Sailor Brinkley Cook in Two-Piece Workout Gear Turns 26

Sailor Brinkley Cook has the best energy. The American model glows in photos and in her Instagram feed pics, but her personality completes the image: She seems to really know herself and be “real,” despite her privileged upbringing. Perhaps that’s why we trust her wellness advice. Recently, Sailor’s mom, legendary supermodel Christie, shared a photo of her daughter in two-piece workout gear. “Wishing you great adventures, laughter and lots of love,” she captioned it. The occasion? Sailor's 26th birthday. (Happy birthday!) Read on to learn how Sailor Brinkley Cook stays so fresh.

1. She Didn’t Always Want to Be a Model

Modelling wasn’t her preordanied path, just because of her mom. “It really wasn't. I really did not even want to model. It was something that fell into my lap and I was so grateful for it because I got to learn so much through it. And I mean, the people in this industry are so talented, so I'm really lucky,” she told the Today Show. “I studied photography, so I was very into the arts and being behind the camera, but actually modeling, I mean, I got to absorb so much of that knowledge from the most amazing photographers.”

2. Her Mom Supported Her Dreams

“She was very supportive of any avenue that I would go down as I grew up. And she was one of those moms that was like, if you're going to do it, do it with me. So she wanted to experience everything with me. She wanted me to be open and tell her things. And I think that really allowed for a very beautiful space to grow up as a young woman,” she told Today.

3. She Walks Her Dog

A fgew years back, Cook said she walks her dog Lionel every night. “And every night before we go to bed, we go for a little walk to get out most of his energy. And it's honestly become a great part of my routine. I take some deep breaths to let go of the day. I set some intentions for tomorrow, and then I go inside and I start my routine,” she told Us Weekly.

4. She Uses Serums

After cleansing her face, “the next step in my routine is a serum,” she told Us Weekly. “I think that every human being needs a nice serum to go before their moisturizer. Ever since I've added some serums into my life, my skin has changed dramatically. So I sort of use a variation of serums. I think that just like how you listen to your body and what you want to eat, you should listen to your skin and what it wants to be drenched in. So I go between the ordinary hyaluronic acid and the ordinary niacinamide and zinc. If I'm feeling super dry, I'll make sure to put this on the hyaluronic acid. And if I'm having some blemishes or if I have some discoloration, I'll make sure to put on the niacinamide and zinc, which is amazing for that. It's been instrumental and clearing up my skin.”

5. The #1 Thing Her Mom Taught Her

Sailor Brinkley Cook/Instagram

“I think that her number one thing that she always told me to be was to be grateful and gracious,” she told Today. “And she always said that these doors are going to open for you, but it's your job to keep them open. So I really stuck to that and I made it a priority to every room that I walked into. Be very grateful and really say hello to everyone and absorb the knowledge that everyone has to give on these sets."