Supermodel Christy Turlington Burns shares thoughts on her organization (Every Mother Counts) and her skin-care.

An audible murmur went through the crowd when Christy Turlington Burns appeared at a recent Biotherm event in Paris. The 47-year-old, one of the original supes, is the ambassador for Biotherm's Blue Therapy line of skin care. But beyond her casual radiance and supermodel status, she's a passionate advocate for international maternal health care with her organization Every Mother Counts, one of Time magazine's most influential people and a champion of healthy living (she ran the Boston Marathon in April with a time of 4:09:27). Supermodel? More like superwoman.

What's important for you to feel beautiful?

Sleep. I also feel beautiful when I come back from yoga class, or when I've just come back from a run and I feel like there's a bit of colour on my cheeks. You feel kind of glisten-y from a little bit of sweat.

What's your daily skin-care regimen? 

I was my face and put on something really rich, but that's pretty much it. For me, it's always about hydration—drinking a lot of water and fluids. That's not very exiting, but it's really true; water is so important.

You're passionate about travelling. What do you always take with you on a trip?

Sunscreen. And I always bring [non-BPA] water bottles so I don't have to use plastic bottles when I'm travelling. One of my pet peeves is seeing plastic discarded in beautiful places around the world. Also, snacks. I might be on the road for a long time without access to something nutritious or, for that matter, fresh. I bring nuts pretty much everywhere I go; I'm a bit of a critter.

Can you tell us about the changes that Every Mother Counts has made?

In 2003, the number of [annual] global maternal deaths was estimated at half a million or more; woman and girls are dying from pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications. Today, the estimation is 303,000. There's a concentration on educating a whole range of health-care providers in their own countries to be able to provide services for their own families and friends—that's the ideal. It's a more sustainable way of addressing maternal health.