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On November 18, something strange happened. Alex Cooper, host of “Call Her Daddy,” the second most-streamed podcast on Spotify—and number one among women globally—introduced a new Instagram account to her 3.5 million followers: @alexssupersecretproject553968. Over the next two weeks, she went on to drop hints about what exactly her super secret project may be, from casual selfies with a wine glass to an ultra-glam boardroom photoshoot. The stunt has been met with plenty of guesses from Cooper’s “Daddy Gang,” from coming for Jimmy Fallon’s job to a line of eyeshadow palettes.
But fans won’t have to guess any longer. On December 4, Cooper reveals her latest venture and very first physical products: Unwell Hydration, a line of functional beverages made specifically with women in mind, dropping at Target on January 1. The name is an extension of Cooper’s Unwell Network, which prides itself on creating a community of creators—such as Alix Earl—that share her same raw, cheeky, and casual candor. But while the name may not be taking itself too seriously, Cooper is undeniably proud of the launch.
"My Daddy Gang knows that I never do anything outside of 'Call Her Daddy" and Unwell unless I love it and I put everything behind it," Cooper tells Byrdie. "It's my baby." After touring in 2024—"I wasn't home, I wasn't sleeping"—Cooper realized that most functional beverages are targeted towards men recovering from high-intensity workouts, and that just didn't speak to her. Instead, Unwell includes electrolytes, a blend of B-complex vitamins, and comes in fun flavors like Mango Citrus and Orange Hibiscus, all with only three grams of sugar. "Obviously, men can drink it too," Cooper clarifys. "It's for everyone, but I'm excited to present something that [puts] women were at the forefront, because we are underserved."
In honor of the launch, we asked Cooper all about how she cares for her skin, from the inside out. Ahead, her acne journey, her winter routine, and the TikTok tip that changed her skin.
About Her Skin
“When I was younger, I suffered with a lot of acne, and I went on Accutane—I was obviously nervous about that, because I know there’s certain side effects, but also, socially, it’s so debilitating when you have something on your face that you feel like people are staring at. So I got on Accutane, and I actually did a couple rounds. It is a life changer, but the unfortunate part is the dryness.
“Hydration has been with me every step of my life, and it feels like a thing that you don’t even think about, because we need water to live, but it’s so imperative. I would be so upset when my skin was so dry, so after Accutane, I was always so obsessed with making sure my skin was hydrated, which can be scary when you have acne-prone skin, because then you also associate that with oils, and like, what am I putting on my skin? So I think the journey really began where I started to care more about my skin after college.”
Her Skincare Philosophy
“Definitely getting more into this industry, I see so many people talking about products, and it was overwhelming, to the point where I don’t know how much I trust certain people anymore, because everyone has different skin right? Everyone has different skin types. And so I did a lot of research on my own, and a lot of I use a lot of French products that I have found work really well for me, but it’s a constant struggle. I’m always making sure I’m trying new things, and my hero products are interchangeable because it also depends on the time of year. Like winter you’re so much drier than summer, so it’s kind of like a revolving door.”
The Most Important Part of Her Routine
“From a very young age, because I was a very competitive athlete and I played Division One soccer for almost the entirety of from when I was young through my 20s, hydration was at the forefront. If I knew a game was coming up that weekend, I’d start hydrating on Monday. So hydration has always been a part of my life. I have always struggled with my skin, [especially with] hormonal acne, and I recognize that there’s so many products on the market and it’s kind of exhausting because everyone has such different skin types. The one thing that I know is a universal thing is we all need is hydration. So I would say, like, that has been a cornerstone of my skincare routine. My makeup looks 10 times better when my skin is hydrated. It’s been something that I have loved to incorporate into my routine, even though it was more athletically based when I was younger. As I’m growing up, it’s more to keep myself healthy. I’m not playing sports every single day. I’m sometimes not even working out, but I want to be hydrated, because it affects your health.
"I think because [drinking water] seems so simple, people look past it. They're like, what procedure do I need? What laser do I need? What Botox do I need? And it really is that simple. Because especially on my last tour, I was putting so much makeup on my face stage every single night and doing stage makeup and I was not hydrating, I could literally see the difference between the tour I went on in [early] 2024 versus the tour I just went on. My skin was completely better this time around because I was hydrated."
Her Winter Routine
“I have to say, I was that girl that hopped on the train of the snail mucin. And I’m not kidding you, it has changed my life. I can tell a noticeable difference when I’m putting that on my face. I started using this new skin barrier serum, and then I go in with the snail mucin after it, and then I go on with a cream. I can tell the difference in the glow of my skin based off of the snail mucin. So, TikTok was right.”
