Ashley Tisdale has gone from teen icon plastered on bedroom walls across America to the wellness queen we all want to follow on Instagram. The mom and entrepreneur has her own accessible wellness brand, Being Frenshe, but she’s not shy about supporting other companies she loves as well. For Ashley, wellness isn’t just about skin care and pampering—it also extends to mental health and dental hygiene. “Wellness is all-encompassing and oral health is so important,” Ashley tells us as she partners with Colgate. From anxiety-reducing techniques to her favorite hydrating products, Ashley shares a glimpse into how she practices wellness.
What aspect of motherhood surprised you the most?
“So many things still surprise me about motherhood. I was talking about it earlier today, but I think how much your body is in physical pain was surprising. No one talks about that, and we never complain about it either. You never find a mom complaining about how hard it is to carry their kid. For me, I feel stronger on my left side, so I’m always carrying Jupiter on my left side versus my right, which messes up my hips, then I’m in pain. You’re carrying a weight basically, and it’s just something that, up until the last two years, I’ve never done before, and I was like, ‘gosh, you are in pain at night sometimes,’ and my husband too. I feel like we need massages more than we usually get them. It’s really wild that nobody talks about how hard it is on your body.”
You recently posted about how much you like the Rhode Glazing Milk. What other products are you loving?
“That one for sure. I’ve just seen a really big difference in my skin. I work out of my office at home, so when I’m not doing something on camera, I don’t wear makeup, and it’s so funny how our rituals become so intertwined. When I do my makeup, my moisturizer is part of it, but when I just washed my face, I wasn’t putting moisturizer on, so it was pretty dry. But I started using the Rhode Glazing Milk ($29), and it keeps my skin so hydrated.
I love ILIA, their lip gloss ($26)—I use it at night. I also love Summer Friday lip gloss ($24) at night. I’m all about hydration. There is a Virtue mask for hair ($70) I really love as well. I have my line Being Frenshe, and we just came out with a new Lavender Cloud Body Serum Stick ($17). I put it on my TMJ at night, and I didn’t have it here with me last night, and I almost Instacarted it from Target, like I need it. It’s a soothing body serum. It has magnesium and releases tension. I use it for my TMJ. I go all over my face with it, to be honest.”
You’ve been open about your experience with anxiety. What helps alleviate symptoms for you?
“I start with meditations in the morning. It keeps me really grounded and present throughout the day. If I don’t do one, I definitely feel it. If I’m feeling anxious, I really like to thought monitor and see ‘what was my thought and what was I thinking?’ because our thoughts contribute a lot to anxiety, so if we can stop those thoughts and recognize them, then we’re able to self-talk and soothe and start to feel a lot better. I’m never one to push away the feelings. I think that makes it worse. So I just kind of recognize it and talk myself through it.
I have books and audiobooks that I love and really count on. I talk about this book a lot—Attacking Anxiety and Depression by Lucinda Bassett. It’s an old school book and has CDs, and I put that on my phone, and there’s a little relaxation tape. If I’m in the car and I’m feeling anxious, I put that on, and it immediately just calms my body down, and her voice, I think, just really calms me.”
Are you someone that’s scared of going to the dentist?
“I for sure was scared when I was younger. I definitely get anxious. My dentist is so nice, but since I have natural anxiety, I do get anxious when I go in.”
Is there anything that helps you feel more relaxed about going to the dentist?
“Honestly, that’s why I’m partnered up with Colgate. I’ve always trusted the brand. I’ve always used Colgate. Their Plaque Pro Release ($10) gives me more confidence knowing that I’m taking the steps to not have to go down the route of cavities or gingivitis. I try to take my dental health into my own hands at home and make it part of my whole wellness ritual.
It’s just as important as washing my face morning and night. I just don’t feel ready for the day or ready for the night if I don’t, so it really is one of those things that you just can’t compromise on. So I try to do whatever I can to feel great about going to the dentist, and hopefully, he doesn’t find anything.”
Have you always been confident in your smile?
“No, I definitely have had a journey. I did spacers and things like that. I worked with an orthodontist when I was younger. Now, I’m completely confident in my smile, and I’m proud of my teeth. They’re natural.”
