This post was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
I've gotta say I think Sara and Erin Foster are among the most entertaining people to follow on Instagram. From Sara's hilarious "Real Moms of TikTok" videos to Erin's self-deprecating humor about marriage, they're definitely never boring. But one of the most memorable posts (to me, anyway) was when Erin shared a video of her maternal grandmother, Anita Marshall, last year and the comment section was inundated with messages of disbelief that she was in her late 80s. "Holy shit! What’s her secret there’s no way she’s 87!" read one comment. "She is not 87. My word. She looks incroyable!" read another.
Naturally, I did what any skincare-obsessed editor would do: go straight to the source and find out what she's been using on her skin. "I've never had Botox or filler in my life," the now-89-year-old told Who What Wear. As for Nita's daily routine, it starts with an incredibly affordable secret weapon she's been using for 40 years: the Buf-Puf Facial Sponge ($8). "I get up in the morning and wash my face with cleanser and a Buf-Puf, which will make most people say 'Oh my word!' Well, [my daughter Rebecca] was dating a doctor, and he told me this was the thing to use, and I just never stopped. I gently exfoliate with it. I use it religiously and have been for over 40 years." You can bet I already purchased one from Amazon before even sitting down to write this story.
In general, Nita has three favorite skincare brands: "I rotate through Pevonia Botanica, La Prairie, and Sothys. After so long, my skin gets used to something, so I change it up." As for the specific cleanser she uses with her Buf-Puf, she alternates between Pevonia Botanica's Myoxy-Caviar Timeless Balm Cleanser ($53) and La Prairie's Foam Cleanser ($100). "Then I use a toner or astringent, like the Pevonia Myoxy-Caviar Timeless Repair Lotion ($46). Sometimes I use a witch hazel toner," she told us.
I've listed her entire skincare collection below, but I also had to ask her what else she attributes her youthful appearance to, other than products. "My mom made me wear a straw hat from the time I was very little to protect me from the sun," she told us. "I swam every day only early in the morning so that I was never in the sun." She also thinks other additions to her daily beauty routine have helped. "I’ve been doing acupuncture for a while and love it. There is a French facial I get [using Sothys products], and it's really tightened my pores. Less is more. I don’t do masks. I've never had Botox or filler in my life. Years ago, I did some microdermabrasion, and it wasn’t good for me." She also says she keeps spoons in her freezer to put them under her eyes when they start to sag.
Plus, Nita says you should never underestimate the power of positivity. "I've just always had a fairly good attitude; I don't like a frown. I wake up every day with a good attitude. That smile on your face gets rid of wrinkles. It brightens up your day and someone else's day." Words to live by. Scroll down to shop the exact skincare items she uses.
Cleansers
"I swear by the Buf-Puf. I use it religiously and have been for over 40 years," Nita told us. It can be used with any cleanser and is great for gently exfoliating. Aside from her convincing recommendation, it also has hundreds of glowing reviews on Amazon, where everyone agrees that it's the "best on the market" and leaves skin incredibly smooth and glowy. There's also a gentler version of the facial sponge below if you're concerned it could be too harsh, but you should use a light touch with either of them. There's also a body sponge.
This is the gentler version of Nita's beloved Buf-Puf for sensitive skin. Don't worry: It still has exfoliating powers in spades and is just as popular as the original. In addition to helping with glow and smoothness, many Amazon reviewers say it's great for keeping acne at bay.
Nita uses several products from Pevonia Botanica, which is an all-natural, clean skincare brand that uses only "the purest marine and holistic botanical ingredients" and never uses SLS, parabens, alcohol, artificial fragrances, or other harmful ingredients. Nita is particularly partial to Pevonia's Myoxy-Caviar line, which includes this cleanser that is ultra-hydrating thanks to caviar and apple-derived amino acids.
Nita owns a handful of La Prairie products, which are pricey but universally adored by beauty editors as well. Our beauty editor, Erin Jahns, declared that La Prairie is "one of the most coveted holy-grail skincare brands on the market and belongs on your vanity at some point in your life."
Toners
As Nita explained above, she's a fan of witch hazel toner, which helps tighten pores, reduce inflammation, and moisturize, among other benefits. This one, in particular, is Amazon's best-selling toner and boasts over 12,000 reviews. Most commentators love how it helps with breakouts, redness, and uneven skin tone.
"Pevonia was green before it was fashionable, launching in 1991 with cruelty-free formulas and post-consumer recyclable/reusable packaging," its website explains. "We incorporate delicately extracted phyto-organic and natural ingredients to create Earth-friendly and skin-friendly products that are mother-nature approved." If you seem to be on a never-ending hunt for the perfect nontoxic skincare products like I am, you'll probably be glad you found this gem of a brand. This toner, in particular, boasts hyaluronic acid and caviar to hydrate, refresh, and replenish the skin's oxygen levels.
This toner helps make your skin suppler and more even-toned. Unlike other harsh alcohol toners, this one is great for sensitive skin because it's a lightweight formula. Nita switches back and forth between this toner and the two products listed directly above this.
Eye Creams
Clearly, Nita loves the Pevonia Botanica brand, and this eye cream is no exception. Honestly, I hope to look half as good as her at age 89, so I might need to steal her entire vanity. This cream boasts green tea to neutralize free radicals, marine collagen to smooth wrinkles, and hyaluronic acid to plump your skin with moisture.
The product description for this states that it gives you a "mini eyelift," which is definitely convincing for me. It's formulated with caviar extract, which helps with firmness and elasticity, while the brand's Cellular Complex "uses cutting-edge biotechnological ingredients to help revitalize and energize at the cellular level."
Serums and Creams
As you can see in the photo of her skincare collection at the top of the story, Nita owns this cream and sings its praises because it helps firm up her skin. It's formulated with marine elastin, hyaluronic acid, and squalane to smooth and plump your skin.
"After we got back from [Erin Foster's] Nashville wedding [in December 2019], the girl who does my facials went to Paris and came back with some Sothys," Nita told Who What Wear. "It's light and I really like it. I use their detoxing energizing serum in the morning and at night."
From left: Erin Foster, Sara Foster, Rebecca Dyer, and Nita Marshall
Another item in Nita's collection is this energizing serum from French brand Sothys that helps your skin look fresher and more awake. Who couldn't use that?
No skincare routine is complete without sunscreen. This one is from Nita's beloved Pevonia Botanica brand and has earned rave reviews from shoppers who say it's lightweight, non-greasy, and hydrating. The formula has hyaluronic acid to hydrate and green tea extract to soothe your skin. Plus, reviewers say it doesn't make them breakout.
This lotion sops up excess oil and leaves skin balanced and hydrated thanks to grapefruit extract.
"I use this sheer cream because my skin is so thin that I can't use anything heavy," she said. This powerful cream can gently exfoliate, firm up, and retexturize skin. "La Prairie's breakthrough caviar science has enhanced natural caviar extract with bioengineered forms of the ingredient's most potent components for enhanced firmness and elasticity," the product description explains. In other words, it's basically a top-of-the-line facial in a jar.
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