Former supermodel and beauty influencer Cindy Crawford, aged 60, has recently shared her detailed morning routine, which spans an astonishing two-and-a-half hours. This elaborate regimen has sparked widespread discussion and some ridicule online, but it underscores a growing phenomenon: as people age, self-care rituals often become more intricate and time-consuming.
The Supermodel's Extensive Morning Ritual
Crawford's routine begins with an early alarm, followed by stretching and dry brushing while listening to an audiobook of the Bible. She then uses a gua sha tool on her face, promoting her own skincare line featuring Charentais cantaloupe extract. Next, she employs a Laser Cap and a red-light beauty wand, all before 7 a.m.
After this, she takes morning apple cider vinegar shots, practices "grounding" outside her multi-million-dollar Miami villa, enjoys a dip in the pool and a jacuzzi session, and does warmups before indulging in collagen coffee. By 8 a.m., she is at the gym, using an inversion table, bouncing on a mini-trampoline, and stretching, with a trainer arriving later to extend the session.
A Reflection of Broader Trends in Self-Care
While younger audiences may mock the intensity of such routines, many women over 50, including journalist Helen Kirwan-Taylor, recognize the reality: morning rituals can become terrifyingly complex. Kirwan-Taylor herself followed a four- to six-hour daily regimen after battling long Covid, involving functional and holistic medicine practices.
Her routine included pre-bed stretches, meditation, lymph-moving exercises, natural light exposure, grounding outside, and consuming Greek yogurt mixed with collagen and creatine. She also adhered to a strict beauty schedule with timed applications of Vitamin C, growth factor serums, face creams, and sunscreens, plus nighttime treatments like tretinoin and Calecim serum.
The Hidden Costs of Extreme Wellness
Kirwan-Taylor's regimen extended to infrared sauna sessions, cold showers, mindful resting, yoga, green walks for EMDR activity, and meditation. She also used various devices, such as vagus nerve stimulation machines and red-light therapy, alongside supplements like methylene blue and iodine, which required careful timing to avoid side effects like green teeth.
Her low-histamine diet demanded hours of preparation, and she had to schedule anti-histamines and binders precisely around meals. The overall expense and boredom became overwhelming, leading her to question the efficacy of such extreme self-care.
Finding Balance Beyond Narcissistic Wellness
Kirwan-Taylor eventually had an epiphany during a visit to a Swiss clinic, where a yoga teacher asked about her sources of joy. She realized that engaging in activities like art, which induced a state of "flow," made her feel more normal and energized than mind-numbing self-care routines.
She now maintains a simplified approach, stacking skincare as recommended by experts and combining walks with podcasts or book club listens. She emphasizes that movement remains crucial for anti-aging, but it doesn't require predawn alarms or hours of dedicated time.
Ultimately, Kirwan-Taylor argues that true longevity hacks lie in connection and mental stimulation—such as reading, learning skills, socializing, or playing instruments—rather than in narcissistic wellness practices. Cindy Crawford's routine may set a high bar, but it serves as a reminder to prioritize meaningful activities over exhaustive self-care rituals.
