What 17 celebrities do to look much younger than their age

celebrities who look young celebrities who look young
Some celebs just seem immune to aging.
Getty/Neilson Barnard

It's easy to write off celebrity agelessness as the result of pure luck in the genetics department. But that wouldn't be totally accurate: Scientists say that up to 40% of the physical changes that make us look older are caused by non-genetic factors.

That means seemingly immortal stars must have a few anti-aging tricks that actually work.

Yes, celebrities have lots of disposable income, professional makeup artists, and Photoshop to aid them — but we pored through dozens of interviews and found that lots of them claim to preserve their youthful glow using simple, evidence-backed health habits. (In other words: Get ready to hear a lot about sleep, exercise, and sunscreen.)

Here are some totally doable anti-aging strategies from 17 famous folks who never seem to look older. 

Pharrell Williams has the world's simplest skincare routine.

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Pharrell Williams, 44.
Getty Images/Dave Hogan for One Love Manchester

In a 2014 interview with Time Out London, Williams asserted that he's definitely not a vampire, finally addressing the (half-joking) speculations of fans looking to explain his perpetually youthful appearance. 

"I'm willing to go on record as saying that I don’t drink people's blood," he said. "How do I stay so young-looking for a 40-year-old? I wash my face."

It's probably safe to say there are also some really good genes at play.

Victoria Beckham eats salmon — every single day.

victoria beckham
Victoria Beckham, 43.
Rob Kim/Getty Images

Beckham revealed her dermatologist's perfect-skin advice during an interview with Net-a-Porter last year.

"I see a dermatologist in LA, called Dr Harold Lancer, who is incredible. I've known him for years — he sorted my skin out," she said. "I used to have really problematic skin and he said to me, 'You have to eat salmon every single day.' I said, 'Really, every day?' And he said, 'Yes; breakfast, lunch or dinner, you have to eat it every single day.'"

It's not exactly clear what Beckham means by "problematic skin" (acne? rosacea? psoriasis? eczema?) so it's hard to say whether her dermatologist's advice is sound. But the fats found in fish do have anti-inflammatory effects in the body. Some research suggests they could help protect the skin against sun damage, too — but definitely don't use salmon as a substitute for sunscreen.

Jared Leto is a vegetarian who never skimps on sleep.

Jared Leto
Jared Leto, 45.
Getty Images

"It's probably just down to sleep and diet," Leto told GQ in 2013, when asked how he looks like he's still in his 30s. "If you travel long haul a lot or don't sleep much, it's not going to last very long, that's for sure."

And for what's worth: small of handful of studies has shown that sleep deprivation can make people look older.

Leto also noted he's been on a vegan/vegetarian diet for about 20 years. It's an eating pattern that — done right — is linked to lots of health benefits

Christie Brinkley is a vegetarian, too.

christie brinkley
Christie Brinkley, 63.
Getty/Andrew Toth, Stringer

In her recent Sports Illustrated photo shoot, Christie Brinkley makes 63 look like 23. 

Her youthful glow might have something to do with her plant-based diet. She's been a strict vegetarian for decades and told Byrdie that she fills up on all kinds of colorful, fiber-rich fruits and veggies. 

Paul Rudd uses sunscreen.

paul rudd
Paul Rudd, 48.
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Paul Rudd has looked the same for so long that people have made Internet quizzes about his agelessness. (Just try and guess which picture of Paul Rudd is the youngest.)

Rudd credits a classic product for his youthful skin: sunscreen. 

"I am a big believer in sunscreen," Rudd told InStyle back in 2013. "I'm not one for tanning. I used to be, back when I was rocking the Depeche Mode look. Honestly, I wear sunscreen not to prevent wrinkles but because I don't want to get skin cancer." 

By the way: You should never use a sunscreen with SPF higher than 50

Heidi Klum does the same thing.

heidi klum
Heidi Klum, 44.
REUTERS/Danny Moloshok

Back in 2010, she espoused the power of sunscreen in an interview with Allure

"I learned not to go in the sun early on in my career," Klum said. "A tan lasts for a week or two before it fades, and the sun is so damaging — it's not worth it. I put sunscreen on my kids every day before school and before they play outside. They know the routine."

Cindy Crawford does, too. (Sensing a trend?)

Cindy Crawford
Cindy Crawford, 51.
Getty Images

It's no surprise that Crawford is another SPF devotee — just look at that skin! She told Violet Grey that she's always worn sunscreen daily. 

"What I think is true is that [results are] cumulative," she said. "When a 35-year-old starts taking care of her skin, she won't look different. It's when you’re my age that you start seeing the payoff."

Remember: Faithfully applying and reapplying broad-spectrum sunscreen can help prevent the wrinkling, sagging, leathery texture and aging spots that are all caused by sun exposure

Gabrielle Union just says "no."

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Gabrielle Union, 44.
Getty Images

"My best anti-aging tip is the ability to say no, no, and hell, no," Union told Women's Health earlier this year. "We run ourselves ragged saying yes to every freaking thing, whether it's to our family, spouses, or careers. I sleep eight hours a day and don't let myself stress out. A lot of people call it selfish, but I don't have any wrinkles."

That's some good advice: Preliminary research suggests there could be a connection between stress and skin aging. 


Jennifer Lopez makes time for meditation and workouts (and drinks a lot of water).

jennifer lopez
Jennifer Lopez, 47.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

In 2016, Lopez told People that she starts her day by meditating. Then she moves on to vigorous workouts: She does trainer Tracy Anderson's dance-based workouts 5 times a week. Fun fact: People who exercise more appear to be younger at the cellular level than people who are sedentary, per a recent study in Preventive Medicine

As for her stunning skin: Lopez credits sunscreen and lots of water.

"I think drinking lots of water and [eating] fresh foods with lots of fruits and vegetables [...] all play into the quality of skin’s appearance," Lopez told People.

There's not much science to back up claims that guzzling water improves the appearance of skin, but water's certainly one of the best beverage choices you can make. Here's how to know if you're drinking the right amount

Speaking of meditation: Eva Mendes is a huge fan.

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Eva Mendes, 43.
Getty/Michael Loccisano

"I'm actually huge into Transcendental Meditation, and that really helps create not only a sense of balance, but all the other stuff — this is going to sound cliché, but, serenity and kind of a calm state of mind," Mendes once told SpotCeleb. "It helps me deal with life's ups and downs."

A 2014 review found that meditation actually can help combat stress, anxiety, and depression. 

Mariska Haritgay makes time for exercise, even though she's "not a gym person. "

mariska hargitay
Mariska Hargitay, 53.
Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images

"I'm athletic, but I'm not a gym person. I do things that feel like I'm not working out," Hargitay told Allure in 2010. "I do short exercise videos in my dressing room, and [...] I bought a trampoline for my son that we jump on together, and never in my life has my heart rate gone up so fast. It's an incredible workout."


Jennifer Aniston says she has good genes.

jennifer aniston
Jennifer Aniston, 48.
Getty Images/Jason Merritt

In a 2014 interview with Yahoo! Beauty, Aniston came out strong against cosmetic procedures, saying, "I am not injecting s--- into my face."

But she also acknowledged that genetics are on her side.

"My dad is 100% Greek; he turned 81 and he barely has a wrinkle," she told Yahoo!. "And neither does my grandmother, who was 95 when she died."

She also credited two celeb anti-aging standbys: Adequate sleep and lots of water. 


Robin Wright admitted to a "sprinkle" of Botox.

robin wright
Robin Wright, 51.
Getty/Frazer Harrison

Not every celebrity just happens to wind up with flawless, un-wrinkled skin. Robin Wright told the Telegraph in 2014 that she combats aging by getting "the tiniest sprinkle of Botox twice a year." 

"Perhaps it's not wise to put that in a magazine?" she added. "But I ain't hiding anything."

Hey, it's her prerogative — and the stuff is perfectly safe when administered correctly.

Elizabeth Banks stays far away from cigarettes.

elizabeth banks
Elizabeth Banks, 43.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

"I do the basics: Sunscreen, water, sleep, wash my face everyday, and I don't smoke," she told Allure in 2014.

Banks is likely not the only person on this list who doesn't smoke cigarettes. But it's still important that she mentioned it: Research done in identical twins has shown that smoking can dramatically age the skin. That's not even mentioning all the other, more terrifying reasons not to smoke.

Mario Lopez works out like crazy.

mario lopez
Mario Lopez, 43.
Getty/Rich Polk, Stringer

Lopez is another celebrity who swears by daily workouts. His go-tos, according to an interview with the Los Angeles Times: Hiking, running, strength training, and boxing. 

"I like to say I train more for sanity than vanity. I feel awake, I de-stress. It's very therapeutic for me," he told the paper in 2016.

Andi Macdowell is a gardening goddess.

andi macdowell
Andi Macdowell, 59.
Getty/Anthony Jones, Stringer

"I eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables. I like to pick them off the vine and eat them," the actress told Allure in 2010. "I grow my own tomatoes, squash, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries."

A diet high in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of age-related eye problems — and also helps to stave off high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, and stroke, and more, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.

Growing produce yourself has the added benefit of being fairly decent exercise: Gardening can burn roughly 200 to 400 calories an hour.

Julie Bowen rises early to run.

julie bowen
Julie Bowen, 47.
AP Images

Bowen has said that she's a "boring creature of habit" who always wears sunscreen, eats "pounds of kale," and exercises.

One of her favorite workouts is running.

As she told WebMD: “You can do it anytime, anywhere with a pair of shoes. So no matter where I am I can go out my front door and 45 minutes later I’ve had a great workout."

She also said she wakes up as early as 4 a.m. to get her run in. (That means she's probably reaping all the health benefits of being a morning person.)

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