Jennifer Lopez Shows Off Her Natural Beauty in Makeup-Free Video: ‘This Is…54’

Social media is chock-full of celebrities in full glam. Even their casual outfits seem to include a full face of makeup and perfectly styled hair. So it’s refreshing to see them without all of that glitz, with just their natural beauty. It breaks the illusion of flawlessness that makes people feel inadequate in comparison. After all, celebrities aren’t always red-carpet-ready. Most of the time, they are bare-faced with messy hair, just like everyone else, and Jennifer Lopez has shown off many stunning red-carpet looks over the years. But to celebrate her 54th birthday last year, she posted a video for her fans where she demonstrated her skincare routine using products from her beauty line. She hasn’t changed much and still looks stunning at 55.

Jennifer Lopez’s 54th birthday

“I just had a birthday…and I feel better than ever!” Lopez opened the video massaging her JLo Glow serum over her face as she wears a light pink robe with her hair up in a messy bun

“No filter. ALL. ME. #ThisIsMeNow at 54, glowing and happy @JLoBeauty,” the now 55-year-old Lopez captioned the video, adding the tag:  “This is…54” in reference to her 2002 album This Is Me…Then. 

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Her daily products

Lopez continues, pointing to a nearby line of her skincare products. “I’m getting ready. Me, bare-faced, with no make-up and my JLo beauty products that I use every day,” Lopez continued. “Here, for anybody who’s like ‘JLo doesn’t use her own products on her skin…’ I call bull—- on you right now.” 

“Start at a very young age”

She follows the serum with a bottle of sunscreen. “I’ve been wearing sunscreen every day since I was in my very early 20s. You should start at a very young age.” She ends the video adding, “There’s no filters and no retouching on this video. Look at that!”

What’s her secret?

Aesthetic Practitioner Nina Prisk (INP, MSc) hasn’t worked on Jennifer Lopez but she weighs in on what she thinks are the singer’s beauty secrets.

Let’s start with one of the biggest suspicions: Botox. However, Jennifer Lopez has denied the claims that she uses Botox and similar injectables (although she doesn’t judge anyone who does.) Similarly, Prisk recommends that people shouldn’t depend solely on injectables to keep themselves looking young.

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“Prejuvenation”

“It’s helpful to think of the integration between injectables and skincare in terms of a relatively new phrase: prejuvenation,” Prisk said. “This is a preventative method that involves combining a good skincare routine with non-surgical treatments to help promote collagen production and support the skin barrier. If the skin is in optimum health like JLo’s, then injectables will be more effective and provide longer-lasting results…”

According to Prisk, another important skincare ingredient is hyaluronic acid, “a vital component of the skin and plays a key role in hydration and elasticity, as well as wound healing and anti-inflammation.” She adds that this item is especially helpful after dermal fillers since it can help make the treatment more effective and last longer. 

Natural aging

Prisk believes Lopez is likely experiencing lipid depletion as she ages. “Lipids, the skin’s natural fats, which are composed of ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol. When these are lost the skin’s natural barrier is compromised and premature aging can be accelerated,” she explained. So find a brand that “helps restore skin’s external barrier and support natural self-repair, while potently nourishing aging skin for improvement in visible signs of accelerated aging.”

Skincare with retinol

Retinol is another key ingredient when it comes to anti-aging skincare. “Retinol helps to improve skin tone and reduce pigmentation and help reduce the signs of aging,” Nina added. “It’s likely that Retinol will be a key part of JLo’s skincare regime. It can, however, cause sensitivity and redness so it’s important to only start using it every other day to begin with….”

Brighten with vitamin C

As mentioned in her video, Jennifer Lopez is careful to protect her skin from sun damage. Vitamin C is found in different kinds of cosmetics for the same reason. As Prisk explains, vitamin C can “protect against photoaging as well as having a positive impact on collagen synthesis.” It also reduces the amount of melanin forming, which lowers skin pigmentation, as well as “…help to prevent free radical damage and improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and loss of firmness. It also brightens the skin.”

Always use sunscreen

While choosing sunscreen, it’s important to use one with medical grade broad-spectrum SPF. “The fact that J-Lo’s skin doesn’t display signs of this such as wrinkles, sagging and pigmentation, suggests that she’s consistently applied SPF,” Prisk says. She explains that sun damage breaks down the elastin the skin, making them saggy and loose. “…Using a medical-grade factor 50 broad spectrum SPF ensures maximum protection against UVA, UVB and infrared damage, both against burning and also against deep damage. This is the cornerstone of skin protection and health.”

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