Gillian Anderson on Getting Older: 'Women Who Age Naturally Can Be Beautiful'

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Gillian Anderson isn't shy about embracing her fine lines and wrinkles.

The X-Files star opened up to NewBeauty about getting older, her skin-care regimen and how she manages to look flawless on camera.

"There will always be the desire, as women see themselves getting older, to stop the process," Anderson, 47, says. "Ultimately, it comes down to embracing that process and embracing one's self at the age that one is, which is hard. I’m sure I’ll find myself along the way in some situations saying, 'Do I, should I, would I?'"


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However, the actress insists that Hollywood’s obsession with aging isn't something she experiences everywhere.

"I tend to observe women in the UK approaching it less obsessively, than say, those in Los Angeles," she shares. "There seems to be less of a preoccupation with it and more of an acceptance of the natural face and the natural aging process. I think in Europe, in general, there’s a sense that women who age naturally can be beautiful, whereas I’m not so sure that’s the perception in America, specifically in LA. I think that it’s seen as a flaw somehow, like wrinkles are a flaw."

Anderson, who is set to play a goddess in the upcoming adaptation of Neil Gaiman's acclaimed contemporary fantasy novel, American Gods, admits that her flawless skin is thanks to anti-aging products.


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"Once I started seeing that my skin was suffering [in my 40s], I began to pay more attention to it," she confesses. "I’m pretty dependent on Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer—I rely on it—that’s a staple. It feels natural, moisturizing, smooth and silky and gives great coverage without making it feel like I'm wearing anything. That’s a pretty big statement for me."

"I'm doing all the things I know are good for self-care," she continues. "When I get enough sleep, meditate, eat healthfully and have a balance in my life between work, family and friends and have cultural intellectual stimulation—it’s a lot to ask. But, when that balance is right, I probably feel the most fulfilled and the happiest."

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