Scarlett Johansson on Her Brand The Outset, Her Lip Balm, and Adult Acne

Seven. That’s the number of times Scarlett Johansson has reprised her role as Natasha Romanoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it’s also how many times her lip balm has sold out. The actress’s skin care line The Outset carries the fan-favorite Lip Oasis, a glossy treatment that now comes in three additional fruit-inspired shades. After launching the brand in 2022, Johansson calls her approach to skin care “radically gentle” and largely formulated for acne-prone adults like herself. Below, she discusses breakouts captured on film, her favorite beauty memories from set, and what people always scream at her on the street (and why it’s gratifying).

How did you choose these lip colors and finalize the formula?

To do colors was a no-brainer. It has the same slick and hydration as the original, and then we gave them a tropical feel. I wanted colors that were universally attractive, appealing, and had the right amount of opacity. I wanted to make sure that the pigment was not too thin and didn’t separate. I love a nude, so we did that, and also an orange-y red, strawberry color. The scent is just enough to make it pleasant, but not overbearing. Mirage is a blackberry-ish color. I love blackberry stains, and that was probably the hardest one to get right.

Was starting a skin care company different than you expected?

I could never have guessed. At the beginning of the process, you’re learning so much—it’s an entirely different industry and community. You’re just kind of thrown into it, and learn how to do product development, branding, and packaging. Then, [you have to] understand what we want to focus on. We are clean skin care. But what does that even mean? It’s such a nebulous term. Our brand started from knowing that I have sensitive, acne-prone skin. I wanted an elevated line of products that I can use as my everyday essentials. I want people to be able to return to those basics, and for as many people to use them as possible. Obviously it’s such a long road, with a lot of challenges along the way. Ingredient sourcing, supply chain, all of that—those are all terms that I now know very well, but it was a big learning curve for me.

Do you find being a beauty entrepreneur to be gratifying in a different way than starring in movies?

It’s similarly gratifying, in that when I meet people who love the products or a character or movie, I can tell how much it means to them, or how it changed their life or perspective in some way. When I meet people who are using our products and finding them to be transformational, it’s deeply satisfying for me, because it’s personal. Having people walk down the street and scream after me, “I love The Outset!”—it’s such a deep win. It’s [almost] better than any movie, because it’s a real labor of love.

Would you consider this to be The Outset’s first foray into makeup?

Maybe, but I guess never say never! I can’t imagine going totally into color because I don’t know if it is what we do best. But skin care is makeup. Makeup is skin care. I think there’s something to that. I do think there is potential in that world to do more. We will have to keep listening and see what people want from us.

Courtesy of The Outset

How would you describe your beauty journey?

What is baked into the ethos of this brand is to be gentle on yourself. It wasn’t until I actually took a gentle approach to skin care that my skin started to recover and heal itself. Looking back at the past 30 years, I am just less harsh on myself, and that is reflected in the routine of the products that I use, too. For my own skin, I struggled with acne for so long. I grew up in the public eye. Anybody that has any sort of pain point with their skin probably shares the same feelings of frustration and self-consciousness. I used to be so self-conscious about my skin that I was spending all this time looking in a magnifying mirror. I was cleaning, picking, treating, and covering my skin.

What is it like to have acne-prone skin as an entertainer?

It's not ideal. It sucks. You know it will be forever documented on film because a bad breakout is hard to hide. I guess you try to have hair moments or hide [it] with your hairstyle and bangs. It’s the worst.

Well, I’ve never see it in any movie you’ve been in.

Well, that’s great! You can thank my makeup artist. I see it in a lot of films and I’m like, “I remember that breakout.”

Do you have any fond beauty memories from your movies?

I love to do period makeup and hair. In The Black Dahlia, I was playing a very glamorous woman in the mid-1940s, so I had Veronica Lake-like hair. In The Prestige, which took place at the turn of the century, the hairstyles were incredible. The character had really long hair, so every day when I came in, the extensions had already been dressed, and then a “brioche” was applied to my hair. It was exquisite. I just did Fly Me to the Moon, and all the fun matching nails, lipstick, and eyeshadow were so fun.

How about from growing up in New York City?

Ricky’s was big when I was growing up. That’s where we would go for glitter and green mascara. I used to love all that funky makeup. I went through a blue lipstick phase. I remember going to the MAC store on Christopher Street to get all the makeup for my auditions. I was probably 12 years old, but I remember that if you were a SAG member, you got a MAC discount, which was awesome.

C.O. Bigelow is having a renaissance now too, thanks to TikTok. People are going there to get their Carolyn Bessette Kennedy-esque headbands and Mason Pearson brushes.

Years ago, I had my first Mason Pearson brush. I was probably, again, 12, and got the mini one. My mom used it, but she has a completely different hair texture than me, and coarser hair. Now I use a brush with a different kind of bristle, like a Wet Brush or a Tangle Teezer. I remember I was working with Pat McGrath on something and she was like, “I bought 4,000 of these brushes and am giving them out to everyone I know!” She had just been to London and bought hundreds, and was giving them out to every assistant. That’s when I first discovered that hair brush and was like, “It really does work.”

Pat and I used to do a lot of work together. She’s wonderful. We would always be so late for photo shoots because we would just watch videos and cackle. Finally, an AD would come in and be like, “You’re still not done? Your hair is done but your face is naked?”

Your line has been described as being in an “actually” phase, as in, “Actually, these products are pretty good.” How does that feel?

I feel confident about it. I think our products are amazing, and I love to share them with people. It’s such a crowded space that it is normal for people to be skeptical. I am a skeptical person too, but I feel so confident about the products. I have no fear. I’m proud that people try them and get blown away by the difference in how their skin feels and looks. I welcome it. I’ll be “actually” any day!