Peyton List on Staying Grounded, Skin-Care Revelations and the Eye Procedure That Changed Her Life

From playing a lead role in Netflix’s Cobra Kai and Paramount+’s upcoming series School Spirits while developing her own clean beauty brand and preparing for and undergoing a life-changing eye procedure, it’s safe to say that Peyton List has had quite the year. On top of filming and creating her own business, this past December, List underwent an EVO procedure—a life-changing, new FDA-approved implantable lens aimed to fix both distance vision problems and nearsightedness.

Despite her hectic year and ever-expanding list of professional endeavors, when she appeared on my Zoom screen swiveling playfully from side to side in a rolling desk chair and cheerfully saying, “Hi”, it was like a greeting an old friend. List’s infectious energy was palpable through the screen, making it all the more enjoyable for me to get to sit down and ask her about everything she’s been up to this year, from her entrepreneurial and cinematic projects to her favorite skin-care products, makeup tips and how she stays calm, cool and collected through it all.

You underwent EVO implantable lens surgery recently. What was that journey like for you? How has your beauty and self-care routine evolved post-procedure?

“It was actually a really quick and casual journey, which was amazing. I’ve had 20/20 vision ever since, which has truly been the greatest thing that’s happened for me. It’s helped my routine more than I could’ve hoped. For a long time I never thought that wearing contacts was something I could remove from my routine or eliminate from my daily rituals. Now, I realize how much not having to worry about contacts or dry eyes has eliminated so much of the headache I used to have surrounding traveling for work because of contacts and glasses. It’s taken so much of a load off that I didn’t even realize was weighing on me as much as it was.”

You’ve quite literally grown up in the spotlight. What are some makeup tricks you’ve learned having been exposed to stage makeup and lighting for so long?

“I’ve been so lucky to be able to get my makeup done by so many artists, and I guess the the biggest thing I’ve taken away and had to learn to adjust to has been the level of makeup depending on the lighting you’re in. If you’re in a newsroom, the lighting is so intense and so you use heavy makeup as opposed to when you’re working on a multi-cam sitcom or on soundstages or even if just going on a picnic. I’ve just learned to adjust the makeup I’m doing according to how the light will impact the overall look and that’s been huge.”

The whole idea of combining clean, sustainable makeup products with bold experimental pigment behind your brand, Pley Beauty, is super necessary in this day and age. What inspired you to create your own makeup line that focuses so much on clean yet effective ingredients?

“I started developing Pley a few years ago before the pandemic hit and when COVID did hit, I had to transition to developing it a lot in lockdown which I think kind of forced me to think more about the ingredients. Because I was spending so much time in isolation and not going anywhere much, I also wanted to experiment with color, which is where that aspect of the brand came into play. I feel like the fact that I couldn’t control much during lockdown really pushed me to want to be more expressive, so that in addition to being drawn to think more about ingredients is all came together to create Pley.”

I’m sure this is like asking you to pick a favorite child, but what are your favorite Pley products right now?

“I’m especially loving our Disco Dust ($20) right now. It’s a vegan pearl glitter instead of a micro-plastic based glitter, which is so great. I’ve actually been using it as a highlight recently and love how it can create a whole monochromatic shimmer on the face and body. It’s so soft, too. I’ve also been gravitating towards our Lust and Found Lipglosses ($20) in the shade Josephine since I’ve been finding myself playing more with reds lately. A classic cat eye and a red lip has really been doing it for me lately. All of our Lust and Found glosses are developed with shea butter and coconut oil so they have those hydrating ingredients as well as the pigment which is really great.”

I know you take your self-care routine pretty seriously. Are there any skin-care products you can’t live without?

“Honestly, I didn’t realize until recently how much using a toner regularly has helped my skin. I’ve been prone to hormonal acne my whole life and I still get it to this day, but using a toner has really made a difference. My favorite is RéVive’s BalancingToner ($65), it’s definitely my go-to.”

Between traveling for work, filming and running your own business, I would imagine life can get pretty stressful. What do you do to stay grounded?

“When I was traveling recently I had just happened to be traveling next to a person who works in stunts, and I always listen to anything people from stunts have to say since they’re constantly on the go and their bodies are so active for our job, and he recommended the Waking Up app by Sam Harris. I’ve been using that for meditation, and they even have walking and moving meditation, which really helps me sort of ground myself. Before I started using the app, I would feel like I was traveling so much and even though I would be in a new space, my mind would be processing that I was there—I would just be in such a rush. Especially with time changes and weather changes and everything else that takes a toll on your body and mind, the app has helped me a lot. Also, tea. It’s my favorite thing! And I travel so easily with it.”

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