This Is What Jane Fonda Does To Look So Young

It's fair to say many fans view actor Jane Fonda as synonymous with good health (she did release one of the most successful workout videos of all time, after all). Not only has Fonda been working steadily since the '60s (which you'd never know from looking at her), but she also has dozens of film credits to her name, and is the author of self-help books like Prime Time: Love, health, sex, fitness, friendship spirit, that offer fitness and diet tips for aging gracefully. It's the perfect resume for the producer and star of a series of workout videos that garnered a cult-like following in the '80s, no?

Although high-intensity fitness was once paramount to the celebrated star, these days, she's all about a more holistic approach to health and beauty. She still stays active but focuses on gentle exercises like walking and stretching. Her days as a fitness queen might be in her past, but Fonda continues to dominate the beauty world. She always manages to look fresh-faced and glamorous whether she's walking the red carpet with salt and pepper hair or hanging out in Los Angeles, where she has a home.

All of this is to say the Grace and Frankie star is the unofficial spokesperson for aging gracefully. But how does she do it? As it turns out, the New York native has a few tricks up her sleeve when it comes to effortless, age-defying beauty. 

Jane Fonda told Cinema Blend in 2012 that she was never much of a "hippie," but that didn't stop her from playing one on the big screen in 2011's Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding. And maybe her role in the film made a more of an impact on her than she realized, because these days, Fonda swears by one very chill ingredient: cannabidiol (CBD). For those who don't already know, CBD is "one of many active compounds found in the Cannabis plant," according to Healthline. However, unlike the compound Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it's not " nonpsychoactive," meaning users don't feel "stoned" when taking it, the outlet noted.

In 2020 Fonda became the newest brand ambassador for the CBD-centric skincare line, Uncle Buds. The academy award winner told Glamour that she was a believer after using the products continuously for a few months. "I have osteoarthritis, and their Hemp Roll-On Pain Relief really helped me," she gushed.

Many beauty magazines cite a full night's sleep as key to a fresh-faced glow the next day, so it's no surprise eight hours of shut-eye is a cornerstone of Fonda's beauty regime. She aims for eight or nine hours a night, but with a jam-packed schedule of production meetings and social activism, it isn't always easy to power-down at the end of a long day. Once again, Fonda turned to CBD for this issue, telling Glamour, "CBD oils help me sleep. I can't function if I don't sleep."

As for Jane Fonda's eating habits, she tries to stick to a Mediterranean Diet, a food trend that picked up steam in the '60s "with the observation that coronary heart disease caused fewer deaths in Mediterranean countries, such as Greece and Italy," according to Mayo Clinic. 

In an interview with Healthy Living, the star opened up about her relationship with food, noting that "eating fresh, healthy food, cutting back on sugar and refined carbohydrates" is very important. She added, "I eat healthy, fresh food, minimal red meat. Low on carbs, but I eat carbs. I eat a lot of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, chicken."

To Fonda, a healthy diet is nothing without a healthy mind. When it comes to aging gracefully, she is well aware there is no such thing as perfect. "Your anxiety will drive you to do things like eat too much or drink too much," she told Healthy Living. Fonda also tries to meditate for at least 45 minutes a day. 

Of course, Fonda has indulged in plastic surgery here and there, like many other actors in Hollywood have. "You know, just don't overdo it," she shared. "If you're going to do it, be sure you're going to a good doctor and be sure that you don't do too much. Don't try to get rid of all the wrinkles. Learn to love your wrinkles."

As noted above, Jane Fonda has had plastic surgery. And People reported that, in her 2018 HBO documentary series, Jane Fonda in Five Acts, the actor revealed she had surgery on her eyes and jawline because she was "tired of looking tired."

Besides the occasional lift or tuck, Fonda tries to stick to minimal, natural-looking makeup that requires a few essentials. "I need lipstick and then a lip liner because the line of my lips has become kind of porous," the Monster in Law star said in a 2020 interview with Glamour. But she admits that her routine has changed with age, joking, "I must say that putting a lip liner on is like riding over a bumpy road." 

As for foundation, Fonda's trusted makeup artists and confidant, Shawnelle Prestidge, shared some of her tricks with New Beauty in 2019, noting how when working with wrinkles, buildable coverage is a must. Prestidge said the star prefers foundations that "glide on quickly and effortlessly to achieve flawless coverage with minimal layering." 

Overall though, it's what's on the inside that counts. "It's having a good attitude," Fonda told Glamour. "People with good attitudes look good."