What Sarah Hyland Looks Like Makeup-Free

Hollywood can be tough for young performers, especially when it comes to self-image. From wardrobe to makeup, there can be a lot of pressure to look a certain way. This fact isn't lost on Sarah Hyland, who starred in the smash-hit sitcom "Modern Family" from 2009 to 2020. "I was 18 when I started, I was there through all of my 20s," she reflected to BuzzFeed in 2023. "A lot of traumatic things happen to women when they're in their 20s. Most of the time you don't have to put on a smile and go to work and do it in front of millions of people."

However, the young star overcame the stress of growing up on the world stage and stepped into her own style. After all, Sarah Hyland has undergone a complete transformation since we first saw her as Haley Dunphy. From the feminine, role-appropriate fashions she donned in the early 2010s to the sharp couture Hyland prefers today, she's evolved into a glamorous red-carpet regular. Often, this includes equally chic styling, from perfectly coiffed hair to a full face of makeup, but Hyland isn't afraid to get real with her fans, either. In addition to the many emotionally vulnerable posts and interviews the actor has given — detailing personal struggles from abusive relationships and mental health crises to two kidney transplants — Hyland has also set aside cosmetics to provide periodic peeks at her natural beauty.

For proof that Sarah Hyland is a natural-born stunner, we need look no further than a simple, makeup-free selfie posted on Instagram in 2018. In the shot, Hyland's hair was pulled back, giving fans a clear look at her huge green eyes and frankly ethereal skin. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that Hyland boasts such a luminous complexion, as she's conscientious about her beauty routine. "Skincare is really important to me," she told Refinery29 in 2020. "Skincare is something that I can control, whereas other things in my life health-wise, I have not been able to control."

At the time, Hyland even went so far as to collaborate with beauty brand No B.S. on a four-step kit that included everything she needed — both as a busy actor who wears a lot of stage makeup and as a transplant survivor invested in clean beauty. Though it appears that the kit is now defunct, it reportedly included a foaming cleanser, purifying toner, a hyaluronic cream, and a serum infused with vitamins C and E. "I really noticed the difference with ... vitamin C for brightening my skin," Hyland told Seventeen the same year. "Having to wear makeup all the time for work can be really hard on my skin and I feel like once the makeup gets taken off, I look and I'm like, 'Oh, it's just so dull.'" Of course, not all products are created equal, and it's important to make sure you're picking the right vitamin C serum for your unique skin.

Hyland's most important recommendation, though? It's all about that moisture. As Hyland said to Marie Claire in 2019, "I'm really into hydration and all about moisturizing. Moisturizing is the most important thing in skincare. Whatever kind of skincare products you use, if you don't moisturize nothing's really going to be good enough for you."

In 2019, Sarah Hyland shared another thoroughly makeup-free selfie on her Instagram story. In the caption, she jokingly likened the look to "a terrifying possessed children's doll" (via Women's Health), but if you ask us, the "Love Island" host couldn't have looked fresher. Her lips were rosy, her brows were full, and her bare skin was once again glowing.

Moreover, this intimate photo showed that Hyland is one of those celebrities who look just as gorgeous with their natural hair. "Modern Family" viewers may be more accustomed to seeing Hyland with long, straight locks, but speaking to Refinery29 in 2019, she explained that she had commonly worn extensions on the show due to her ongoing health issues, which have included endometriosis and kidney dysplasia. "With medications and stuff, it can make your hair fall out. ... So I had extensions put in for Haley to hide any of that loss," the "Shadowhunters" actor explained.

Hyland added, "My hair that's growing back now is much curlier than what it used to be. ... It's like I'm 4 years old now, I guess." From Hyland's perspective, her newly untamed mane may feel like a blast from the past, but in our opinion, the curlier, the better. Hyland looks utterly gorgeous with her untouched complexion and bouncy ringlets, both of which we hope to see more of soon.