The Secret of Ageless Celebrities

How do celebrities seem to be ageless? Well, the media is constantly asking how it is possible to look so vibrant year after year. JLo comes to mind as an exemplary specimen of beauty, talent, and agelessness. What are her beauty secrets? Inquiring minds want to know. Because we want to be ageless too! In all the interviews there are recurrent themes, and I will review some of them.

Drink plenty of water. Drinking water is very important for a healthy body, organs, and skin. When celebrities claim that drinking water is keeping them young, it is true to some extent. Although it might be impossible to drink eight glasses of water every single day, maximizing your daily intake is youth-enhancing.

Get plenty of sleep. According to one article, JLo sleeps 10 hours per night! This would be a personal dream of mine. For now, I’ll have to suffice with six to seven hours. Sleep is a time of renewal for your body. As it rests, cells are refreshed and turned over, your neuronal synapses are replenishing neurotransmitters, and your liver is filtering your blood. Sleep is so important, and we know that a lack of sleep makes you look haggard (just check out a pair of new parents). So, it would make intuitive sense that plenty of sleep makes you look great!

Cleanse. All makeup must be cleansed thoroughly from the face before bedtime. Makeup particles can enter the eyes overnight, causing them to become irritated. When eyes become puffy and then settle repeatedly day after day, the skin around them becomes wrinkled. Also, makeup on the skin leads to congested pores and breakouts.

Diet. Study after study shows that high-sugar diets cause accelerated aging via glycation of the tissues. Sugars attach themselves to the blood vessels and tissues in various forms, essentially hardening them. Hardened tissues crack and wrinkle whereas supple, flexible skin does not. It is important to follow a balanced diet and limit refined sugars.

Exercise. Increasing blood flow to the entire body via exercise, including organs and skin, is a wonderful way to rejuvenate the body. Sweating cleans out the pores from the inside out. Cortisol levels decrease, and stress is easier to manage. The celebrity favorites are yoga and Pilates. Both incorporate deep breathing, which is excellent for stress management. Both are low impact on the joints and allow the body to stay flexible and strong without much joint or ligament damage. This is anti-aging!

Meditate. Deep breathing and meditation is known to promote health via the mind-body connection. Positivity and gratitude when practiced regularly improve coping skills. Longevity, or anti-aging, is not just about looking young but also about feeling youthful and happy. Happiness radiates in the smile, in the energetic movements of a person. This is often what we are perceiving when we see ageless celebrities.

Genetics. We know for sure that longevity is genetic. In addition to that, skin aging is inversely proportional to the amount of melanin in the skin. Darker skin types age more slowly and can tolerate more sun exposure before photo-aging becomes apparent. Genetics, indeed, plays a strong role in aging, but at least 60% of it is determined by personal habits, as we are describing here.

Sun protection. Aha! You knew it! How could a dermatologist write an article and not include a word about sunscreen, sun avoidance, and sun protection? Well, she couldn’t! Sun protection is a powerful anti-aging tool. Twin studies show that regular use of sunscreen can reduce the appearance of aging by leaps and bounds. Even drivers notice more aging, wrinkles, brown spots, skin cancer, and volume loss on the left side of the face—the driver’s side. Which is the best sunscreen to use? Whichever one you are willing to consistently apply every day.

Well, there you have it. Celebrities are basically staving off aging by clean living. Do they avail themselves of injectables and energy devices? Routinely! But the raw materials of having high energy, positivity, and vibrancy come from a series of consistent, healthy choices.

The statements in this article are for general informational purposes only and do not substitute for individual medical advice.

By Anna Guanche MD FAAD
Board-Certified Dermatologist
Bella Skin Institute