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.
“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.
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!”
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.
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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