Most Women Believe They Look Five Years Younger Than They Really Are, Study Finds

There are so many anti-ageing beauty products on the market and it seems a lot of us think they're working.

British women believe they look five years younger than their actual age - and begin to look old at 46, a survey has found.

Women judge themselves by their "face age" - or how old others think they look - and believe this is on average five years younger than they really are, the poll for skincare brand Lancome Advanced Genefique revealed.

Three-quarters of women (75%) believe they look five years younger than they really are because of the quality of their skin, while one in 10 think they look a decade younger than they actually are.

Less than 1% of women said their face matched their real age.

Half of those questioned (50%) said they worried about how old they looked, and 37% said their concerns began when they were in their thirties.

One in ten (10%) said they were already worried about looking old when they were in their 20s.

Overall, the average age at which women said they started to look old was 46.

While just under a third (30%) said they would "happily embrace" growing old, 60% said "it did not hurt to try to slow down the ageing process".

But just one in 10 (9%) said they would use any method possible to stay looking younger.

Among the "secrets of eternal youth" named by those questioned were a happy marriage, avoiding getting sunburnt, using a good moisturiser or serum, good genes and eating five pieces of fruit and vegetables a day.

Also listed was a glass of wine at the weekend, surrounding yourself with young people and well-behaved children.

Overall, eight out of 10 women (84%) said good genes were crucial to staying young looking.

And 90% believed a woman's lifestyle affected how quickly she aged.

SEE ALSO:
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Lancome UK and Ireland general manager Victoria Campbell said: "Our research gives a fascinating insight into just what it is women think helps them stay young.

"Coupled with a sensible skincare regime, there is no reason women shouldn't go on enjoying their looks well into their seventies.

"Interestingly, our research also shows British women over the age of 50 are more confident than ever in their appearance which is great news."

OnePoll surveyed 2,000 women aged between 30 and 60 on June 23-25.

7 Things Every Woman Needs To Do For Her Skin

1. Double up on fruits and vegetables.(01 of07)

Eating the right amount of fruits and vegetables can give you a healthy, vital glow. A 2012 study in the journal PLoS One found that people who ate a lot of colorful produce were perceived as being healthier and more attractive (seriously!). One reason is that the carotenoid-containing fruits and vegetables (e.g., carrots, pumpkin, red peppers, squash) boost the skin's yellow, red and orange tones, says Elisa Zied, RD, a nutritionist and author of Younger Next Week. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate a lot of vitamin C, in particular, were less prone to wrinkles and dry, scaly skin (possibly because the nutrient promotes the production of collagen). Think you're doing just fine in the, erm, produce department? Zied recommends 4.5 cups a day of fruit and vegetables and says that the average woman consumes only around two and a half cups. (credit:Mattomedia Werbeagentur via Getty Images)

2. Do this only twice a day. (02 of07)

Most women wash their face three to four times a day, says Emmy Graber, MD, a dermatologist and assistant professor of dermatology at the Boston University School of Medicine, but studies show that twice a day is optimal. The more you wash, the more likely you are to strip your skin of natural oils. What's more, Graber says that some of the exfoliating particles found in scrubs (like pieces of fruit pits) can cause microscopic scratches on the skin. And microbeads that are gentler on the face can be bad for us in other ways (they've recently been found to pollute the ocean, and increasingly, the Great Lakes and may boost the level of toxins in the fish we eat). Graber says that a washcloth does a fine job at sloughing off dead skin cells, dirt and makeup. (credit:Sydney Shaffer via Getty Images)

3. Don't worry so much about wearing enough sunscreen...(03 of07)

...under your eyes. This sounds blasphemous, but the skin under the eye tends to be very thin and sensitive, says Graber, so while it is prone to sun damage, it's also susceptible to irritation from the product's ingredients. You're better off getting a pair of large sunglasses—think Jackie O.—and wearing them everywhere. Note: Graber says they must specify 99 to 100 percent UV protection (if they just say "UV protection," without a percentage, they probably don't screen much at all). (credit:Steve Duchesne via Getty Images)

4. Totally worry about sunscreen...(04 of07)

...even when you think you're protected by clothing. A light-colored shirt has a very low UPF of about 5 or 7, says Isaac Neuhaus, MD, a dermatologic surgeon and associate professor of dermatology at UCSF. If it's stretched out, wet or made of unbleached cotton (which has pigments that absorb UV rays, it offers even less. (credit:mother image via Getty Images)

5. Show your décolletage some TLC.(05 of07)

Every dermatologist we talked to said that the worst, most noticeable sun damage they see on women is on the chest. Any time you're outside in a top that exposes your chest (which is probably more often than you realize), bring your sunscreen down to the bra line, says Brooke Jackson, MD, a dermatologist and associate professor of Dermatology at UNC at Chapel Hill. And if you use moisturizer or other treatment for your face, consider using it on your neck and chest, as well. (credit:Ralf Nau via Getty Images)

6. Choose the least-popular sleep position. (06 of07)

Only 14 percent of Americans sleep on their back—even though it's the best way to prevent sleep wrinkles. Sleeping on the side or on the stomach (done by 63 percent and 16 percent of us, respectively) has been shown to cause wrinkles on the parts of the face pressed into the pillow, says Neuhaus. If you can't sleep on your back because you have a snoring problem, sleep apnea, bad knees, a bad back or a too-snuggly partner, consider a silk pillowcase or a special pillow with a cutout for your face. (credit:ONOKY - Fabrice LEROUGE via Getty Images)

7. Add another yearly reminder to your calendar. (07 of07)

You've heard that you should visit a dermatologist once a year for a skin cancer screening. Here's why: "Dermatologists will likely pick up a skin cancer or abnormality at an early stage because of training," Jackson says. And the earlier you catch skin cancer, the easier it is to cure. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests making an appointment on your birthday ("birthday suit" — get it?), but any date you'll remember will do. (credit:Atsushi Yamada via Getty Images)

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