A 48-year-old woman has revealed she often gets mistaken for being half her age – and says being single and child-free helps keep her looking youthful.
Caroline Butler may be pushing 50, but she still gets asked for ID when buying age-restricted goods, and people online think that she is just 20 years old.
The social media manager puts her ageless appearance down to a handful of factors – including wearing budget supermarket sun cream every day, avoiding meat and booze, and staying single.
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“When I say my age, people either don’t believe me or ask me what my secrets are,” Caroline, from Norfolk, told What’s The Jam.
![Caroline Butler, 48, often mistaken for 20, credits her youthful looks to daily sun cream, vegetarian diet, no alcohol, and staying single. Her secrets and tips amaze followers.](https://whatsthejam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/‘Im-48-but-still-get-IDd-when-I-buy-booze-–-staying-single-and-child-free-keeps-me-youthful-3-685x1024.jpg)
“I frequently get comments on my TikTok account about how much younger than my age I look.
“In one particular video about make-up brushes, people seem to be thinking I’m about 20 years old.
“I think it’s a combination of good genes, I don’t drink, I wear factor 50 every day, and I’m a vegetarian.
“Not having children probably helps, too – but I do have a 15-year-old Jack Russell called Annie who certainly keeps me on my toes.
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“Another thing that might contribute to my current youthful appearance – I don’t have a husband or boyfriend!
“That certainly helps to minimise any stress or frown lines.
“People often say things like ‘wait until you get in your forties, you’ll start to experience changes’ – I then point out that I’m not that far off 50!”
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Caroline has revealed her “secrets” to maintaining a youthful glow in her late 40s.
![Caroline Butler, 48, often mistaken for 20, credits her youthful looks to daily sun cream, vegetarian diet, no alcohol, and staying single. Her secrets and tips amaze followers.](https://whatsthejam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/‘Im-48-but-still-get-IDd-when-I-buy-booze-–-staying-single-and-child-free-keeps-me-youthful-2-819x1024.jpg)
She said: “I think it has a lot to do with good genes.
“My dad is 85 and my mum is 77, and both of them are extremely good for their age.
“I rarely – if ever – drink alcohol these days.
“I did in my late teens and twenties, but stopped in my mid-thirties.
“I didn’t really enjoy the taste and found it too expensive after a while, anyway.
“I prefer a nice fruit juice these days!
“I’ve been a veggie for quite a few years now – this is due to my love of animals, and I’ve always preferred vegetarian food anyway.
“But, saying that, I do love cheese, and I do have a penchant for chocolate and sweets – maybe it’s the E numbers that preserve me!”
![Caroline Butler, 48, often mistaken for 20, credits her youthful looks to daily sun cream, vegetarian diet, no alcohol, and staying single. Her secrets and tips amaze followers.](https://whatsthejam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/‘Im-48-but-still-get-IDd-when-I-buy-booze-–-staying-single-and-child-free-keeps-me-youthful-819x1024.jpg)
As well as her diet, Caroline also has a no-frills approach to skincare.
She said: “I’ve worn SPF factor 50 on my face every day for over a decade now.
“It’s just part of my routine and something I do without thinking. I put it on every morning.
“It’s nothing fancy – I simply use factor 50 suncream from Tesco or Aldi – both of which are meant for babies.
“Both seem to work well for me.
“I use it like a moisturiser before applying my make-up. It’s cheap as chips.”
In a previous relationship, Caroline says her age came as a shock to her ex’s friends.
She said: “I had a boyfriend for a few years who was a year younger than me.
“When he first introduced me to some friends, one of them asked him if he was OK with the age difference – before knowing my actual age.
“The friend thought that I was about 10 years younger than the boyfriend, hence the question!”
It’s far from unusual for the TikTokker – who shares thrifty tips and tricks on the app – with many of her 74,000 followers commenting on their disbelief regarding her age.
![Caroline Butler, 48, often mistaken for 20, credits her youthful looks to daily sun cream, vegetarian diet, no alcohol, and staying single. Her secrets and tips amaze followers.](https://whatsthejam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Jam_Press_JMP513452.jpg)
In person, she also garners attention when she tries to buy age-restricted items.
Caroline said: “Whilst I don’t drink alcohol, I do sometimes buy wine from supermarkets for friends or for recipes.
“About 8 out of 10 times I get asked for ID and have to show proof of age, so I guess that would suggest people think I look younger than 25.
“There was an incident a couple of years ago, just prior to Christmas, when I went to Aldi.
“I bought a cheese and biscuit gift set for a friend, and there was a knife inside the set.
“Because the cashier thought I wasn’t old enough to buy a knife, I had to show my ID – I was 46!”
But it’s not all about looks for Caroline.
She added: “I also like to think I have a youthful approach to life.
“I try to think positively and certainly feel a lot younger than my years!”
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