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 favorites they’re raving about.
Most people recognize Taraji P. Henson as an award-winning actress and mental-health advocate, but the Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist star also counts herself as an entrepreneur, thanks in part to the success of her namesake hair and body-care line, TPH by Taraji.
“Whenever I decide to put my name on anything branding-wise, it has to be authentic to me because consumers are very smart,” Henson tells Bazaar. “I’m a consumer, and they know a money grab when they see one. I want to garner the trust of my fans and my following, and if I’m not using the product, how can I sell it? If I’m not excited about the product, how can I sell it?”
Along with refining beauty formulas and prepping for her next starring role, Henson can now add the title of vintner to her résumé as well. The actor recently launched Seven Daughters Moscato, a wine brand inspired by the empowering feeling of community created by the women closest to her. “I like it because I think it’s a great way to introduce new drinkers to wine as it’s easy on the palate. It’s light and not too sweet,” she says. Seven Daughters is a natural extension of the star’s love of culture and travel, with grapes sourced from family farms in the Veneto region of northern Italy.
We caught up with the actress and entrepreneur for more of her go-to self-care techniques and regular product non-negotiables. From the hit album she has on repeat to her must-have status hand soap, keep reading for Henson’s grounding favorites.
What are you reading or listening to these days?
I’m reading the Bible a lot because a lot is going on in the world, and I’m listening to a number of sermons, but I’m so open when it comes to music. I love Tems, and I’m just on her right now. She has all my focus. Her voice is just unbelievable, and I met her when I was in Dubai. She was the main act at this huge festival that they have there, and I went backstage and met her. It was beautiful. It went kind of viral when we met and hugged. She said, “I’ve been watching you since I was a little girl,” and she thought she offended me, and I said, “Baby, I’m Titi, don’t worry.”
Holman Bible Publishers KJV Large Print Personal Size Reference Bible
What are some of your go-to bath or shower products?
TPH! I mean, come on, I live by those products. I come up with a lot of the formulations in my salon, so yeah, TPH from head to toe. But you know, you can’t always use the same products, so sometimes I switch it up and try all the other girlies’ products. I have Fenty Beauty, Pattern, Flawless by Gabrielle Union. I use Carol’s Daughter. I invest in us.
Carol's Daughter Goddess Strength Hair Oil
Body by TPH Revitalizing Vanilla + Tuberose Body Scrub with Glycolic & Lactic Acid
What beauty or self-care favorites do you use on a regular basis to help combat work fatigue?
I did launch a Moscato, Seven Daughters, so that’s a good wind-down. See what I did there? And it’s a fun drink too, because you can pair it with anything. I love to pair it with seafood. You can also mix it and make crafty cocktails. It’s just really fun.
Do you have a favorite hand sanitizer, soap, or cream right now?
A favorite soap of mine is Aesop’s Reverence Aromatique Hand Wash. The gym I go to in L.A. always has it stocked in the women’s locker room, and I’m just like, Yes, this is luxurious. I go in there sometimes just to wash my hands.
Are you into bold makeup, no makeup, or no-makeup makeup right now?
I’m a chameleon, so it really depends on my mood. I like to do it all.
What was the last beauty product you put on today?
The last beauty product I put on—we’ll have to ask my makeup team because they beat me today, along with Ursula on the hair. But me, personally? I love perfume. People know me as always smelling good. I just got back from Dubai a couple of months ago, and I was telling the girls that I bought like 30 bottles of perfume and all the oils. I bought some real amber stones that you scrub on and come out of the shower smelling like fresh amber. So, I’m that girl. I have a concoction of scents that I put together in an atomizer, and everyone’s like, “What do you have on?” and I couldn’t tell you because it’s like five to seven different scents.
Do you ever light candles or incense to decompress?
TPH has candles too now! Let me tell you, though, that also was a passion of mine, so I took a candle-making class when I was broke. And at these community colleges, you can take classes for free or for little to nothing, so I took a candle-making class and turned it into a business called Light My Fire, which got me through Christmas. I was temping and wasn’t really making good money, and I was like, “What am I going to get my baby for Christmas?”
TPH by Taraji Body by TPH It’s Lit in the PM Aromatherapy Scented Soy Wax Blend Stress Relief Jar Candle
I started making candles and selling them to my friends who worked on television shows, and they would buy them in bulk to give away as gifts to their casts and crews. I’m a hustler, baby. I literally got burned out from that, but the passion was still there, so when I launched my hair and body products, I was like, “Oh my God, we have to throw some candles in there” because everybody who knows me knows I love candles.
What’s the last fitness class you streamed or attended in person?
Oh, I train like eight times per week. I go Monday through Friday and do two-a-days on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My trainer is Mike T. at Force Fitness, and it’s literally mental for me. Yes, you want to look good, but for me, I’m a better version of myself when I work out.
What’s one piece of self-care advice you’d give our readers?
Take the time out to care for yourself. And stop making washing your hair a chore. It is not a chore; it is the epitome of self-care. And as women, we always put ourselves last. If you have to pick one day out of the year, or if you’re married with kids, you tell your husband, “Take these kids and get out of my face so that I can pour into myself so I have something to pour into you.”
