Exactly How Julia Roberts Makes 52 Look 42

It's been nearly 30 years since Julia Roberts starred in Pretty Woman, yet the 52-year-old actress looks as radiant and youthful as ever. The Ben Is Back star is celebrating her 52nd birthday today, and we're all trying to wrap our minds around 1) where the time went, and 2) how Roberts has managed to skip the aging process all together.

Turns out she keeps her routine pretty simple: "Look, I'm happy if I have on moisturizer and ChapStick! When you're dressing three people besides yourself, something has to fall away," she told InStyle. "On a regular day, I'll just brush my teeth, wash my face, and apply sunblock," she told Viva. "I'm a busy mom, and sometimes I just sunblock my kids and run outside and get my nose burned. So I've made a stronger effort to take care of myself."

As a longtime Lancôme ambassador, the mom of three swears by many of the brand's products to turn back the clock, but she also credits her glow to a few other lifestyle tips:

1. She removes her makeup every single night.

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While you may be tempted to leave your makeup on overnight, Roberts advises against it. “Bi-Facil eye-makeup remover was my first-ever Lancôme purchase," she told Hollywood Life. "I walked up to the makeup counter at Richards department store back in the '80s, took a deep swallow, and bought it."

2. She moisturizes before flying.

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Roberts says she layers on lots of moisturizing products, especially before she travels. “Before I get on an airplane, which I am doing today, I pile up on the skincare products," she told Hollywood Life. "You couldn’t hug me because I would just slip right away from you."

One of her favorite serums is Lancôme’s Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Serum. In 2017, she revealed to People that another one of her favorite products Lancôme Absolue Precious Cells Advanced Regenerating and Reconstructing Cream SPF 15.

3. She doesn't forget to moisturize her hands.

Many people tend to focus on their face when it comes to skincare, but your hands can also show signs of aging. Roberts believes that finding a hydrating hand cream is key. “Absolue Hand is another favorite—it’s like butter," she's said. "My hands get very dry from washing a lot of dishes, and that hand cream is so hydrating and restorative."

4. She applies sunscreen every day.

Roberts protects herself—as well as her children—from the sun's harmful rays. “As a responsible parent with three kids who love to be outdoors, I rely totally on a good sunblock,” she told People. "I have tried many and my go to is Shade. It keeps working no matter how sweaty or how much time we spend in the water! It’s magical.”

5. She brushes her teeth with baking soda.

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Roberts is most famous for her radiant smile. You might be surprised to learn that she has a super inexpensive hack for keeping her teeth pearly white. “I brush [my teeth] with baking soda,” she told InStyle in 2012. [My grandfather] would put a big heaping mound of it on his toothbrush. He had only one cavity in his entire life." If you aren't keen on using boxed baking soda, try Arm & Hammer Advance White Extreme Whitening.

6. She eats a balanced diet.

Roberts has said that she could never give up carbs or cookies, but she still follows a balanced diet and teaches her family to eat well. "We definitely try to eat mindfully," she told InStyle. "As I always say to my kids, 'You have to eat the good stuff to get the good stuff.'"

Roberts shared what a daily menu in her household might look like with The Independent: For breakfast, the star typically has homemade granola, berries, and yogurt or a carrot and banana muffin. For lunch, Roberts eats baked artichoke polenta or spinach filo pie with a wheat pilaf. Dinner is often a ginger-crusted salmon with quinoa and veggies, or sea bass with asparagus and salsa.

7. She exercises four times a week.

Roberts told The Independent that she's not a fan of exercise, but: "Accomplishment, clarity, energy, strength, joy...these are all things I give myself through working out, and I can feel it in everything I do," she said.

According to E News, yoga is the star's workout of choice. She also enjoys pilates, swimming, and plyometrics (jump training). "After 90 minutes [of plyometrics], I'm lying in savasana like, 'Phew! I'm so glad that's behind me!'" she said.

When it comes getting older, Roberts has said she is "trying to have some peace with the aging process," she told Viva. "Just realizing that it's going to happen whether I like it or not."

She told People that happiness is the secret to beauty: "People who seem truly happy. That's what makes everybody the most gorgeous."

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Leah Groth

Contributor

Leah Groth is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. Her work has appeared in a number of international publications including Glamour, Prevention, Health, VeryWell, Business Insider, and Reader’s Digest. In those rare moments that she isn’t putting words together on her keyboard, you can find her chasing after her two children and hunting dogs, working on her 100-year-old colonial home, or trying out all of the cutting edge gadgets and products she is writing about. She also loves working out and drinking copious amounts of coffee.