Andie MacDowell Says She 'Instinctually' Knew She Wanted to Go Gray (Exclusive)

Andie MacDowell has been showing up as her most authentic self on the red carpet.

In 2021, the Love After Love star, 65, debuted her salt-and-pepper curls, redefining the term “going gray” and bringing a sense of empowerment to aging gracefully.

Now, she’s opening up about all the wonderful feedback she’s gotten from her community. 

“I knew instinctually that this was something that I wanted to do. I'm just so thankful that L'Oréal Paris supported me and that everybody's been so kind to me and positive. The response has been really nice,” MacDowell tells PEOPLE exclusively at the L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth celebration in Los Angeles. “I'm just appreciative that people let me be the individual that I am without question. I think people also agree that silver hair probably suits me."

The actress has been a spokesperson for the worldwide beauty brand for nearly 40 years and she looks back at her trajectory with gratitude. 

“When I started [working with L'Oréal Paris], I was young. When I signed with them, I found out I was pregnant and I was afraid that I would lose the contract. But, it didn't have any negative effect. I did commercials when I was eight months pregnant and I would do commercials literally right after having a baby. So, I have grown up with L'Oréal Paris, and that's been a huge part of my life,” she tells PEOPLE, adding having the company stand by her commitment to owning her silver hair has been an "amazing" part of her journey.

MacDowell, alongside fellow ambassadors, Eva Longoria, Aja Naomi King, Camila Cabello and Helen Mirren, is giving back to other women making a difference in the world through L'Oréal Paris's Women of Worth initiative. 

"I think it's a beautiful opportunity to find women throughout the nation that are incredible people who change or get involved in their communities in a very dynamic way. That always makes me feel like I'm not doing enough, but I love shining light on them, supporting them and hearing their stories,” she says. 

When it comes to making beauty decisions for herself, like embracing her natural gray, MacDowell certainly listens to her intuition — and she encourages everyone to do the same. 

“I think it's an individual choice. My two oldest sisters will color their hair forever. So, I think everybody has to make their individual choice about how they feel about aging, what they want to do as they age, and what makes them more comfortable.” 

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The philosophy follows the general life lessons she’s been passing down to her three kids: son Justin Qualley and daughters Margaret and Rainey Qualley, who she shares with her ex-husband Paul Qualley. 

“I try to instill in them a feeling of being their own person and trusting their instincts as far as not following the crowd, but to be exactly who they are. I think that's the way I live my life. I think that's a really important lesson for your kids, because It gives them a sense of stability of being an individual.”