There’s no denying that J Lo looks phenomenal. After posting a series of jaw-dropping bikini pictures to Instagram to celebrate turning 52 last summer, many were left asking, ‘how on earth does she do it?’ The face, the toned stomach, the smooth skin – not only does the 52-year-old look incredible, but she is also a dedicated, motivated machine. J Lo’s unbelievable physique reminds us that we can all look amazing for our age. A lot of her success comes down to lifestyle habits that she has put in place and maintained consistently for a very long time. Like I always say, prevention is better than cure.

The importance of exercise and nutrition

Unfortunately, you don’t get to look as good as J Lo does if you don’t live cleanly. She will train hard in the gym and eat very, very well. A diet low in sugar, alcohol, and caffeine and high in protein, omegas, and vegetables is critical for keeping hormones, happiness, and energy piqued. As we age, our muscles decrease in volume, and we may feel weaker. Eating a diet high in protein together with regular physical activity and hydration preserves muscle function for longer. This means we continue to feel strong and enjoy being active.

And not all carbs are bad. In fact, they’re crucial for fuel, serotonin production (the happy hormone) and fibre. You want good quality, slow-release, unrefined carbs like oats, potatoes, squash and whole grains such as brown rice. Healthy cholesterols and fats like oily fish, avocados and eggs are great for reducing inflammation and supporting brain health.

Lastly, minimise your sugar intake. High blood sugar triggers a release of insulin, which stresses your entire endocrine system. This causes inflammation within the body, which breaks down collagen and accelerates premature ageing. But if the occasional chocolate biscuit creeps in, so be it. The 80:20 approach is a good one to live by.

Sleep        

Getting at least seven hours of sleep per night is life-altering: It improves mental function, coping ability, metabolism, and immune function. And if ageing well is your motivation, there’s incentive for your skin, too. Studies have confirmed a direct link between hiccups in your circadian rhythms (the body’s sleep, wake, and eat pattern) and the skin’s ability to synthesise collagen. You’re more susceptible to environmental damage when you disrupt the circadian rhythms. Chronic sleep deprivation can exacerbate acne and inflammation, and persistently high cortisol levels will break down collagen.

While 25 per cent of skin ageing can be attributed to genetics, a whopping 75 per cent is influenced by environmental and lifestyle factors like sleep. So, if you take just one lesson from reading this, make sleep a priority.

Sun protection

Up to 90% of what we think of as ‘signs of skin ageing’ – all the wrinkles, lines, age spots, and crepey texture – are all due to exposure to UV light. Exposure to the sun causes direct cell injury and DNA damage, destroying collagen within the skin and damaging the skin’s support structure, causing it to sag and wrinkles to form.

Over time, exposure to the sun will also cause skin issues such as pigmentation and age spots, making a person look a lot older than they really are. 

To protect the skin against both UVA and UVB light, choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30. UVA rays penetrate glass and are present all year round, even on the cloudiest days, so there’s no escaping it. UVA damage leads to fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, uneven skin texture and loss of collagen – all the bad stuff. A broad spectrum with a high SPF offers an excellent protection level against UVA and UVB rays and is the first step to ensuring healthy skin all year round.

Skin tightening and muscle toning

The key for J Lo is that her face matches her body. She doesn’t just look good from the neck up; she looks good full stop. She has likely been investing in treatments that stimulate her collagen bank all over her body for a long time. Whether it’s EmSculpt for muscle toning or radiofrequency microneedling to tighten and firm, there are certainly treatments at play here that keep her skin in incredible nick.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

J Lo is at an age when her hormones are dropping fast, so it’s very likely that she is on some form of HRT to help balance her hormone levels. At 52, she will have already gone through perimenopause, so her collagen levels will have dropped by at least 30%. The big reason for this is that our oestrogen levels deplete during menopause, and our fibroblasts (cells that produce collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid) need oestrogen to fuel them. As a result, women may experience dry, dehydrated skin, loss of elasticity and lines and wrinkles. Hormone Replacement Therapy restores the depleting hormones, increasing epidermal hydration, skin elasticity and thickness.

Injectables

J Lo is likely to have had some great injectable work along the way too. Preventative Botox in her 30s and 40s may be the reason behind her wrinkle-free complexion, and skin boosters like Profhilo restore collagen and elastin, smooth any crepiness and encourage a healthy, radiant appearance.