When you say the name ‘Debra Messing,’ most people think of Grace Adler, the iconic every-woman character she played on “Will & Grace.” It’s hard to believe it went off the air almost 10 years ago. But in the following decade, Messing has been keeping busy on hits like “The Starter Wife” and “Smash,” and her most recent show, “The Mysteries of Laura.” She’s also been raising a young son and continuing to be our top redhead #hairspiration.

Just after finishing up her first season as a homicide detective on “Laura,” Messing spoke with YouBeauty and shared her tips about life as a working mom, her top beauty tips, and how she copes with allergies:

Working moms unite. When she first got the script for “Laura”,  Messing related to the character’s passion and ambition in her work. She’s a single mom with an intense job – and she loves it.

Children come first – but you matter, too. Nothing comes before your children, said Messing. For working mothers, and for characters like Laura, beauty is a low priority. But, of course, everyone likes to feel attractive. As an allergy sufferer, she’s learned to avoid triggers like flowers and fragrance and add habits to keep her feeling good. As a spokesperson for the allergy medication Zyrtec, Messing has finally been able to control the allergy attacks that would halt her day with breathing problems and swelling.

Beauty = health. Messing adjusts her beauty routine when she knows those pesky New York City seasons could leave her in danger of “allergy face”. She wears waterproof mascara and carries saline drops to protect against the red, watery eyes of an allergy attack. She also makes sure to use clean makeup brushes.

Drink water! As a disciple of the celebrity water doctrine, Messing confesses that her glowing skin comes from just drinking water. If only we could all be so lucky!

Do work that you love. I asked Debra what took so many of her projects (including my favorite, “Smash”) to their level of cult-status fandom. She made it pretty clear that there’s a special magic with work that you love. In fact, Messing is reuniting with her costars for a concert to benefit The Actor’s Fund on June 8. Her support of past projects couldn’t make that more apparent.

Debra’s gracious, honest approach to the personal and professional makes her exactly who you want to give you life advice – or to recommend you allergy medication.

READ MORE: Kristen Bell: ‘Happier People Are Prettier’ and Other Spot-On Beauty Advice