Keke Palmer Recently Shared Her Favorite Freckle Pen, Fragrance, and Essential for Styling Pixie Cuts.

      Introducing Unfiltered, a new beauty series providing an exclusive look into the simplified beauty routines of our beloved celebrities and content creators. They will share their guilty-pleasure beauty habits, their essential five-minute product lineup, the one skin care tip they cherish, and much more. To complete each conversation, we ask each celebrity to send us a selection of unfiltered, self-taken photos that reflect their Unfiltered beauty philosophy. Next, we have actress, singer, podcast host, and July 2025 cover star Keke Palmer, who is also the chief brand officer for Creme of Nature. Below, she answers our rapid-fire questions, including her skin and makeup tips, how she styles her current pixie cut, and more. Enjoy!

      (Image credit: @keke) You are shaping the brand direction for Creme of Nature, and the Scalp Relief Wipes were your inaugural product launch in this role. Can you describe that process—did you go through various iterations? How did you finalize the formula? The process was quite swift. My primary goal was to create something that people could easily carry in their bags, particularly during fitness activities, with protective styles, between meetings, or dealing with edge buildup—situations like that. Haircare doesn’t often have the same convenience that makeup does, which inspired the idea. Once I pitched it and we discussed it, they began developing potential packaging, and I received the first product trial.

      Creme of Nature isn't a new name, and I feel there's nowhere else I could experiment with such innovative ideas and achieve immediate results, thanks to the company’s legacy. I wanted to ensure that this product wouldn't strip the hair. That was a key point we discussed from the start. I thought, “How do we remove buildup? How do we extend the life of the hair, especially with protective styles, without stripping it of natural oils?” That’s how we arrived at the current formulation.

      Why was it significant for you to work behind the scenes with Creme of Nature in this manner? Is collaborating with a brand something you’ve always aimed for? Many people see Keke Palmer as just an individual, but I view Keke Palmer as a brand. It’s a venture I've been cultivating with my family since childhood. Acting, influencing, sharing stories that matter to me, and creating cultural impact through my art has always been part of my vision. For Creme of Nature to recognize that and invite me to contribute my expertise is precisely the direction I wish to pursue. I enjoy entertaining as a performer, but I’ve always had many other ideas beyond that. Collaborating with them aligns perfectly with my growth as a businesswoman.

      I’d love to know more about your scalp care journey. What does your current routine look like, and how has it evolved over the years? My routine varies depending on my hairstyles. To be honest, over recent years, I’ve utilized everything in Creme of Nature's range, both new and established products. It was more intensive when I had more hair, with various treatments, masks, and overnight conditioning. Now, my process is more straightforward. I use shampoo, follow with conditioner, rinse it out, and then apply the Foaming Mousse, which is crucial for my pixie cut as it shapes the hair. I definitely use a lot of mousse. After that, I’ll dry my hair for about 40 minutes to an hour, apply a bit of Shine Mist, run my fingers through it, and possibly add Edge Control to define the edges and tips for some texture and flair before heading out. It’s pretty simple. With longer hair, I would have added more layers of conditioning. Now, it takes less time because I have less hair.

      (Image credit: @keke) Shifting to some general beauty inquiries, if you had to leave the house in five minutes, what are a few beauty products you would apply or take with you? My go-to fragrance is a Creed perfume, which I always put in my bag. I’m also taking my La Roche-Posay SPF, especially the new tinted one, which is my current favorite. I’ll include my shine mist, edge control, and the scalp wipes. I originally conceived these scalp wipes with protective styles in mind, as they offer significant flexibility, especially with 4c hair during workouts. However, I found they actually work well with any hair type. With my short hair, I often adjust the back, but I dislike having to wash and sculpt it again. Many times, I can simply use the scalp wipes to remove some product and keep going. Despite having less hair now, they remain essential. You might assume they're unnecessary, but they're fantastic for anything and fit perfectly in my bag.

      I also always carry a bit of deodorant because, yes, I perspire naturally. And a little lip gloss, preferably from Laneige. While I don’t have a specific favorite, I do like their lip gloss.

      Awesome!