Golden Girls Reveal Skin Care Secrets

TV’s Golden Girls are living proof that seniors can be SEXY! And you, too, can use their personal beauty secrets to stay vibrant and young-looking.

Here’s how they turn back time:

Betty White, 70, swears by natural skin care products she buys at health food stores.

First, she cleanses her face with an herbal cream, then she freshens it with an alcohol-free toner followed by moisturizing jojoba cream.

Before bed, she smoothes on pure vitamin E oil—and she always avoids the damaging rays of the sun.

Says Betty, who plays dimwit Rose: “My complexion improved when I quit eating red meat, and now my diet is largely fruits and vegetables. And I use makeup sparingly, except when I’m in front of the camera.”

She also believes in the youthful effects of facials and massages. “Facials relax the muscles and firm them at the same time. Massages make my entire body relax and the tension ebbs away.”

Estelle Getty, who plays wisecracking Sophia, also goes easy on makeup when she’s not under the lights.

“I’ve tried all the creams and lotions on the market and I still don’t look like Liz Taylor, so what’s the use?” quips Estelle, 68.

But a special facial that she whips up in her own kitchen leaves her skin glowing.

“I make a wonderful facial with egg white,” she explains. “I separate the egg, froth the white, then dab it on my face and let it dry. Then I rinse it off with warm water, and my face looks fresh and rejuvenated.”

Bea Arthur, 66, wears her walking shoes to keep her energy level high. “I prefer walking to strenuous exercising,” she says. “And I’m not into any particular diet, although I don’t eat as many sweets as I used to.

"I drink a lot of low-fat milk for the calcium, and I also eat a lot of fish.”

Bea gets nine hours sleep every night that she can, and she uses either an avocado or oatmeal facial mask to combat dry skin.

“I don’t worry about looking older,” says Bea, who plays Dorothy on reruns of the sitcom. “Wrinkles don’t bother me much—they’re simply part of God’s plan for us.

“We can’t stay young forever, even though some women make fools of themselves trying. I accept each new birthday with thanks that I’m still alive.”

Rue McClanahan, who at 56 is the baby of the group, says women ought never to give up on looking their best, no matter how old they are. And if you don’t know how, consult the experts, she advises.

“No two faces are alike,” says Rue, who plays man-hungry Blanche on the new Golden Girls spinoff, Golden Palace, “so look for a specialist to help you find the best hair and makeup colors.”

Rue’s wild about steam baths and saunas, which open up the skin pores. She also takes vitamin A and calcium pills to keep her skin looking young.

“I don’t drink alcohol but I consume plenty of spring water,” Rue adds. “And instead of exercising, I rarely sit still. Just like Blanche, I’m always moving!”


* article from The Examiner, September 29, 1992


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