London - With her clear skin, enviable figure and thick, dark hair, Pamela Jacobs appears to be in her late twenties or early thirties.
In fact, she is 52 – and is the mother of a 21-year-old son.
She has been offered student rail fares and is told she must be lying when she reveals her real age. “Men do comment on my looks and say things like ‘I don’t believe you’. I always say, what woman would actually add years on?”
The Leeds social worker, who says her mother and siblings also look younger, attributes it to good genes, a healthy diet, exercise – and plenty of coconut oil.
“My mother used it on our hair and skin when we were young and I’ve carried on,” she said. “I use it for cooking, in coffee, for removing make-up, for hair treatments and on my body twice a day as a moisturiser.”
She also has a weekly sauna and steam, exfoliates her face every other day and never goes out without sunscreen.
Much to her son Marley’s horror, she has sometimes been mistaken for his girlfriend. But the divorcee says she has no intention of dating a younger man. “It’s flattering but I prefer men of a similar age to me,” she said.
Jacobs, who turns 53 next month, says she is starting to notice some signs of ageing but continues to do a weekly body conditioning class.
She avoids wheat products such as bread and pasta because of the bloating they cause and doesn’t eat fruit because of the high sugar content but says everything else is allowed.
“I follow the 80/20 rule. 80 percent eating well and 20 percent sneaking in the odd pudding, a little alcohol or organic dark chocolate,” she said.
Other tips include avoiding chemicals where possible and using better quality cosmetics which, she says, work better and last for longer.
Ultimately, Jacobs says, looking young is all about outlook. “I think the secret of eternal youth is to smile every day,” she said, adding: “I’m not perfect and have flaws like everyone else but I am grateful for what I do have.”
Daily Mail