This 89-Year-Old Looks 25 Years Younger—Here Are 14 Skincare Items She Uses

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(Image credit: @erinfoster)

This post was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

I've gotta say I think Sara and Erin Foster are among the most entertaining people to follow on Instagram. From Sara's hilarious "Real Moms of TikTok" videos to Erin's self-deprecating humor about marriage, they're definitely never boring. But one of the most memorable posts (to me, anyway) was when Erin shared a video of her maternal grandmother, Anita Marshall, last year and the comment section was inundated with messages of disbelief that she was in her late 80s. "Holy shit! What’s her secret there’s no way she’s 87!" read one comment. "She is not 87. My word. She looks incroyable!" read another.

Naturally, I did what any skincare-obsessed editor would do: go straight to the source and find out what she's been using on her skin. "I've never had Botox or filler in my life," the now-89-year-old told Who What Wear. As for Nita's daily routine, it starts with an incredibly affordable secret weapon she's been using for 40 years: the Buf-Puf Facial Sponge ($8). "I get up in the morning and wash my face with cleanser and a Buf-Puf, which will make most people say 'Oh my word!' Well, [my daughter Rebecca] was dating a doctor, and he told me this was the thing to use, and I just never stopped. I gently exfoliate with it. I use it religiously and have been for over 40 years." You can bet I already purchased one from Amazon before even sitting down to write this story.

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(Image credit: @erinfoster)

In general, Nita has three favorite skincare brands: "I rotate through Pevonia Botanica, La Prairie, and Sothys. After so long, my skin gets used to something, so I change it up." As for the specific cleanser she uses with her Buf-Puf, she alternates between Pevonia Botanica's Myoxy-Caviar Timeless Balm Cleanser ($53) and La Prairie's Foam Cleanser ($100). "Then I use a toner or astringent, like the Pevonia Myoxy-Caviar Timeless Repair Lotion ($46). Sometimes I use a witch hazel toner," she told us.

I've listed her entire skincare collection below, but I also had to ask her what else she attributes her youthful appearance to, other than products. "My mom made me wear a straw hat from the time I was very little to protect me from the sun," she told us. "I swam every day only early in the morning so that I was never in the sun." She also thinks other additions to her daily beauty routine have helped. "I’ve been doing acupuncture for a while and love it. There is a French facial I get [using Sothys products], and it's really tightened my pores. Less is more. I don’t do masks. I've never had Botox or filler in my life. Years ago, I did some microdermabrasion, and it wasn’t good for me." She also says she keeps spoons in her freezer to put them under her eyes when they start to sag.

Plus, Nita says you should never underestimate the power of positivity. "I've just always had a fairly good attitude; I don't like a frown. I wake up every day with a good attitude. That smile on your face gets rid of wrinkles. It brightens up your day and someone else's day." Words to live by. Scroll down to shop the exact skincare items she uses.

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(Image credit: @erinfoster)

Cleansers

Toners

Eye Creams

Serums and Creams

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From left: Erin Foster, Sara Foster, Rebecca Dyer, and Nita Marshall

(Image credit: @sarafoster)
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Associate Director, Fashion News

Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern over 13 years ago—back when the site only published a single story per day. (Who What Wear has since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC, which is how she ended up moving to Los Angeles from her hometown of San Diego. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2016, where she currently holds the title of Associate Director of Fashion News (as well as the unofficial title of resident royal expert—in case you haven't noticed her numerous Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton stories). She spends her days trying to incorporate her idols, Anna Wintour and Roger Federer, into as many stories as possible. Outside of work, she loves tennis, classic rock, traveling, and smothering her dog with affection.