Elle Macpherson casually spilled her ENTIRE beauty and wellness routine

Elle Macpherson beauty secrets

Including her secret to nabbing a good night’s sleep

Beauty Crew Beauty Writer / March 25 2024

Of all the beauty brains we want to pick, Elle Macpherson’s tops the list. We want to know it ALL. The makeup she uses, her skin care routine, what she eats in the morning, how to make our hair look THAT good, her secret to defying time – the whole shebang. So, when the WelleCo founder sat down with us to chat beauty and wellness, you’re going to bet we asked her everything.

Get ready to take some notes - here’s what a supermodel’s beauty routine looks like.

On her morning ritual…

“I am usually up with the sun and like to wake and practice some breathing and mediation. It’s a routine that helps balance me from the start of the day. (I aim to not touch my phone).

I then have hot water and lemon

My son Cy is up at 6am and while he’s getting ready for school, I prepare his breakfast and I make myself a SUPER ELIXIR Greens. I find it essential for wellness from within. It helps my sense of vitality, strengthens the immune system, supports the digestive system and gives my skin a healthy glow, plus it seems to curb any sugar cravings, so my moods are more stable, and my diet is more balanced.

Once Cy is off to school, I exercise, either in my home gym or outside in the fresh morning air, then I have my breakfast. I like to keep it simple - fruit or raw oatmeal or chia seed pudding, before jumping into the shower and getting ready for the day. On the weekends I’ll have a ‘bulletproof coffee’ with coconut oil and grass-fed butter. Making sure the brain has enough fats is essential for me.  

I am obsessed with dry brushing and exfoliating. I use WelleCo’s Japanese Green Tea Salt Scrub and it’s the first thing I do when showering. If I’m feeling courageous, I’ll take hot and cold showers to encourage circulation, and using a great body cream, like Beautycounter’s Body Butter in Citrus Mimosa.

After breakfast, I head to my office, usually with 32oz of homemade green vegetable juice including kale, cucumber, turmeric, garlic, lemon, ginger, live sprouts, and Romaine lettuce. I rotate the base of the juice every day between cucumber, celery, spinach and squash. It means I get a variety of nutrients and less chance of my body forming allergies.”

On her skin care routine…

“Beauty-wise, I love using DefenAge Skincare, which I was introduced to while I was at 11 Hotel’s Just Ageless spa in New York City. Their products are formulated using Age-Repair Defensins, which are peptides that work with our master stem cells to help combat the visible signs of ageing. I love their 1-Step Multi-Cleanse, an exfoliator that contains fruit enzymes (including papaya) that are gentler on the skin than acids - but just as effective.  

Whilst in Australia this time, I discovered Rationale at All Saints Clinic. For daywear I love using their B3-T Tinted Superfluid SPF50, which provides great protection and gives my skin a beautiful healthy radiance. In the evening, I use the DNA Night Cream for its potent complex of vitamin A, with Universkin P Serum, which has a bespoke compound of ingredients designed to brighten and hydrate skin, as well as improve the appearance of pigmentation.” 

On her go-to makeup brands… 

“I tend to gravitate towards makeup that’s subtle and good for my skin. I am enjoying the Oxygenetix line that is created and used by doctors. Their Breathable Second Skin foundation is beautiful to wear and great for sensitive skin. I also like the Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation by Beautycounter as it is super hydrating. Gucci Westman’s new line Westman Atelier is fantastic, too. Her Vital Skin Foundation Sticks are easy to use and look beautifully natural. They are formulated with plant-based actives and feel super natural and glowing to wear. I always have my four favourites on standby: foundation, highlighter, blush and contour. Their packaging is amazing.”

On what drives her to launch new products for WelleCo…

“Through my personal wellness journey, I have discovered that nothing has an impact on my wellbeing like how I nourish my body, which is how WelleCo really all began six years ago. We wanted to share with the world the unique combination of plant-based and Chinese herb supplements I had been taking and experiencing incredible results with.

As an Australian-based company, WelleCo believes in empowering people to positively influence their health. We call it ‘Wellness the Australian way’. All of the ingredients were chosen for their ability to work well, as team players, creating a synergistic, amplified effect when combined.  

Our constant motivator is our loyal, progressive and curious global community. It is always WelleCo’s aim to accompany each customer on their wellness journey. No matter what their stage of life, we want to provide the most premium solutions that are easy for people to incorporate into their daily regimes.  

Each of our products target specific personal requirements and provide solutions that benefit all stages of wellbeing, be it our range of plant-based elixirs, our organic vegetable wash or green tea salt body scrub.

Our most recent launch, the WelleCo SUPER BOOSTER range, is formulated with botanical extracts and nutrients for targeted support where you need it – be it immune system health, liver support or stronger hair, skin and nails.  Importantly, it is designed to be easy to use and an integral step of a simple daily wellness routine. Along with The SUPER ELIXIR and NOURISHING PROTEIN range for men, women and children, our elixirs are formulated to provide benefits for the whole family. All you need to do is add water.

I now know, understanding the value of a plant-based diet to feed the mitochondria of the cells is vital and we wondered if people would value the importance of greens and plant-based proteins. Luckily, our customers tell us they experience the same beauty, health and wellness benefits that I do, and we are so privileged they choose to include WelleCo in their daily wellness regimes.

It is this positive feedback, and the foundation on which we built WelleCo, that drives us to continue to constantly innovate to ensure we are evolving and supporting our customers individual wellness journeys.”  

On her favourite WelleCo products… 

“The SUPER ELIXIR Greens. It’s our essential daily greens and a clean foundation for cellular and systemic support. Each of our elixirs are an imperative part of a simple and effective three-step daily wellness routine. The first step is The SUPER ELIXIR. I have two teaspoons every morning with filtered water without fail, and I am loving our new Ginger and Lemon flavour at the moment! 

After The SUPER ELIXIR, I recommend our NOURISHING PROTEIN, which is a clean, complete, powdered plant protein designed by nutritional doctors for nourishing and maintaining a lean and strong body. It is the perfect mid-morning or afternoon nourishing snack. I am obsessed with the chocolate; it tastes naughty without any of the bad stuff. 

My third step is our SLEEP WELLE Calming Tea. I have always had quite a lot of trouble sleeping, so this tea has now become my nightly ritual. It is blended with natural herbs including valerian, hops and skullcap to calm the mind and help the body rest, rejuvenate and recover. Be prepared for a very deep and restorative sleep! It’s truly amazing.” 

On her all-time favourite beauty indulgence…  

“I am more a wellness girl to be honest. For me it’s not about beautifying, but more about wellness, being toned and moisturised with soft skin. 

I was lucky to experience the most amazing wellness experience this year at Kamalaya, Koh Samui. It is a stunning Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa where you can completely reset the mind and body in a beautiful and calming environment. I love their personalised approach and the focus on restorative and healing treatments, body movement and nutrition. The treatments and philosophy, food and environment were some of the best I have ever experienced. It was a wonderful combination between eastern and western treatments and I although I was there for a week, I could easily have stayed three! I was never bored and felt better as the days went on. 

My biggest weekly indulgence is Sheila Perez coming to my house to do the Sheila Perez Method lymphatic drainage and sculpting. I would have her two to three times a week if I could, but for now we have a standing once a week appointment. 

I love my Therasage Thera360 Portable Infrared Sauna too. It assists the detox process, strengthens the immune system and encourages circulation and glowing skin.”

On the beauty essentials she packs when travelling overseas…

“I love my Rimowa cabin bag. It fits a week’s worth of essentials, which is perfect because I love not packing too much stuff – it’s so liberating.  

Most importantly for travel is doubling up on my SUPER ELIXIR Greens. I always travel with Immune System Support with Kakadu Plum SUPER BOOSTERS, which I have on their own with water, or combined with my SUPER ELIXIR. Formulated with vitamin C from Kakadu plum and acerola cherry as well as medicinal herbs, they provide immune defence for fighting inflammation and supporting immune system health.

Our NOURISHING PROTEIN is always a must when I am on the road, as often I can’t find quality quick and easy food and snacks. NOURISHING PROTEIN is formulated using a combination of organic pea and organic brown rice proteins, as well as herbal extracts, vitamins, minerals and pre and probiotics. It is fantastic for helping energy levels and I find it really fills me up. It’s easy to take too, which of course is essential when you are travelling. Just add water, shake and sip. 

I stick to my usual skin care routine. I love David de Rothschild’s Lost Explorer skin care products. It is a super-efficient range and packaged in a travel size so it fits in my suitcase perfectly. And for something more robust the Rationale collection of serums and face creams are the right size for traveling, plus extra efficient and truly work.  

My beauty style is always very natural. I don’t like to wear a lot of makeup, so my beauty routine is very pared-back and simple. My favourite beauty look is one that starts with a dewy, healthy complexion. I don’t tend to wear foundation, but if I need a little coverage, I apply (with my fingers) a touch of Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation, but only where I need it. For a touch of colour, I smooth on RMS Rose Lip2Cheek and Pat McGrath Skin Fetish cheek shine for just the right amount of definition. They all come in travel-friendly packaging and are super easy to stow in my bag.”

On the kind of beauty and wellness products we would find in her suitcase…

“For me, beauty comes from the inside out - so first things first - SUPER ELIXIR Greens. Our ultimate ingestible beauty formula is just the right blend of premium plant-based nutrients that work together to address acidity in the body and nourish right down to cellular level, which really helps the body recover from the stress of travel and I really find helps reduce jet lag. I never fly without my SUPER ELIXIR travel sachets tucked safely in my makeup bag for quick pick-me-ups. I have a SUPER ELIXIR before I board, whilst I’m in the air, and another as I’m landing. 

I always pack a NOURISHING PROTEIN Travel Set. I have one daily, blended with water. It helps ensure I eat as cleanly as possible and assists with energy levels and adjusting to a new time zone. It also ensures I always have a healthy snack on hand when options are limited. 

I also try to remember to wear broad-spectrum SPF sunscreen every day, especially when out on the reflective ocean sun. Rationale make a great one and I love Dr Barbara Sturm products, particularly her Sun Drops and serums as well as sunblock.

Oh, and I always have a tube of Lucas’ Papaw Ointment stashed away to put on my lips and cuticles. It’s very moisturising and very Aussie!”

On her favourite career highlight…

“WelleCo is the combination of wanting to create a business and wanting to enable inner and outer beauty for everyone. I think it’s fair to say that we all aspire to having a successful business and to make money. But I believe there is also a sort of Holy Grail of business which consists of doing what you love with purpose, making a difference, and making a profit doing it. It’s very fulfilling. And so, this is what we are seeking to achieve with WelleCo — creating quality products that are simple to integrate into people’s lives, and that help them balance their inner and outer beauty. The most exciting thing is we are really only just getting started! 

Being a co-founder, director and shareholder of WelleCo has been very fulfilling but the most joy comes from supporting our team in making the highest quality sustainable plant-based products that help people in their daily life.”

On what’s next…

“We have so many exciting things on the horizon for WelleCo, and I’m so grateful for where I am, and what I’m doing in my life. It is a privilege to be in a position to be able to impact and share with people some of the things I’ve learned. And the major one has been the understanding that our bodies are incredible, and they can heal and thrive if given the right environment.”

Want more celebrity beauty secrets? Check out the beauty products Phoebe Burgess can’t live without, and Shelley Craft’s biggest skin sin

What wellness products are you currently obsessed with? Share with us in the comment section below.

Main image credit: @ellemacpherson

Erin Docherty is a Beauty Writer for BEAUTYcrew, Beauty Editor for Women's Health magazine and a Grooming Writer for Men's Health magazine. She has a keen interest in cosmeceutical skin care and is currently working on minimising her 9-step skin care routine – because ain’t nobody got time for that. When she’s not writing about the latest beauty news, or applying copious amounts of serum, you can find her spending all her money in Sephora.