11 Self-Care Essentials Courteney Cox Swears By

Welcome to Take the Edge Off, a series that breaks down the beauty and self-care routines of influencers, CEOs, experts, and celebrities. Find out how they unwind and decompress, while taking a closer look at the holy-grail essentials they’re currently raving about.

Would you consider housecleaning part of your self-care routine? While Courteney Cox the actor is quite different from her lovable Friends character, Monica Geller, there is one thing the two women do have in common: their love of keeping things tidy. “I’ve always been into architecture and design; I love scents and I love to clean. So, Homecourt is kind of the perfect combination of aesthetics meets cleaning,” she tells me over a Zoom call.

Cox’s lifestyle brand Homecourt has only been available for a handful of years, but has already left a major impact on consumers looking for home care products with a more elevated feel. The range features products with equally calming and inviting scents, including Balsam Fireplace, Cipres Mint, Steeped Rose, and her namesake signature, Cece.

“I decided to create my brand during lockdown,” she says. “I was actually just going to do a candle, but then it became evident that something that was really missing were high-end products you can clean your home with that smell good, and [that] you’d want to leave out on the counter. Our tagline is ‘Beauty Products for the Home,’ and that’s really what Homecourt is.” The brand has also committed to using nontoxic, plant-derived formulas and recyclable bottles and jars, to reduce its environmental footprint.

Though it’s clear acting is her first love, Cox is excited about the seemingly endless possibilities in store for Homecourt. “People have to rein me in—Homecourt to me is just like, ‘Okay, let’s go!’ There are a million things I want to do, and a million scents [I want to create]. And I definitely have to be reined in, because I love it, it’s such a huge passion of mine."

Bazaar caught up with the Cougar Town alum for a closer look at her go-to beauty and wellness routines, from regularly using her brand’s cult-favorite products to the high-tech gadgets—including a professional-grade LED skincare tool—that help her look and feel her best. Here is everything Cox reaches for to help her take the edge off.

What are you reading these days?

You know, I have a lot of friends that have written books, it turns out. I just finished reading Laura Dern and Diane Ladd’s Honey, Baby, Mine, and I’ve been friends with Brandi Carlile for quite a few years now, and I never really sat down and read [Carlile’s memoir] Broken Horses—she’s got such a fascinating life. It’s interesting to go back and read books about people that you know. You learn so much that you haven’t necessarily had conversations about—or if you had, you didn’t realize how deep they went. So, I’m really enjoying it—it’s great.

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What are some of your go-to bath or shower products?

I always use body wash from Nécessaire—I love their scents. And my friend Jenni Kayne has a product line called Oak Essentials—their body balm is incredible. I have really hard water here, and it’s hard to stay moisturized. We live in California, and the Santa Ana winds are so drying. But I’m really into putting as many products as I can on my body—I use her lotion, too.

Nécessaire The Body Wash

Oak Essentials Moisture Rich Body Balm

Oak Essentials Luminous Body Lotion

What beauty or self-care products do you use on a regular basis to help combat Zoom fatigue?

In the mornings, I always use a LightStim treatment, which is a red light panel; they make a mask as well. But I like to be able to just sit under it as a way for me to start my day. It’s my version of going outside and standing in the sun for a few minutes. I like it; it relaxes me.

LightStim ProPanel Light Treatment

Do you have a favorite hand sanitizer, soap, or cream right now?

We have [Homecourt’s new scent] Balsam Fireplace out, and it’s incredible—I hoard as much as I can. We sold out of the hand cream, and right now, I don’t even have any. But I always have to put a cream on after I wash my hands. I also love using our Cece and Cipres Mint hand creams.

Homecourt Cece Hand Cream

Do you ever light a candle or stick of incense to decompress? If so, what are some of your favorites?

My favorite candle right now is Balsam Fireplace for sure, I burn it year-round. Cece is another one of my favorites—they’re all so rich, they’re warm. And in my bedroom, I have Steeping Rose. And I’m obsessed with Cipres Mint. I think it has the most unique scent.

Homecourt Balsam Fireplace Candle

What was the last beauty product you put on today?

The Cream by Augustinus Bader—I like the texture of it a lot. I would normally say sunscreen, but I didn’t do that today because I have not even stepped foot outside. Although I should’ve done it anyway, just in preparation.

Augustinus Bader The Cream

Are you into bold makeup, no makeup, or no-makeup makeup right now, and why?

Definitely not bold, definitely not no. And the last one is no-makeup makeup, so—pretending you’re not wearing makeup? I’d say I’d like to pretend I don’t have makeup on, because I can’t stand base, but I do like to apply a little wherever I’m red.

I also like using under-eye concealer, and a cream blush—right now, I’m using Merit’s balm blush. I put it on both cheeks, my forehead, nose, and chin. I also like to curl my lashes and wear mascara to put on a little bit of an eye. I tattooed my eye a long time ago, and it’s gone except for a little blue tint, and I hate that. Back in the day it was black and very thin, but now, I always put on a bronzy-brown liner and sort of shade it in. I’m just trying to define my eyes without looking overdone.

Merit Flush Balm

What’s the last fitness class you streamed or attended in person?

I never stream fitness classes, but I bought this product called the Katalyst, and it}s an electric stimulation suit that you put on. You have to buy a subscription to use it, so I signed in to watch some guy do squats and tell me how to do things. I didn’t pay attention as much as I should. But it definitely had my muscles sore. It feels like you’re buzzing, like a jolt, but not uncomfortable. It’s just like, Oh, that’s working. Oh, that’s tightening my muscles. Usually, I play tennis, weight train, or do Pilates.

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What’s one piece of self-care advice you have for our readers?

I would say: Hydrate, communicate, and weight train.

Tiffany Dodson is currently the associate beauty commerce editor at Harper’s Bazaar, where she specializes in trend forecasting, building relationships with major and emerging brands, and crafting shopping stories—from holiday gift guides to product road tests. Tiffany's work has previously been featured in outlets like SELF, Bustle, and Teen Vogue, and she's been quoted as a commerce and beauty expert in publications and platforms like The Business of Fashion and NPR’s Life Kit podcast.

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