Elizabeth Hurley Advocates for Young Women to Be Proactive About Breast Health

The model-actress has been a global ambassador for Estée Lauder Companies’ breast cancer campaign for nearly 30 years.

Elizabeth Hurley / John Nacion/Getty Images

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and as the global ambassador for Estée Lauder Companies’ breast cancer campaign, actress Elizabeth Hurley is always at the forefront of the brand’s advocacy work.

The 59-year-old model appeared on TODAY on Wednesday, Oct. 2, in order to spread awareness and education regarding breast health. During the segment, Hurley noted how vitally important it is for young women in particular to educate themselves, as many often believe they are invincible when it comes to the disease.

“Now what we really want to say is that young women should really start to become breast aware—all women, but particularly all women who haven’t thought about it before,” Hurley explained, adding that Estée Lauder Companies is offering a self-risk analysis on the brand’s website, along with nutritional guidance, exercise tips, healthy lifestyle habits and tools like how to perform a breast self-exam at home.

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“They can learn about putting themselves in the best position they can as a preventative measure and giving themselves information,” Hurley added. “So they can be proactive about their own breast health, and we’ve found that all women, but particularly young women, really responded to this. So finally, they really feel they can join the conversation in a meaningful way.”

This year marks Hurley’s 29th working with the Estée Lauder Companies’ breast cancer campaign, and it is a cause near and dear to her heart. In 1995, Hurley lost her beloved grandmother to breast cancer, a tragedy she’s spoken openly about numerous times over the years. Back in the early 1990s, breast cancer was a somewhat taboo topic, whereas now, Hurley believes “awareness has changed massively.”

“I lost my grandmother in the early ’90s to breast cancer, and when Evelyn [Lauder] said, ‘Would you help me with this campaign, women are dying all over the world, no one’s talking about it and there’s not enough research and we need to be involved,’ it was just [after] what had happened with my grandma,” Hurley shared, citing her motivations for getting involved.

Nearly 30 years after getting its start, the Estée Lauder Companies’ breast cancer campaign has raised more than $131 million for research. To learn more about this year’s “Breast Care Is Self-Care” campaign, click here.

In addition to her appearance on TODAY, Hurley visited the Empire State Building in New York on Tuesday, where she flipped the switch to turn the iconic building’s lights pink.