Celebrity Parents Mom of Two Kerry Washington Says She Feels Most Empowered When She's 'Making Time' for Herself Neutrogena brand ambassador and creative consultant Kerry Washington talks to PEOPLE about me time — and what she wants her children to understand about beauty By Jen Juneau Jen Juneau Twitter Jen Juneau is a digital news writer for PEOPLE since 2016. People Editorial Guidelines and Jackie Fields Jackie Fields Instagram Jackie Fields is the Deputy Beauty Director at PEOPLE. A Tufts University and Parsons School of Design alum, she joined the brand as an editorial assistant in 2005 and has previously held the titles of reporter, writer-reporter, writer, editor, and senior editor. In 2009, she reported the magazine's first BeautyWatch page. During the last 12 years, she has focused almost entirely on beauty – specifically celebrity and market trends. Jackie most enjoys heading up the brand's annual drugstore Beauty Awards. When she is not reporting, writing, and editing content, she is testing fragrances, lipsticks, and products for 4c hair or catering to her beloved English Bulldog, Bowie. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 20, 2018 08:00 AM Share Tweet Pin Email She may be busy balancing motherhood with her acting career and role as brand ambassador and creative consultant for Neutrogena since 2013, but Kerry Washington makes it a point of carving out me time, too! The Scandal star recently dished to PEOPLE exclusively about her newest beauty endeavor (the Neutrogena Essential Eye and Cheek Palettes by Kerry Washington, her very first makeup palettes), as well the importance of prioritizing yourself. “I feel empowered when I’m making time to take care of myself,” says Washington, 41, admitting “it’s a little bit of a challenge” to find the time for self-care. But, she has found a trick to making it happen. “I think of it as kind of like my weekly scavenger hunt, figuring out where’s the me-time,” the working mom explains. “I put it on my list of priorities.” Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? Click here to get those and more in the PEOPLE Babies newsletter. Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic Working Mom Kerry Washington Talks Being “Covered in Spit-Up on a Conference Call” While Pumping: “This Is My Perfect” Washington and husband Nnamdi Asomugha are parents to son Caleb Kelechi, 18 months, and daughter Isabelle Amarachi, 4 on Saturday. And the actress says it’s important that they understand one big lesson about beauty. “What I want my children to understand about beauty is that inner beauty is always more important than what’s on the outside,” she tells PEOPLE. Dia Dipasupil/Getty RELATED VIDEO: Did Scandal’s Olivia Pope Get a Happy Ending in the Series Finale? The Django Unchained actress previously dabbled in the world of nail polish, taking on the role of OPI Creative Ambassador and collaborating with the brand on a Washington D.C.-themed nail lacquer collection. She even named one of the shades, “Inside the ISABELLEtway,” after her daughter! And while Washington is dedicated to teaching her children the importance of inner beauty, it doesn’t mean Isabelle hasn’t already developed a penchant for makeup — well, at least for the tools involved. “I haven’t painted her nails. But she’s around it a lot, I mean if she’s with me at work,” Washington told PEOPLE of Isabelle in August 2016. “She hangs out in the hair and makeup trailer a lot. She loves a good fan brush because it feels so fun.” For more from Washington, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now.