Jennifer Lopez, 53, claims to have never had a botox or a single cosmetic procedure, yet is hailed for her youthful complexion. “In January of last year she got a lot of criticism online for saying she’d never had any botox or fillers,” said Andrea Suarez, a dermatologist who shares skincare insights on her YouTube channel @DrDray.
According to the expert, it’s perfectly reasonable for the pop star to have such good skin without having turned to procedures. “I think a lot of people are under the impression that getting botox or fillers and having cosmetic procedures is really why these people look so good, but it’s more than that,” said the dermatologist. Instead, Dr Dray pointed to four key reasons why J.Lo “doesn’t seem to age”.
Using sunscreen
UV rays have been proven to be one of the greatest factors when it comes to skin ageing and according to Yale Medicine, one way to prevent wrinkles and other symptoms of premature ageing is to wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or higher.
This is something which Jennifer has spoken about over the years. Dr Dray explained: “Things that we are exposed to throughout our lifetime that contribute to the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, all those signs of skin ageing – the main factor are UV rays from the sun and J.Lo is pretty vocal about the fact that since the age of 22, she has been really diligent with sunscreen.”
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A healthy diet
As well as focusing on protecting her skin from the outside, it’s likely the star is taking care of her body from the inside as well. “Diet plays a major role,” said Dr Dray.
This doesn’t necessarily mean everyone should research J.Lo’s diet and try it out for themselves. “I don’t know what J.Lo’s diet is,” said Dr Dray.
“But if we found out what her diet is I don’t think people should follow it to a T. Everyone’s nutritional needs are unique to them and it’s not necessarily helpful to follow a celebrities diet, because they are going to have different nutritional needs.
“However, we know things that are good for the health of our skin include healthy fats, getting enough protein, vitamins and minerals, and vitamin C for building good healthy collagen.
“If you have a balanced diet you are going to get the nutritive requirements but if you survive on sugary processed foods that is not going to set you up for healthy skin. No amount of botox or fillers is going to change that.”
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Staying active
If you’ve seen J.Lo performing live you’ll likely know all too well how active the singer is. “Another reason that she looks so good I am willing to put money on is that she is very active,” explained the dermatologist.
“She exercises. She has said this in interviews. “Have you ever been to one of her concerts? She dances a lot. She has been dancing nonstop for decades. She is active, very important for your skin and the health of your total body.”
Exercise can help your skin by improving circulation and reducing inflammation in the body. Dr Dray encourages people not to let their age hold them back either.
“Just because you get to a certain age don’t fall for that nonsense of oh I’m getting old, I’m too old for this,” she said. Finding an exercise that works for your body and your schedule can go a long way for your health.
The dermatologist added: “I make these videos not to give you a primer on how to stay young and never develop a wrinkle. Rather it’s how to reign in these factors in such a way as to keep your body healthy and functioning for as long as possible. “
Her genetics
Finally, genetics may seem like a “cop-out”, but Dr Dray points out that they actually play a huge role in determining when a person is likely to get wrinkles. “Genetics definitely play a role in how quickly your skin and total body will age,” said Dr Dray.
“Genes are like a little code or in a structural manual, everyone has these documents that encode things, but within the code, there might be a letter here and there that is different and that ultimately changes things. These are referred to as single nucleotide polymorphisms.”
Some genes can determine how well your skin can fight off UV rays, while others combat free radicals to fight off skin damage.
“Things in our environment that contribute to ageing of the skin do so largely by generating free radicals that damage proteins and lipids in our skin and the DNA in our skin cells,” she said. “We have different enzymes in our skin that help combat those free radicals. Some people’s genes make it so that their enzymes are better perhaps.”
