La La Anthony knows all too well how important having a self-care routine is and it’s all thanks to her bestie Kelly Rowland. The BMF actress has always been admired for her beauty but that doesn’t mean she took the time to invest in her skincare routine. Not until she became friends with the “Coffee” singer.
"She's obsessed with skincare and making sure all of us take care of our skin and our bodies,” La La said of Kelly in an interview with PEOPLE. “She's always sending tips on what to do. So if you're friends with her, she's going to make sure your skin is on point – no matter what. She's all about taking care of yourself and doing things to continue to nourish mind, body and soul. So when I have questions or need advice when it comes to those things, she's definitely who I call."
While she has become "more conscious of taking care of my skin and doing a daily and nightly routine," it’s more than that for the mother of one.
"You only get one face – you don't want to mess it up!"
She continued, "You want to look your best so you can feel your best, whatever that is. It's important to take care of yourself so that you can perform in whatever you're doing at the highest level."
Self-care is important to the 40-year-old actress especially after experiencing a health scare last year. In an August 2021 interview with SELF magazine, La La revealed that she was rushed to the hospital after her heart began racing and she was feeling lightheaded. She ended up having emergency heart surgery performed.
"There were a lot of scary moments,” she said. “They would wake me up during the procedure and say, ‘We’re going to speed your heart up now…. Just take deep breaths. Those doctors were just so incredible [...] But it was a terrifying experience.”
In 2019, the former MTV VJ was diagnosed with premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), which are extra heartbeats that cause an abnormal heartbeat. The health scare taught her to listen to her body and take better care of herself.
“This made me reprioritize myself because it’s always about everyone else and work and this and that,” Anthony says. “And it’s like, if I’m not good, I’m not gonna be good for anyone.”
Those same sentiments are echoed in her recent PEOPLE interview. She encouraged everyone to enjoy life but also take time for themselves whenever life gets to be too much.
"We're reminded constantly how life is short so it's important to feel good and enjoy it while we're living it," she said. "Otherwise, you're just running, running, running until you eventually just run yourself in the ground – no one wants to get to that point."
Featured image by Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images for Fendi