Scientific proof you can SLOW AGEING
THEY’RE wrinkle-free, with age-defyingly smooth complexions that make them look astonishingly youthful — and the envy of all women. Meet the super-agers: the 10 per cent of women who really do look a decade younger than their age.
Most people assume it’s down to genetics (with a bit of cosmetic surgery thrown in), but new research suggests holding back the sands of time is within everyone’s control.
It’s all down to lifestyle. The study — a collaboration between genetics company 23andMe and skincare brand Olay, based on 155,000 women between the ages of 20 and 64 — looked at family histories and daily habits to see which had the biggest influence on how youthful the women looked.
‘We found genes are not nearly as important as environmental and lifestyle factors in determining how young a person’s skin appears,’ says principal scientist Dr Frauke Neuser.
‘Your genes can give you a head start when it comes to ageing well — for example, dark-skinned women are more resilient to the sun — but it’s the choices you make every day that really shape how you look as you age.’
These factors include living in the city (townies spend more time indoors, meaning they’re less exposed to damaging UV rays), energy levels, happiness, exercise, eight or more hours of sleep a night and taking a multi-vitamin.
Those who don’t moisturise regularly, ditch sunscreen and are overweight damage their chances of ageing well.
Izabella Niewiadomska, 53, is one super-ager.
As these extraordinary pictures show, she appears to have miraculously halted the ageing process, looking identical to the way she did a decade ago. So what’s her secret?
WHILE you might suspect the surgeon’s knife, the truth is nearer to home: her marriage. The mother of one, who works as a Herbalife nutrition coach, says her three decades of marriage to Gregory, 55, is a major factor.
‘I have a close family, a great career and wonderful friendships. I feel truly blessed,’ she says.
‘Before I married, I had a lot of health problems and looked years older than I was. So I looked for a man who I could love who would provide me with comfort and stability.
‘If relationships are based on moaning, anger and blame, it’s going to reflect in how you look.
‘If you both work at loving each other and help each other follow your passion, then it radiates in your face.’
The study backs up her theory: scientists found that women who felt positive towards themselves were 30 per cent more likely to look up to ten years younger.
This may be because marriage has been found to reduce the flight-or-fight hormone cortisol: those in long-term relationships are shown to handle stress better.
Cortisol is one of the primary causes of wrinkles and skin ageing. It may also explain why exercise and plenty of sleep keep you looking younger: both can help reduce cortisol.
‘I had a full-body health checkup recently and my metabolic age (a measurement of how quickly you burn calories while at rest) was the same as a 19-year-old,’ says Izabella, whose son is 25.
Another super-ager, Kathryn Oliver, 59, says her youthful radiance is thanks not to marriage, but a loyal relationship with High Street cosmetic counters.
‘I’ve looked after my skin since I was 15, long before my friends who were still using soap and water at that age,’ she says.
‘I use L’Oreal, Arbonne and Garnier beauty products, which suit mature skins better. I use them every night.’
Can lotions really make such a difference? Scientists say that the cream seems not to have all that much effect, but the act of regularly moisturising does.
Dry skin wrinkles faster and all moisturisers hydrate the skin and coat it with a greasy substance that delays evaporation.
Because Kathryn has been moisturising for nearly four decades, her skin has been kept in astonishingly good condition.
Another cloud that certainly has a silver lining is having skin which is oily, as Kate Khan, 37, attests. The divorced mother of two still has a smooth, line-free complexion and is often mistaken for someone ten years younger.
Kate, an events and marketing manager, from Cheshire, says: ‘At times my skin drives me to distraction because it’s so oily. I feel like a teenager.
‘I use a Dermalogica face wash that is medicated for troublesome skin. I used to curse my skin, but there’s no doubt it means I look a bit younger.
‘I went to a dinner the other week and at the table we did a “guess the age” game. Everyone thought I was younger than the 28-year-old sitting next to me!’