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Salma Hayek, 58, shares the secret to ageless, 'no Botox' skin in this $13 cream
The bark of the 'Mexican skin tree' is known for its regenerative properties.
With leading roles in over 80 films, Salma Hayek is a red-carpet regular season after season — the 58-year-old award-winning actress and film producer never fails to blow us away. On top of all that, she's also a bona fide beauty icon. Wondering what the secret is behind her gorgeous complexion? The screen queen credits one buzzy ingredient in this cream for her glowing skin. You don't need a movie star's salary to bring home some for yourself: You can snag a jar from Amazon for just $13.
This night cream contains Salma Hayek's secret weapon skin care ingredient for youthful-looking skin.
Hayek has been steaming up the silver screen for nearly 30 years, but take one look at her youthful complexion and you'd think she was still an ingenue. There's no magic behind her flawless skin — just the bark of a tree.
"I use an ingredient called tepezcohuite that's used in Mexico for burn victims because it completely regenerates the skin," Hayek told Elle. "Some of the ingredients, when I took them to the American labs, they were like, 'Oh my God! How come nobody is using this?' This is why I have no Botox, no peels, no fillers."
The tepezcohuite tree is often called the "Mexican skin tree" because its bark is known to help regenerate skin and hair. It was used to treat hundreds of thousands of burn victims in an earthquake and a gas explosion in Mexico in the 1980s when no medical supplies were available.
Few American companies have caught on. Our senior beauty editor, Jennifer Romolini, tested out Del Indio Papago Night Cream and reported softer skin, though she found another product with an even higher concentration of tepezcohuite that's possibly more effective on wrinkles.
More than 4,400 five-star Amazon reviewers rave about the Del Indio Papago Night Cream.
"I read the Salma Hayek article and decided to give it a go," a reviewer said. "I have ridiculously picky skin (rosacea, sensitivities, etc.), and I don't get my hopes up, as most things I try either irritate my skin or cause breakouts. I have sun damage, fine lines and menopausal acne. Basically, I never know what I'll see when I look in the mirror. I've used this for three weeks, and so far, so good. No irritation, my skin is calm and hydrated, and best of all, no acne."
"In all of my decades of trying skin-care products, tepezcohuite has been the most transformative product I have ever used," declared an excited shopper. "In just a week's worth of use, morning and night, I see a noticeable improvement in my skin's tone, feel and texture. My 67-year-old skin glows again for the first time in decades."
One five-star reviewer reported: "I get the hype. It is an excellent moisturizer. My skin feels smooth and hydrated. Small lines are less noticeable."
"When I bought this cream, I didn't know anything about it," said another enthusiastic user. "I was pleasantly surprised at how it made my skin feel and the quality of the product. I will be 70 years old this month, and my skin looks 20 years younger."
If you're sensitive to scents, some reviewers say you might find this cream overpowering. As one cautions: "It does have a strong smell. Flowery, hints of roses. OK, not so much a hint as an actual rose smell. I have used moisturizers in the past with a strong smell and for whatever reason I have found the more they smell the more greasy they are, and feel as if they just slide off my face. Not this one."
If you're after the full 24-hour experience of this skin cream, Del Indio Papago makes a lighter-weight version for daytime use, which you can snag in this bundle:
The day cream contains tepezcohuite powder, collagen and vitamin E; you'll also get a bar soap packed with the ingredients in this three-piece set.
And if you're interested in tepezcohuite, we recommend trying out some other products containing the ingredient:
"A higher concentration of [tepezcohuite], plus a more natural formula at the same price point make this serum from Imagine Dermatology an obvious Del Indio Papago alternative," wrote Yahoo's senior beauty editor, Jennifer Romolini.
If you'd like to go full tepezcohuite with Del Indio Papago, you can wash up with their bar soap too — it's available separately from the combo pack.
If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
