If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair but the hair spray and the electric toothbrush. We asked actress Jena Malone — who stars in Love Lies Bleeding— about her sustainable serum bar, waterproof boots she’s had for over two decades, and sauna blanket she can’t live without.
I’ve owned two pairs my entire life. I’ve had the standard, easy ones for almost 25 years. I just recently bought the heeled version that looks a little cuter. I love them and wear them all the time. They’re good work boots. I can get into trouble in them and help other people out of trouble in them. They’re waterproof, which is important. If I’m caught in a rainstorm, my feet aren’t going to get wet. They’re so comfortable that the other day, I was running around cleaning my house and forgot I had them on.
I’m a total face-spray girl. It started from when I was on sets and makeup artists would occasionally spray rose water or water. It’s revitalizing. It takes me out of my head and lets me restart. I love this company and this specific mist. I crave it. I have one in my car, my house, and I just used up the one in my office.
We’ve all heard of shampoo and conditioner bars and sunscreen bars, and I hope eventually all skin care can be formulated like that. It’s a wonderful non-packaged way to experience our fascination and obsession with skin care. Dew Mighty is this cool new company in California making serum bars. I found it while looking for sustainable skin care. I feel like the algorithms know me pretty well by now. I just tried this recently and was blown away. It comes in a reusable package that’s easy to travel with or just throw in my purse. I was like, Why have I not done this before?
I make music, but we do weird improvisational shows. We play in girls’ bathrooms, in elevators, on street corners. When I was starting to build my rig, I needed a great battery-powered amp. I found this one about 20 years ago, and I rigged it up with a little cloth so I can carry it on my shoulder. It’s been with me ever since. I call it my “carry amp.” It’s not fancy, but I love it. It’s just provided me with the ability to play shows whenever, however.
I can’t not stop if someone needs help. I’m actually studying to be an EMT and looking into firefighting. I just finished taking my CERT class, which stands for Community Emergency Response Team. It’s a free training program for anyone to learn pre-first-responder skills. I was there putting out fires, clearing buildings, doing triage, being able to assess damage in emergencies. What I took from that class is that you need a go bag and a trauma kit. When you have a life-threatening wound — like if you hit an artery — you have two minutes to live. Trauma kits are important to be able to stop bleeding if you’re in a car accident, if there is a neighbor who needs help before the first responders get there. As much as people get squeamish around blood, it’s important to empower ourselves to know how to help not only ourselves but those around us. What I like about this one is that it has a good triangle bandage, which is the best thing to just have. No one knows what that is, but it’s a triangle piece of gauze that’s easy to wrap around wounds. But I definitely encourage people to go and create their own trauma kits because it’s cheaper and you can put in what you feel like you need. Hopefully you never need it. But if you do, it’s there.
Barbara O’Neill is an Australian wellness guru that I see a lot online. I knew of her prior to entering the world of TikTok and social media, but her videos are a big part of my algorithm. She’s amazing. She teaches about herbs and their place in our wellness journey. I keep cayenne pepper in my purse because of her. It’s not from the chile family but from the capsicum family, and it’s one of the better herbs that stimulates blood flow. When I’m feeling sluggish, brain fog, on the edge of sickness, or any time I feel like my blood needs to keep moving, I drink some cayenne pepper in water. I feel amazing after. I also use it for headaches and cramps. When I feel like my son needs some assistance, I’ll mix a little bit with lemon and sometimes maple syrup, and it revitalizes him. And it’s a great thing to add to food. I know some people have hot sauce in their bag, but I have cayenne pepper.
That’s my soldier kit: my trauma kit, hard-boiled eggs, and cayenne pepper. It’s so funny. On set, they usually serve French toast or oatmeal. As a woman, I need a high level of protein, so I always have hard-boiled eggs in my bag. I will literally bring four or five of my own eggs and eat them throughout the day. It’s a wonder food.
I am always looking to mineralize my body. I love that this has such a low sodium content but high mineral content. I sometimes put it in my food, but most of the time I actually put it in my water so I can get minerals and electrolytes. I mix it in water with lemon, and it’s delicious. I feel like I’m actually hydrating my body. It’s such a simple thing but necessary.
I’m such a wellness girlie. I first discovered this when I was on this road trip with my two best friends. One of them would put chia seeds, lemon, and chlorophyll in her water and shake it up. It was amazing. Now I carry a tincture with me. This is another thing that stimulates blood flow and helps put oxygen back in the blood. I drink it all the time. I mean, water just gets so boring. I need all of the things to keep elevating it. My brain functions better when I have this, and I use it on set all the time. It kind of tastes like tea.
This has saved my life as a single parent. Sometimes I don’t have time to work out or go to the spa or do those things that feel like such a treat. I got this sleeping bag as a splurge item during the pandemic, and it is amazing. At the end of the day, I roll it out and lie in it for 20 minutes. By the end, I’m sweating head to toe and get that instant beautiful endorphin rush. I love how easy it is to clean. Sometimes I’ll have other people over and be like, “You need it? Get in there.”
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