Bobby Berk on His Favorite ‘Queer Eye’ Transformation, Easy Sustainability Swaps and the SPF That ‘Changed His Life’

He’s one fifth of Netflix sensation Queer Eye, a bonafide interior-design expert and an accomplished author, but now, Bobby Berk is partnering with Sensodyne to align with two of his self-proclaimed passions: oral health care and sustainability.

We chatted with Berk on his sustainability tricks, his top trick for making a space feel more serene, and the skin-saving step cast-mate Jonathan Van Ness “drove into his head.”

On this partnership with Sensodyne…

“Oral health-care has always been something that—no pun intended—has been drilled into my head. When I was little, my mom was so crazy about it, that she would brush my sister and my teeth, off and on, until we were about 12 or 13. So it’s always been something near and dear to my heart. And then, since we’ve been filming Queer Eye, we’ve had such a crazy schedule and we’ve been so tired so I’ve been drinking way more coffee over the last few years than I had been in my previous life. And I noticed my teeth started getting sensitive, but first I thought it was cavities. And I was like, no, I’ve only had one cavity in my whole life, thanks to my mother. And so I went to my dentist, and they’re like, ‘No, you don’t have any cavities. Your teeth are just getting sensitive from all the acid you have in your mouth all day long from coffee.’ So she said I should start using Sensodyne. So then my agent came to me and was like, ‘Hey, Sensodyne wants to work with you.’ And I’m like, ‘Brilliant. I use them every day. It’s a match made in heaven.’ 

Couple that with the fact that Sensodyne also just launched a brand new tube that’s recyclable, it was perfect. And it is even better because being in the building industry, our industry unfortunately creates so much waste, that I’m always trying to offset that by using products that do not. And now my Sensodyne toothpaste can be recycled too.”

On Jonathan Van Ness’ impact on his skin-care routine…

“His stressing of sunscreen has definitely been driven into my head more. I definitely use more sunscreen now than I did before. I found sunscreens before always left me oily and you could smell it and I always hated sunscreen. But I’ve actually found two over the last year and a half that I’m obsessed with. One of them is actually Karamo’s line, MANTL, and the other is Unseen Sunscreen from Supergoop. The one from MANTL is also very similar. It has a matte, clear finish. You don’t feel it at all, it doesn’t leave you greasy or oily. So those two sunscreens have changed my life changed my life with sunscreen because before honestly, I would end up not wearing it because I just hated the way it made my skin feel and it would make my pores big.”

On his sustainable skin-care favorites… 

“I really try to use products that don’t have packaging, or have recycled packaging or packaging that can be recycled. For example, shampoo bars instead of liquid shampoo. All liquid shampoo really is, is something that was solid that they put water in to turn into a liquid, right? So you don’t need it to be liquid when you buy it. Aveda has a really great one, it just comes as a regular bar, but you just lather it and it’s great shampoo. And so there’s no plastic to get rid of. And then SBTRCT has a vitamin C booster, which I like to use because I have red blotchy skin, and it makes it more even.”

On the common recycling mistake we’re making…

“So many body-care product bottles aren’t actually recyclable because all the different components inside of them are different types of plastic. People don’t think about that, and they just think ‘Oh, it’s all plastic, it can all be recycled,’ so they throw it all the way together, which makes it not recyclable and it goes into a landfill. So often, if there’s a pump on it, that can’t be recycled, so you’ve got to remove that and separate that in your recycle bin.”

On his favorite Queer Eye transformation…

“I think after last season, I feel like it’s the barn. It’s definitely the biggest thing we’ve ever done. I actually went back afterwards and donated money to have a second story built in it. So we just kept making it bigger and bigger. So I would say that one because not only did it help people—a big part of Safe in Austin is helping people—but it also helped animals. So that one was very dear to my heart just because I’m a huge animal person.”

On Earth-friendly home-care staples…

“There is a company called Blueland, and they sell a kit that does have plastic bottles in it, but they’re reusable. There’s a window cleaner and a multi surface cleaner and a toilet cleaner and they’re all dehydrated little tablets [to be mixed with water]. And when you run out, you fill it back up with water and you put in a new tablet. So you’re not constantly buying those plastic bottles that, again, because of the spray bottle, aren’t actually recyclable. 

So I definitely try to either use bottles that are not plastic at all, or use companies like Blueland where the item might be plastic, but is recycled plastic or can be reused 1,000 times which is a huge reduction of plastic. And then instead of using plastic zip-top bags, I also use reusable silicone ones. And I use those for stuff around the house, I use them for food, I use those for my vitamins when I travel instead of throwing them in a plastic bag.”

On how to instantly make a space feel more serene…

“Get rid of the clutter. That’s always my tip to make a space feel more serene. Don’t let that chair in your bedroom become the clothes rack. We all do it and it gets bigger and bigger and bigger, to the point where you put that one piece on top and it all just falls over. I always tell myself I’m going to take care of it, and then I don’t, and I go to bed looking at it and I go to bed staring at a failure. And what happens when you wake up staring at something that you’ve told yourself you’re going to do that you did not do yet again? That feeling stays with you all day. So keeping your bedroom clean and tidy, it’s not just about keeping something clean and tidy—it really is about your mental health.”

On how he winds down before bed…

“I have bad allergies, so when I take a shower I use this eucalyptus spray that has changed my life at night. I spray it in the shower and when I’m showering the eucalyptus just opens my head up and I’m able to breathe much better when I sleep. So that’s one of my little things that I do. And I wash my face before I go to bed. There was a quote by David in Schitt’s Creek. I think it’s when Patrick had gotten his wisdom teeth taken out and they were laying in bed and he said, ‘Your skin is so pretty.’ And David said, ‘Thank you. It’s just a simple 15 step routine.’ It’s not quite that many for me, but as I’m getting older I find it is more and more. So yeah, I definitely take care of my skin at night.”