing” comment after I visit. That’s my treat to myself after the season.

I take an Epsom salt bath pretty much every night. We elevate a lot, so we always say that we have a permanent elevating station on our couch, which is hysterical. I can watch TV, but be elevating at a 90 degree angle for my feet and my back. Then I have this really great little secret that it’s actually a beauty secret. It’s called the Aztec healing clay. A lot of people use it for their face. When you mix it with apple cider vinegar, you make a clay. I mix it with a little bit of apple cider vinegar to make a thick clay consistency. But I’ve been using a lot this season over my foot because it takes the inflammation down. I saran-wrap it and I sleep with it. In the morning, I take the clay off and it’s really helpful!

Well, I just got engaged! I’m excited to plan a wedding and figure out where it’s going to be. Also, I’m getting ready to go to California for two weeks to be with my family. I don’t get to go as often as I would like, so I am really looking forward to that. It’s not that much time off, but it will be great. Then, we’re right back to work and then we start Nutcracker!