What do you do to keep yourself looking as youthful as you are able to?

[Happywalnut]

Just interested in this as I approach 50. I take collagen and a multi vit and am looking at my skincare.

wonder what else people do that I can take on too. I know I’m never going to look 20
again but if I can look as good as possible or for my age then I might be willing to
try it.

I’ve been using full fat Nivea creme every day since I was about 11. I’m 57 now and don’t have barely any lines or wrinkles.
Im not sure if that means I look “good” for my age. I think I do look my age. I don’t think good equals youthful.
I eat lots of fruit and veg, long walk with dog every day and go to gym. I’m more interested in being healthy than young looking.

Botox and other cosmetic interventions are only obvious when its overdone or done badly. You won't be noticing the subtle or really well done work.

Always looked young for my age. At 20 thrown out of pubs (they actually did that in the 70s) was pregnant with oldest dd at 18,yes,people assumed we were sisters. I actually have a 21 year age gap in my 2 dd..had very greasy skin,it doesn't wrinkle much. Did face yoga. I like aurelia products. Now using moisturiser and foundation with spf...too late,blue eyed blond,several skin cancers on face, awaiting removal. I don't lay in the sun,but gardening,walking dogs. Bought some low retinol night cream,it burnt my face. Don't have botox,fillers,nothing, no thanks. Veggie diet,50 years,never smoked, don't drink. Worked over 30 years nights nursing, ft.4 dks. slept a maximum 3 hours in the days. Now maybe 4/5.

Same. No products or gunk. Very occasionally a bit of moisturiser in winter, if it’s needed. A healthy diet-lots of veg, fruit, pulses , nuts and seeds. Yogurt and kefir. Some of everything else, including meat, but not overdoing it. Mostly avoiding sugar.

I think it helps not to be too thin as you age, especially after 60. It’s very ageing.

Anyone else think there's a bit of a trend on here to prove that you're not as frivolous and silly as all those other women who care about how they look?

Maintain mid point healthy BMI, stay very active, keep up core strength and posture.
Whole foods diet, ten veg a day. Lots of water and green tea. No alcohol.
Keep my hair long. Minimal make up but religious skin care. Had botox since age 32, not had for 5 years, but its been preventative.
Dress casually.
Lots of fresh air, lots of rest and sleep. Laugh a lot. Avoid brightly lit places. Hang round with young people to energise you. Hang round with older people who will tell you you're young.
No idea if it works, but I feel young and fit in my 50s and that's the main thing.

Well I'll be honest and say I really fucking care. I don't want to look old...I want to look as young as I can for as long as I can.

Yes indeed. However it's passed me by. I care and I don't care that I care either, or whether I'm judged for caring.

Yup, me too. What exactly is the point?

It must hurt like hell to care and then watch the inevitable happen in the mirror every day. I watched my Mum struggle with it and it put me off forever.

Nothing. Ageing is normal - why are people so against it?

I don’t read it like that. To me it seems MN has a lot of posters who are really secure in themselves and unaffected by how others see them which I think is really refreshing in a world where sowing insecurity is a major marketing tactic for a billion pound industry.

When women realise they can keep their money AND feel good about themselves, it’s a win. But that doesn’t need to impact those women who do want to spend their money on face creams, supplements or Botox- they are absolutely free to do so, and if it makes them feel good, that’s great.

Me too @Comedycook . I do care alot about how I look. I grew up with the very mixed message that I was too fat to pay attention to myself and I didn't deserve to try and look good until I was thinner. (Massive eating disorders throughout my family). Yet also had the message that your value was in how you looked and how thin you were. I have spent 52 years 'hiding' my body, dressing to vanish into the background. I went through most of my 40s wearing only charcoal grey trying to not take up too much visual space in the world.

I'm not doing that anymore. I follow a load of youtubers about how to do makeup for ageing skin and have learned loads. I've just started following some older women who have really very personal and strong aesthetics. Who really pay attention to how they dress etc. I am really enjoying that and hoping to emulate it by finding my true style- whatever that is. I'm buying lots of things on Vinted to experiment and see what suits. A powder blue knitted top? No, not for me. A long pleated skirt with an embroidered hem? Much better.

Turn 50 this December and feel so f-ing depressed about it I could cry.

As for what I do – not much, just cut back on alcohol and junk food. Also joined a gym this year, which has helped boost energy. On the whole, I'm waiting for science to advance. There are various things in the pipeline to slow and reverse ageing (senolytic drugs, medical nanobots, etc). I just hope AI turbo boosts those advances.

I’m conflicted about grooming and make up because it’s so tied into the male gaze, the Beauty Myth and other dodgy concepts (like youth )
But then I look at daily face shaving and think that looks so uncomfortable and think maybe we don’t have it so bad.

In answer to the original question. I look young for my nearly 60 years- late 40s.
Lots of hydration, sweet point weight so not so thin as to look drawn but lowish bmi. Good posture. Good teeth. No alcohol (addiction, not vanity but it’s a sobriety perk)
I’m also “lucky” to have hamster cheeks and big lips which look young.

HRT, daily moisturiser with spf, hair dye (embrace the grey? no way!)

Nothing that special but I don't smoke, rarely drink alcohol, don't eat meat. Do colour and cut my long hair though box dye and cheap dry cut every eight weeks. Moisturise everything and take various supplements. Not enough exercise and carrying too much weight which needs addressing but I don't scare the horses too badly at nearly 64 though in terms of youthful, that ship sailed around twenty years ago.

HRT cream on your wrinkles

Not much, and I do often wonder if I should take it all a bit more seriously now I'm very much knocking on the door of 40 and all the mags seems to say starting early is key!

I use Boots No7 stuff and really like it. Future Renew day serum in the morning, the eye cream and then day cream over the top. In the evening, I use renitol serum, retinol eye cream and then Future Renew night cream. I also make sure to properly wash my make up off with cleanser, after decades of using crappy babywipes!

SPF40-50 on my face all year round, and long hair. I really don't want to cut my hair off the way a lot of women seem to from their mid 40s onwards.

Dye greys, microneedling, Botox, try my best to stay away from narcissist men

I don’t care how old I look; I do care how old I feel. I do weights, aqua fit, Zumba, walk and play table tennis every week. I want to be able to get off the floor unaided rather than look 10 years younger. My hair is silver and I care not a jot if this makes me look old.

Not much. My younger self worried about looking older but now it’s happened no fxxks given. +Hate the pressure on women to be a decoration and have eternal youth. Imho the celebs even who lean into it actually 9/10 look better than your trying to be 20 or 30 types. Being content and comfortable with yourself, flaws and all, as well as being bright, good humoured, easy going and someone kind or who likes people trumps any aesthetics anyways. I’d rather be around someone like that who makes me feel great than someone who looks great. Latter just not a consideration for me any more. Do have some stunning friends who are also good people but most of the best craic and most interesting conversation is from the I wear purple no fxxks given element so not sure if take me as I am is a general vibe.

This is a great thread, placemarking.
At the moment , I've started coding liver oil supplements & also a vitiman c with zinc

I came to say this.

I am the older sibling to twins and one of them died of heart failure 8 years ago at 53 I am so grateful to still be here and still have her twin but seeing her age without her is also a reminder of the years she didn’t have.

Life is precious and age is not promised.

Day time:
RoC Soleil-Protect Anti-Wrinkle Smoothing Fluid SPF 50. A generous dollop of this on face and neck every morning 10 mins before I put my make up on. It goes on beautifully, absorbs well (unlike other spf day creams I've tried) and make up sits beautifully on top of it.

Night time:
Body Shop Edelweiss Liquid Peel - rub some blobs of this onto clean, dry skin and it takes a layer of dead stuff right off. Makes skin feel softer and smoother after using.

L'oreal Age Perfect Collagen Expert Re-tightening Night Cream - lovely thick, rich cream. Feels super moisturising. I use loads of it so it does sit on my skin a bit but it feels like it's working magic all night long.

Followed by: Rapid Lash Eyelash Serum - I need to say, this stuff is amazing!! My eyelashes have never looked so good and I turn 48 next week. I initially thought it might just lengthen them, and it has, but I also have more lashes than I did before which I wasn't expecting (woken up some that were dormant I don't know). I had been reluctantly toying with the idea of false lashes but hated the thought of the expense and faff, and this serum has done such a good job I don't need them now. Got it online from Debenhams.

I must admit my night time routine only happens if I haven't fallen asleep already at 8.30, so I probably only do it twice a week but it's better than nothing.