Jennifer Aniston's Best Kept Anti-Aging Secrets

Credit: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

She's been called "the sexiest woman alive" by Men's Health and just this year was named "the most beautiful woman alive" by People magazine. So how does the perpetually gorgeous Jennifer Aniston manage to get hotter (and dare we say even more likeable) with each passing year? In a nutshell: By staying real. The spokesperson for Aveeno sat down with InStyle to talk about her favorite skincare tricks, her no nonsense diet, and the truth about aging gracefully. Here, a cribsheet to the 47-year-old's best beauty tips:

Tip #1: Stimulate facial muscles, don't paralyze them

Aniston feels that many people "lose perspective" and go too far with Botox and plastic surgery. "Why would you want to atrophy muscles anyway?" she asks. "If you don't workout, eventually everything drops." To keep her skin taut and smooth, she swears by microcurrent facials. "It's like a little workout for your face," she says. During the treatment, an aesthetician places electrically charged pads on the face to stimulate the muscles, immediately tightening and toning the skin. Two places where you can get the treatment: Mila Moursi Skincare Institute and Day Spa in Los Angeles (Classic European Facial, $300) or the Tracie Martyn Skincare Salon in N.Y.C. (Resculpting Facial, $329). If you can't find a facialist who offers the service near you, consider investing in one of the new at home facial rejuvenation devices such as Nuface Trinity aka the "5-minute face lift" ($325 at sephora.com). This gadget--which is FDA-approved and clinically proven to improve facial contour--uses the same technology dermatologists and aestheticians use. Treatments take only 5 minutes a day (and trust us: you will see a small but noticeable lift after just one use).

Tip #2: Focus more on texture than wrinkles

"I love Clear and Brilliant laser treatments," says the actress, who believes restoring a youthful glow to your skin is more important than obliterating all signs of expression. The 30-minute, non-invasive resurfacing (which costs roughly $300 a pop) "is a great refresher and there's very little downtime." Best of all, "it won't make you look like a peeled tomato." Aniston is also a big fan of Thermage (about $2,000), a non-invasive treatment that uses radiofrequency waves to stimulate collagen, smoothing and tightening skin after just one 45-minute session.

Tip #3: Wear less makeup

Coco Chanel once famously said, "Before leaving the house, a lady should look in the mirror and remove one accessory" and the same rule could be applied to makeup, according to Aniston. "Less is more," says the star, who learned the value of "peeling away those layers" soon after moving to Hollywood. "I had a boyfriend who always said I looked better without makeup. It took me a while to feel comfortable enough to remove that armor, but I eventually realized he was right." Aniston--who drinks three to four 23 ounce bottles of Smart Water a day (she is a brand ambassador) and cites "water, sleep and sunscreen" as her "top three anti-aging tips"--uses only a sheer tinted moisturizer from Laura Mercier. "I also love the Armani Face Fabric," she says.

Tip #4: Make friends with sunscreen

"When I was younger, I would slather myself in baby oil and do everything in my power to get a burn. I was just completely uneducated," says the former tanning addict. Nowadays, "with all the steps we've taken to get our skin healthy, it really doesn't make sense to tan." Though she still loves to occasionally lie out in the sun--"there's nothing like that vitamin D boost!"--she always wears sunscreen. She swears by Aveeno's SPF 50. "It's not too heavy, and it's extremely moisturizing. It also smells great and won't make you look like you're wearing Kabuki makeup."

Tip #5: Eat clean but don't obsess

"Everything in moderation," says Aniston, when asked about her food philosophy. Her diet is rich in organic veggies and lean protein. "Breakfast is usually avocado on Ezekiel toast or a smoothie," she says. Though she tries to limit dairy and gluten, she isn't always successful (and doesn't lose any sleep over the occasional indulgence). "I can't say the 'no dairy' thing lasted very long for me," she admits with a laugh. "Trying to part me and cheese is a difficult task." She also allows herself the occasional plate of pasta or Mexican food. "It's not like I have celiac disease," she says with refreshing honesty. "For me, not eating gluten is more of a vanity thing. A diet heavy in carbs is not that great in terms of weight."

Tip #6: Shift your focus

When you are lying on your deathbed, are you really going to care about having perfectly taut cheeks or a forehead that's as smooth as a baby's tush? Aniston thinks not. Part of growing older and wiser is learning to find value in something altogether different. "When I think about real beauty looks like, I think about women like Gloria Steinem," she says. "She just turned 82 and she is gorgeous. But her beauty has nothing to do with what she looks like."