🎙️ Glow Talk Episode 12: Anushka Sharma’s Ice Cube Obsession & The Real Reason She Swears By It
Host: Hey beautiful people, welcome back to Glow Talk, your favorite weekly dose of skincare secrets, stumbles, and superstar confessions. I’m your host, Reva Singh, and today... okay, deep breaths... we’ve got someone in the house who needs no intro. Actor, producer, mom, environmental warrior, and lowkey queen of skincare sorcery—Anushka Sharma is here with us!
Anushka: [laughs] That was an intro and a half! Hi Reva! Hi Glow Talk! Super excited to be here, I’ve heard you people dig into the real stuff.
Host: Oh, absolutely. We’re not here to talk about the serum you endorse. We want to know what you actually do at 7am when your face feels like the surface of a roti left out in the sun.
Anushka: [laughing] Oh my God, that is such an accurate description! Yes, I’ve had many such roti face mornings!
Host: [laughs] So let’s dive in. What’s one skincare hack or routine you swear by—like even if an alien invasion is happening outside, you’d still make time for it?
Anushka: Okay, this might sound super basic... but trust me, it’s been my ride-or-die since my early 20s. Ready?
Host: Hit me.
Anushka: ICE. CUBES.
Host: Wait—what?
Anushka: Yup! Plain ol' ice cubes. Not infused with lavender or rose petals or the tears of a unicorn. Just your freezer's humble little crystal blocks.
Host: That’s... weirdly simple. Please elaborate. Because you don’t look like someone who just rubs ice on her face and walks into a Dior campaign.
Anushka: [laughs] I know! It started years ago. I was shooting in Rajasthan. Dry heat, dusty wind, makeup all day. I was breaking out, my face was puffy, and I legit cried to my makeup artist.
She just looked at me and said, “Baby, we’ll make you brand new. Just ice your face.”
Host: Just that?
Anushka: Just that. She wrapped an ice cube in muslin cloth and dabbed it on my face while I was whining about the heat. Within 10 minutes, my face looked like I had actually slept 8 hours and meditated for 2.
Host: I mean, I’ve heard of it. But daily?
Anushka: Every morning. Without fail. Even on days when I’m not wearing makeup. Especially on those days.
Host: So what does it actually do for you?
Anushka: Let me break it down Sharma-style.
- Puffy eyes? Gone.
- Redness? Reduced.
- Skin feels tighter. Not "Botox" tight—like fresh and alive tight.
- It shrinks my pores a bit and gives me this lit-from-within glow.
- And it just... wakes me up emotionally too.
Host: Emotionally?
Anushka: Yes! There’s something about that cold shock that jolts you awake, mentally. It’s like slapping your existential dread with Himalayan ice. [laughs]
Host: [laughs] Oh I need that. Existential dread is my default setting before coffee.
Anushka: Right?! But I think what really made it stick wasn’t just the skin part. It became a ritual. Especially post-pregnancy. After Vamika was born, my routine was chaos. Sleep-deprived, leaky, hormonal mess. I felt like a zombie who had auditioned for a horror film and got rejected for looking too tired.
Host: Oh wow, relatable even for people without kids!
Anushka: Yeah, and in those moments, that one minute of icing became my anchor. Like—“Okay, I still have this. I can still take care of myself in some way.”
Host: That’s powerful. And strangely touching.
Anushka: It really was. You know how people say “Find time for yourself”? When you’re working, mothering, managing people, being judged constantly in public—it’s hard to “find” that time. But a tiny ice cube gave me back some of it.
Host: That almost made me emotional. I never thought something so small could have that much impact.
Anushka: It’s symbolic, right? Cold clarity. Like—Hey, I’m alive. I feel this. I’m here. And I deserve to glow—even if it’s just for myself.
Host: Goosebumps.
Anushka: Literal ones! [laughs] From the ice!
Host: [laughs] You walked right into that one.
Anushka: I did! But here’s the thing—over time, it also helped me socially. I became less anxious about showing up without makeup. My skin tone evened out a bit, so I didn’t feel the need to hide behind foundation all the time.
Host: And you’re already under so much scrutiny as a public figure.
Anushka: Constantly. If you gain 2kg—“Is she pregnant again?” You lose 2kg—“Is she sick?” So when your skin feels healthy, there’s a confidence that blooms quietly. Like an internal “screw you, I’m thriving.”
Host: Can I quote you on that?
Anushka: Please do. [laughs] Put it in bold!
Host: “Screw you, I’m thriving.” — Anushka Sharma, 2025. Done.
Anushka: [laughs] You’re too quick.
Host: So walk us through your ice ritual. We want details.
Anushka: Okay! Simple version:
- Boil and cool water (if I’m being fancy).
- Freeze into cubes. Sometimes I add green tea or cucumber juice—depends on mood.
- Every morning, after cleansing, I wrap one cube in a clean muslin cloth.
- Rub it gently over my face—forehead, cheeks, chin, undereye. Never directly, especially not undereye.
- Pat dry. Then serum, moisturizer, SPF. Done.
Host: Wait—you BOIL the water?
Anushka: [laughs] I do! I know, I sound like a skincare grandma. But boiling removes impurities. You don’t want chlorine-laced ice on your pores. I learned this from a YouTube rabbit hole at 2AM.
Host: This is why you’re Anushka Sharma and I’m still using ice from my whiskey tray.
Anushka: [laughs] Baby steps!
Host: I love that you don’t overcomplicate things. We’re so used to influencers selling 20-step routines, but this feels… honest.
Anushka: That’s the goal. I love luxury skincare, don’t get me wrong. But your basics—water, rest, clean food, and ice—those are timeless.
Host: Any disasters with the ice cube?
Anushka: Oh totally! Once I used one straight out of the freezer. No cloth. My cheeks went numb. I looked like I'd been slapped by Elsa from Frozen.
Host: [laughs uncontrollably] “Do you want to build a blister?”
Anushka: EXACTLY!
Host: Alright, let’s hit the emotional note before we wrap. If your younger self—say, 20-year-old Anushka on the sets of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi—could see you now, what would she think of this skincare journey?
Anushka: [pauses] Hmm. She’d be surprised I didn’t go for the most expensive thing on the shelf. Back then, I thought good skin came from money and celebrity access.
But I think she’d be proud that I learned to slow down. That I found confidence outside of filters and vanity. That I gave importance to tiny rituals over giant routines.
I think she'd also giggle—like, “Yaar, itna kuch kar liya, aur ab tu fridge ke ice cubes se glow karti hai?” [laughs]
Host: [smiling] That’s beautiful. Honestly.
Anushka: It’s the little things, Reva. The little things saved me.
Host: That might be the realest skincare advice we’ve ever had on this show.
Anushka: I’m honored. And hey, if I ever launch an ice cube brand, you heard it here first.
Host: “Sharma Shards”—frozen clarity in every cube!
Anushka: [laughs] Trademark that! I’m serious.
Host: Done! Okay, before we let you go—lightning round?
Anushka: Let’s do it.
⚡ Lightning Glow Round with Anushka Sharma
- Favorite moisturizer: Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré
- Most underrated skincare item: Sunscreen. Every damn time.
- Face mask or face mist? Mist. I'm lazy.
- Skincare icon? My mom. No filters, no fuss, just timeless skin.
- One beauty rule to break? “Don’t go out without makeup.” Break it. Smash it.
Host: And that’s a wrap on this chilling episode! [winks] Anushka, thank you for being so open, so warm, and so… icy.
Anushka: [laughs] My pleasure! This was so much fun, and honestly, if one listener finds joy in icing their face tomorrow morning, I’ll call it a win.
Host: Same here. Thank you for the realness—and the laughs. And to our audience: go grab an ice cube and start your glow journey. Until next time, stay chill!
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