She may be forever engrained in our pop culture psyche as Stephanie Tannner from Full House, but Jodie Sweetin has a gentle reminder for fans: “I’m an old lady! I’m not a kid!” the 41-year-old laughs over Zoom while discussing her latest partnership with Align Probiotic. The campaign focuses largely on the “bloating bond” we share and, yes, Sweetin texts on the regular with Full House co-star and close friend Andrea Barber regarding the topic. We recently caught up with the mom-of-two to talk shop on the subject, and what it’s really like aging in the public eye.
I’m sure you’re asked to partner with brands a ton. Why is this one organic for you?
Jodie: Look, I’m 41 now; I’ll be 42 in January. My body just doesn’t process things the way it used to. I used to be like, “Oh, give me all the cheese, all the dairy, all the sweets and sugar and whatever, I’ll be fine. Now I do it, and I’m immediately saying: “Oh my gosh, I feel like an expanded balloon. This is not comfortable. I don’t feel good. I don’t have my stretchy pants on. This is not working for me.”
I was looking into different probiotics and things like that, and when I found a line with the bloating relief and food digestion, I was like, “That’s exactly what I need.” I really needed something that just helps my body process things a little bit better, relieves the bloating, all that kind of stuff.
It’s funny, because I was actually in hair and makeup working on a project recently, and we had gotten new caterers, and everybody had had some food. It was delicious food! But it was heavy comfort food—the kind of food that does not feel great when you’re in a black gown and trying to look good….
Needless to say, I was telling everybody about my Align probiotic. I literally feel like I’m in a commercial, but I tell everyone about it. [laughs] But that’s how it works: All of the best advice you find while you’re in hair and makeup, when you’re at the nail salons, the hair salons, the barber shops—that’s where you get the good stuff!
So I shared the good stuff with the team: “You guys, it’s really helped. Like I don’t feel bloated. It’s really helped me so I can eat things and not feel gross again.”
A solid testimonial.
Jodie: Let me tell you…on Thanksgiving, it was clutch because I don’t eat like that normally. Listen, I’m not, by any means, a perfectly healthy eater. I’m not a salad lover, let’s put it that way. But this has been key in helping me be able to eat what I like and not have to worry about feeling bloated and gassy and just ugh after I eat it. It was definitely a game-changer on Thanksgiving!”
Obviously, you’ve been doing this for a while, do you have any beauty tricks that you have learned over the years that have stuck with you?
Jodie: This is not a new trick, but it’s one that I found recently: I started really being observant of how much water I drink, because I love coffee. That’s pretty much what I drink…but I finally said: “You know, maybe I should start drinking more water.” My skin cleared up! Which is huge, because I was having crazy-weird cystic acne, all this stuff. But just with drinking water, with taking probiotics, with taking vitamins, I’ve noticed such a difference! I have to laugh because it’s so basic to drink more water, but it’s also game-changing.
Yes, I’m the same way. I regularly have three cold brews before noon.
Jodie: Same. I’m a human coffee filter at this point. That really cannot be good.
Are there any skin-care products that you recently discovered that you love?
Jodie: Well, I just started traveling with the little Evian face sprays. Whenever I would travel before, my skin would get so dry and I felt awful. I now carry one of those little things with me and I will spray my face when I’m on the plane. That’s a game-changer. I also really love TULA skincare—another probiotic!—and it’s a line that’s been really great for my skin. It really helped clear it up.
Also, I am into the red light therapy. I have a little small LED-light thing that I use whenever I start feeling a breakout or something coming on. It definitely helps. I’ve also noticed that since I started with the probiotics and stuff, my entire body system just is flushing things out better and is functioning a little more smoothly.
I know you referred to your birthday coming up. Are fans, and people in general, sometimes shocked that you are in your 40s?
Jodie: Yes! It’s funny, because I take it as a huge compliment. But there have been instances where I’ve been with my kids out on vacation and people are like, “Oh, are your parents sleeping in?” I’m like, “No, no. I am the parent.” [laughs] I think growing up in people’s minds—especially if you were a kid that watched the show—has to be sort of confusing. I’ve met parents that say to their kids, “This is the girl from Full House.” And the kids are looking at me like, “That’s an old lady. That’s not a kid. I don’t know who that is, but that’s not Stephanie.”
Now, since Fuller House came about, I think people got a little more used to seeing me as an adult, but for a while there…there was definitely an in-between phase where people hadn’t seen me. They were like, “Wait, you’re not 13 anymore?”
I think it’s probably more that the fans don’t like to think that we’re getting older.
Jodie: I know I don’t! I have 13- and 15-year-old daughters and I’m like, “I’m not sure how this happened because I’m still 30!” I don’t know what has happened…they’re getting older, I’m obviously not.
You have a bunch of projects coming up. What are you excited for as we get into December and the end of the year?
Jodie: I’ve been working on How Rude, Tanneritos, which is the new Full House rewatch podcast that I have with Andrea Barber. That has been so much fun. We did a live show recently with Pod Meets World with Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong and Will Friedle. That was hilarious and so much fun.
I also have started moving into comedy; I do a live comedy show at the Bergen Room in Hollywood that’s really fun. I’m working on a couple of home art projects that’ll be released next year, and some theater stuff. I just try to keep very busy and very creative!
