Malinda Williams Shares Her Hair and Skin Secrets

See how the actress maintains her enviable glow.

Malinda Williams @MalinsWorld - Tweet: Ruby Dee... a legacy and representation of our culture that is unmatched. Rest well POWERFUL little lady. #RIP(Photo: Fitzroy Barrett / Splash News)

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Malinda's Beauty Secrets - For years, we’ve swooned over Malinda Williams' smooth, glowing complexion and rebellious pixie cut. The woman just keeps getting better with time. While the actress and co-host of Aspire TV’s Exhale chalks most of it up to good genes, she does have a few fab tricks up her sleeve, and she’s sharing them exclusively with BET.com. By Britt Middleton (Photo: Fitzroy Barrett / Splash News)

Head-to-Toe-Smooth - “I exfoliate pretty often, probably once a week. I like to try new things. Even if I don’t have a scrub at home,  I will make one with some salt and a little foaming face wash. I do it on my body as well. I have one of those Korean scrub mits.” (Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

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Head-to-Toe-Smooth - “I exfoliate pretty often, probably once a week. I like to try new things. Even if I don’t have a scrub at home,  I will make one with some salt and a little foaming face wash. I do it on my body as well. I have one of those Korean scrub mits.” (Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

Simply Smooth - “I do not cleanse my skin every day. I feel like if I cleansed it every day, I would dry it out," the actress says. "So, I wipe it with a clean, white wash cloth with no dyes. Honestly, I go to the 99-cent store and get the packs of 25. I do use a toner. I’ll put, like, Sea Breeze on maybe twice a week. And if I have make-up on, I will use that old stand-by, Pond’s Cold Cream, and tissue it off.” (Photo: Pond's)

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Simply Smooth - “I do not cleanse my skin every day. I feel like if I cleansed it every day, I would dry it out," the actress says. "So, I wipe it with a clean, white wash cloth with no dyes. Honestly, I go to the 99-cent store and get the packs of 25. I do use a toner. I’ll put, like, Sea Breeze on maybe twice a week. And if I have make-up on, I will use that old stand-by, Pond’s Cold Cream, and tissue it off.” (Photo: Pond's)

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Chic and Cheap - The New Jersey-born beauty says she doesn’t spend a fortune on fancy moisturizers, either. Her favorite is a mild day cream from Trader Joe’s supermarket mixed with her own blend of essential oils. “With essential oils, your body can digest it. It’s chemical-free and you’ll notice that it gives you a little glow. I love lavender, ylang-ylang, rosemary and I love anything citrus, like grapefruit and lemon.” (Photo: MR.SURAKIT HARNTONGKUL/GettyImages)

Malinda Williams: December 3 - The Soul Food actress turns 38.(Photo: Michael Kovac/WireImage)

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Hands Off - Williams admits that she loves getting pampered at the spa, but she has a hands-off policy when it comes to her flawless face. “I let them do all sorts of body work, but I don’t let anyone touch my face because I have very small pores and I bruise easily. Anytime I’ve ever gone to the facialist I’ve been bruised. I do my own face. I just keep it very simple,” she says. (Photo: Michael Kovac/WireImage)

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From the Inside Out - The actress is a fan of taking care of her skin and hair from the inside out. “I don’t have a strict regime, but I try to drink a lot of water, and I don’t eat a lot of sugar or breads and things like that. I don’t police myself, but I do know that there are foods that contribute to beauty, foods that are high in antioxidants,” Williams says. “So I’m conscious that if I choose a fruit I choose one that’s high in antioxidants.”  (Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for BET)

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From the Inside Out - The actress is a fan of taking care of her skin and hair from the inside out. “I don’t have a strict regime, but I try to drink a lot of water, and I don’t eat a lot of sugar or breads and things like that. I don’t police myself, but I do know that there are foods that contribute to beauty, foods that are high in antioxidants,” Williams says. “So I’m conscious that if I choose a fruit I choose one that’s high in antioxidants.”  (Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for BET)

Beauty Bites - “I love bananas, which are high in potassium, so that whole water-regulating thing works for me. I love grapes and any kind of citrus. And my favorite fruits are blueberries,” she says. “To me, anything that’s white — the bread and the rice — that slows me down. So, I eat lots of fruits, vegetables and grains, and I love salads. I don’t eat like that all the time, but I am conscious. If you study food and how your body breaks down certain foods, then you can understand how to use food as energy.” (Photo: Malinda Williams via Instagram)

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Beauty Bites - “I love bananas, which are high in potassium, so that whole water-regulating thing works for me. I love grapes and any kind of citrus. And my favorite fruits are blueberries,” she says. “To me, anything that’s white — the bread and the rice — that slows me down. So, I eat lots of fruits, vegetables and grains, and I love salads. I don’t eat like that all the time, but I am conscious. If you study food and how your body breaks down certain foods, then you can understand how to use food as energy.” (Photo: Malinda Williams via Instagram)

Battling Bloat - “I take potassium, which is important in regulating the fluids in your body. I also take an herbal blend called Fluid Buster, because when you travel you tend to retain a lot of water. I take that along with the potassium right before I get on a plane and a couple days after I disembark, so I can fit into the clothes I packed and stay normal.” (Photo: Dhealth Store)

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Battling Bloat - “I take potassium, which is important in regulating the fluids in your body. I also take an herbal blend called Fluid Buster, because when you travel you tend to retain a lot of water. I take that along with the potassium right before I get on a plane and a couple days after I disembark, so I can fit into the clothes I packed and stay normal.” (Photo: Dhealth Store)

Perfectly Polished - “I will not leave the house without mascara,” Williams says, adding that Maybelline Great Lash mascara is her favorite. While she loves trying new products, she says Maybelline Super Stay foundation (her shade is Caramel) and Bobbi Brown concealer are her forever staples. Being a working mom on-the-go, she says finding products that are effective and accessible is a must. “I need to be able to find it when I need it, anywhere." (Photo: Malinda Williams via Instagram)

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Perfectly Polished - “I will not leave the house without mascara,” Williams says, adding that Maybelline Great Lash mascara is her favorite. While she loves trying new products, she says Maybelline Super Stay foundation (her shade is Caramel) and Bobbi Brown concealer are her forever staples. Being a working mom on-the-go, she says finding products that are effective and accessible is a must. “I need to be able to find it when I need it, anywhere." (Photo: Malinda Williams via Instagram)

Short Story - Perhaps as much as for her beauty, Williams is known for her trendsetting pixie cut, which she’s been rocking for nearly 10 years. “I went short in defiance,” she says. “I had really long hair, halfway down my back. People would say I was pretty and that I had pretty hair and I thought, ‘Well I don’t want to be known just for being pretty.’ So I cut my hair off, so people don’t see the hair, they see me. What’s interesting is that even after I cut my hair off, they still said I was pretty. And I realized that maybe it’s not just a physical thing and maybe I can continue to nurture the inner beauty because it is something that is radiating from within.” (Photo: Malinda Williams via Instagram)

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Short Story - Perhaps as much as for her beauty, Williams is known for her trendsetting pixie cut, which she’s been rocking for nearly 10 years. “I went short in defiance,” she says. “I had really long hair, halfway down my back. People would say I was pretty and that I had pretty hair and I thought, ‘Well I don’t want to be known just for being pretty.’ So I cut my hair off, so people don’t see the hair, they see me. What’s interesting is that even after I cut my hair off, they still said I was pretty. And I realized that maybe it’s not just a physical thing and maybe I can continue to nurture the inner beauty because it is something that is radiating from within.” (Photo: Malinda Williams via Instagram)

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Malinda Williams: December 3 - The Soul Food actress celebrates her 37th birthday. (Photo: Brian Killian/Getty Images)

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Mane Moves - Along with her inner beauty, Williams has the styling skills to match. The actress is a licensed cosmetologist, having gone to beauty school straight out of high school. She still cuts her own hair today, sharing her styling tips on her YouTube page.  (Photo: Brian Killian/Getty Images)

Style Cues - “I wash my hair pretty much every day, or I just rinse it with water. I don’t condition it every day, because that causes build up,” she says.  She counts shampoos and conditioners by Kim Kimble and Miss Jessie’s as her favorites, and she massages argan oil onto her tresses for added shine. (Photo: Miss Jessie's)

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Style Cues - “I wash my hair pretty much every day, or I just rinse it with water. I don’t condition it every day, because that causes build up,” she says.  She counts shampoos and conditioners by Kim Kimble and Miss Jessie’s as her favorites, and she massages argan oil onto her tresses for added shine. (Photo: Miss Jessie's)