Auli‘i Cravalho Is A “Water Girl” Like Moana

Auliʻi Cravalho is seeing how far she can go in Hollywood. The Moana star recently made her Broadway debut as Sally Bowles in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in New York City and added associate producer to her resume with the Reef Builders.

The documentary, which tells the story of communities helping to restore the coral reefs, is something close to the Hawaiian actor, who loves swimming, fishing, and spending time seaside. At a panel discussion for the film at SXSW in Austin, Texas, Cravalho said that she often feels like she’s “inheriting a world that is on fire,” but working on the movie gave her hope for the future.

“We live in an information age, and it is overwhelming to be aware of the hardships of so many individuals and so many groups of people,” she says. “What works for me is I have found what I am passionate about, and that is the ocean.” While she shares that in common with her Disney Princess character, Moana, the 24-year-old also finds joy in her relationships, sleeping in, and acting roles that she can sink her teeth into.

Below, Cravalho dishes on her wellness habits, her favorite skin care products, and her morning routine.

Elite Daily: What are some of your favorite self-care rituals?

Auli‘i Cravalho: I have a bunch of flowers. People in my life know that I love receiving a little sweet treat, and so I have chosen flowers for spring. I just hope to keep them alive as long as possible.

My other self-care rituals include calling my mom every Friday and my dad every Monday. I am a proud child of divorced parents, so I have to call them on separate days. It takes a little bit out of me, but I’ve come to realize how much of a blessing it is to watch them figure life out.

ED: What kind of workouts do you enjoy? Would you ever consider doing a RunDisney event, especially since you are a Disney princess?

AC: I’m a water girl. I don’t run. I have Ehlers-Danlos, which is a connective tissue disorder, so I have always avoided impact sports. I assume it’s a great community out there. If I were to do it, it would definitely be something like that. My friend and I were looking at walking in a marathon. I just want to say I did a marathon.

ED: You just finished your six-month run in Cabaret in March. What was it like balancing a role on Broadway with everything else that you’re doing? Do you have any tips for time management?

AC: I loved my run at the Kit Kat Club. I gave my all to that character, and I miss her already. As far as time management is concerned, I have no tips, no tricks whatsoever. I would come home after the show at 11 p.m., and I would be buzzing. I wouldn’t be able to go to sleep until 2 a.m. If I can give any advice, don’t do that.

ED: Do you have any advice for Gen Zers who may be feeling overwhelmed right now?

AC: Everyone can find what they’re passionate about, and that relieves the anxiousness of our world a little bit. It makes all the difference to find something in your own backyard that you can dedicate time to, that you can find community in, that you can say “I am a part of the solution.” That phrase really helps.

ED: Walk me through your typical morning routine on show day.

AC: I wake up around noon, and I love it. I am such a night owl. I do some of my best thinking and my best songwriting in those wee bewitching hours. When I wake up, I usually have some type of smoothie or a bagel. Today is a bagel and smoothie day, because I had to wake up earlier than noon.

My partner works a 9-to-5, so I’ve already missed them. I also live with my best friend, Lauren, so we’ll gab in the kitchen as we get ready. I won’t throw on any makeup, but I’ll wash my face with PanOxyl from CVS. My favorite moisturizer that I’m using right now is Embryolisse. It works so well until it doesn’t, and it’s not going to work now because it’s getting warmer and it’s going to be too heavy. I’m going to have to go through a whole new skin care routine as it happens.

Then, I steam my vocal cords. I have a little personal steamer. I’ll also do a little neti pot to help get out any cat hair, because I live with a cat and I’m allergic. The rest of the day, I either have an interview, a workout, or a meeting or two. I often have to call my team to figure out different scripts, and then, I do my vocal warm-ups before heading to the show.

ED: How does your skin care routine change at night?

AC: I’ll use AC Solution Swab by Dr. Esthe. I am a 24-year-old who wears way too much stage makeup, so I was breaking out all over my cheeks, and it worked really well. And then I have this eye cream, Doctor Babor. I go to Joanna Vargas for facials. She has been very helpful and told me to take off my makeup at night. I was so tired that I didn’t want to wash my face, but it made all the difference.

ED: What are you manifesting for yourself in 2025?

AC: I made a bingo card of things that I want to do. I don’t know that I’ll accomplish half of them, but having them up on my wall is going to do something for me. I want to stay uplifted.

For so much of my time in this industry, I have put my self-worth on the projects that I am a part of or whether or not I am or I’m not working. To have had such a long stint on Broadway since September, I feel very satisfied in a way that I have not felt before. I’m hoping to keep that feeling alive by doing things I love and finding love in acting again. That worry actors feel will never go away unless I put my mind to banishing it. That is my goal.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.