Tunde Oyeneyin Says This Skincare Product Is "Very Slept On"

The Peloton star breaks down her routine.

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Published on 06/15/22

A close up of Tunde Oyeneyin — Miguel Herrera / Byrdie

All skin is good skin, which is why good skincare is more of a journey than a destination. We all love a one-off tip—but, at Byrdie, we’re more interested in how our skin evolves over time. The product we've used for a decade, the ingredient cocktail that made us glow, the step we never skip, and all the advice in between. This is the stuff that makes a real difference. With What I Put on My Face, we’re bringing you the rituals, recommendations, and failed experiments (we’ve all had them) straight from celebrities, founders, and influencers who’ve gone through it themselves.

Tunde Oyeneyin is a born motivational speaker—even if life took her on a few different paths before she started walking in that particular direction. Best known today as one of Peloton’s breakout instructors (beloved for her ability to energize even the most lethargic cyclists), Oyeneyin spent 15 years as a makeup artist before joining the fitness platform. And this year, she added New York Times bestselling author to her resume, thanks to the success of her book SPEAK: Find Your Voice, Trust Your Gut, and Get From Where You Are to Where You Want To Be.

Fresh off her SPEAK: A Soul Care Event Tour, Oyeneyin joined fellow Revlon spokesperson Ashley Graham and Real founder and CEO Ariela Safira for Revlon x Real in a panel discussion about the relationship between beauty and mental health. After the event, we sat down with Oyeneyin to chat about how her skincare routine has evolved, her favorite mineral sunscreens for dark skin, and the one beauty tip every 20-something needs to hear.

About Her Skin

As I'm 36, I focus a lot more on maximizing than minimizing now—I bring things out. I joke a lot about how the one thing I don't leave the house without is eyebrows, but even now, I'm okay without those. I really like my eyes, so I like to play with my mascara quite a bit. I'm really fortunate to have pretty clear skin, so I focus a lot on just making sure that my skin looks wildly hydrated. I bring out my cheeks with some blush and some highlight, and if you know me and know me well, you know I will play up these lips! Today I'm rocking a nude lip, but it's still, you know, high ultra shine. Today I have on Super Lustrous Gloss ($10) from Revlon in Choco Crush.

How She Got Into Skincare

I was a makeup artist for 15 years before my life shift, if you will, so I’ve always given my skin focus and attention. I also grew up idolizing my mother, and she wore Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds and Elizabeth Arden Red Door—she was very put together. She was also very, very strict about her skincare routine, slathering thick amounts of cream on her face, her neck, her décolletage, and her hands before she went to bed. And so I watched that as a young person. But, I really started focusing on my skin when I was about 19.

Her Skincare Routine

I would say that I'm more serum heavy at nighttime, some retinol as well. For daytime: People always ask me, “What’s your favorite skincare tip?” and I say SPF. Especially as Black women, we’re not taught to wear SPF at a young age; my mother never told me to wear SPF, and she had brown skin. It wasn’t until I was in the beauty world that I truly understood its benefits. A lot of people don’t know that if you have dark skin and dark spots... if you wear SPF, that dark spot goes away.

The One Skincare Step She Never Skips

I think the toner is very slept on. I use the peel pads ($88) by Dr. Dennis Gross—I'm religious about using them at night. When I wake up in the morning, my skin looks smoother, my pores are minimized, and my makeup goes on smoother. If I don’t use that, I’ll use a mask that Algenist makes.

How Her Skincare Journey Has Evolved

I never focused on my neck before, or my hands. I don’t want to say anti-aging—I don’t love that phrase—but I do use products that speak to me being 36 now. I’m starting to focus on that more: eye treatments, neck treatments. And the quality of the products I’m using, versus just using a moisturizer to use a moisturizer.

The Skincare Ingredient She Can’t Get Enough Of

I already said SPF, but… SPF. And vitamin C and vitamin E. Two that I really like: I like Goop, and my friend Venus Williams has an SPF line, Eleven. I like them because as a Black woman with dark skin, specifically, sometimes SPF will turn purple, ashy, or gray. But I’ve had great success with both of those.

The Best Skincare Advice She’s Ever Received

Girl: Wash your face. Wash your damn face. This is for the 19-year-olds and 20-somethings who go out, and it’s really challenging to get up and wash your face before bed. In my 20s—in my more difficult hours, if you will—I kept wipes and micellar water by my bed. Take your makeup off! Everyone wants to look their best going to work, and for me, going to work happens to be sweating on a bike. So I do wear makeup when I’m working out—not that I recommend wearing makeup to work out—but the second class is over, I wash my face.

Her Most Used Products

So Fierce! Eyes Wide Open Mascara ($11) by Revlon. It’s so good! And Super Lustrous The Gloss.

The Products She’s Used the Longest

Revlon’s ColorStay Foundation ($15) has been in there for a minute, and Caudalie’s Vinoperfect Serum ($79).

The New (to Her) Products She Can’t Get Enough Of

Skincare, a new product that I’m loving is Tatcha’s Water Cream Moisturizer. I’m just late to it because people have been talking about it forever. And the ColorStay Matte Lite Crayons ($11) by Revlon. They stay on even when you sweat. I get crazy and put them on my cheeks, too, for a little blush moment.