Jennifer Garner has opened up about her "wholesome" family image in an interview with Bobbi Brown.

The actress, 42, also talked candidly about her beauty routine, fitness rules as well as how she balances being an actress and a mother.

In  the interview for for Yahoo Beauty, the mum of three talks about how her parents drilled a wholesome image into her as she was growing up. Speaking of how she will instill this in her kids, she observes  "I think it’s going to be harder. My eldest [Violet, aged 9] already wants her ears pierced. I don’t know how you do it. I think you try to lead by example."

"The funny thing about that is my kids see me wearing more make-up than I ever could have imagined. So, they kind of think that’s normal."

But her make-up regime is still a pared-back one "It drives my make-up people crazy! I mean, I have done that stuff before, but red lips on me is obnoxious.I have enough of a big ol’ face that the last thing anyone needs is to have anything exaggerated that much."

And Jennifer this is an approach that has been encouraged in her since she was young "I mean, we weren’t allowed to pierce our ears growing up. We didn’t wear make-up. We couldn’t have layers in our hair, perms, or color, or manicures. My dad didn’t think it was ladylike. My dad just felt like his daughters should be wholesome. Luckily for my dad, none of us really bucked him on it. We were all fine with it."

"The one thing I really lucked out on is that all through my teenage years, when my sister was a lifeguard and everyone I knew was out in the sun all day—I was in the theater. Everyone called me Casper because I never had a tan and everyone else was tan all the time. I think that was the luckiest thing of my life."

And she is still careful about looking after her skin, using Neutrogena's Rapid Tone night moisturiser to keep it fresh, although "I’ve had more acne as an adult than I had as a teenager. After weaning babies my skin’s gone totally bonkers."

"I get red patches and it’s sensitive to certain things like stress and lack of sleep." But she uses products like Neutrogena's Healthy Glow Sheers, and Hydro Boost Water Gel to ensure she has a fresh dewy look at red carpet events. "I never used powder unless I’m about to be in front of a camera [on a film set]. I don’t need that matte, crunchy feeling."

Jennifer has been married to Ben Affleck since 2005 and has spoken in the past about how the couple balance their careers with looking after their children, but she admits "It’s not hard to be hands-on to the kids. It’s harder to feel like, ‘Wait, you want me to go where? I’m supposed to do what?’"

She also spoke about a paparazzi bill that in 2013 created a new law in California for harsher penalties for photographers who upset or harass children. Jennifer and other actresses worked together to pass the bill to protect their children:

"Halle Berry passed the bill and she let me be a small part of it. And then, Kristen Bell went out and convinced all of the tabloid magazines to agree not to print photos of kids, and it’s changed my kids’ lives!

"It’s been over a year, and there isn’t a day, that we don’t talk about how different it is."

"Now my kids can go out and just go for a walk or go to the mailbox—things that we just didn’t do. Sometimes I still have paparazzi, myself, and sometimes they will shoot my kids, and I keep track of it. I will definitely take them to court if I have enough to make a case."

"I have to say, I really didn’t think that was possible. I tip my hat to Halle and Kristen. I thought they were both shooting at something that couldn’t be caught, and they did it."

Words: Victoria Gray, Images: Rex Features