Many people have asked Cher what her secret is to maintaining her youthful looks at 77 years old. While the star has proudly admitted to getting plastic surgery done over the years – even going so far as calling herself its ‘poster girl’ – Cher believes the most fool-proof way of fighting the effects of aging is building and maintaining good, healthy habits. From skincare to a wholesome diet to exercising, the legendary star has shared more than a few of her tricks to maintaining that ageless beauty.

Skincare

When it comes to aging, skincare is one of the most important things one can do to maintain a glowing, youthful look. “I try to take care of my skin because I know that that’s the first thing that kind of says how old you are,” Cher told Mindfood in 2018.

Flawless as her skin might seem to us mortals, Cher has had her fair share of skin trouble, which was only exasperated by touring and performing for hours in copious amounts of makeup. In an unearthed interview with People magazine from 1991, Cher revealed that she had developed adult acne in the ’70s, which prompted her doctor to prescribe the anti-acne cream Retin-A. According to the iconic singer, the cream has also helped her keep her face virtually wrinkle-free.

“What I learned is what everyone else has discovered over the past couple years: that Retin-A also acts as a de-aging agent,” she said at the time, after using the treatment for over ten years. “I’m in my 40s, and I have no wrinkles.”

While the cream is praised for its cosmetic properties, it is crucial to consult with your doctor before considering starting a treatment.

“Retin-A must be used under a dermatologist’s care,” the singer cautioned. “If you start on it without being on a doctor’s program, you’re going to be the unhappiest person in town because the side effects like severe dryness and scaliness will be as bad as the problem you’re trying to cure.”

Although some might still frown upon cosmetic surgery, Cher is unapologetically open about going under the knife. “Yes, I have had a facelift, but who hasn’t?” she once said, according to Glamour.

Speaking to People, Cher admitted that seeing herself on the big screen for the first time made her realize she wanted to get her nose done. She also revealed she had work done on her mouth, so straightening her teeth with braces and a retainer. “Maybe that’s why people think I’ve had chin and cheek implants,” she joked.

Cher believes it’s up to each individual to decide if plastic surgery is for them or not, and it isn’t anyone’s place to judge – or make assumptions about why people might choose to go down that road. “People should do what makes them happy,” she said.

The Value of Exercise

Not the most groundbreaking secret, but Cher emphasizes the importance of remaining active, even in her 70s. “I exercise about five times a week because it’s something I’ve always done and I just enjoy it,” Cher said in an interview with Hello Magazine in 2013, as quoted by health.com.

Even when she is traveling, she always makes sure her hotel room is stacked with workout equipment and makes time to exercise whenever she can. But even if you don’t have access to fancy equipment or treadmills, the singer says her favorite exercise is free anyway.

“Walking is the single most important exercise you can do,” Cher told People. “Unless you buy a treadmill, it doesn’t cost anything beyond a good pair of walking shoes.”

She doesn’t stop at walking, however. Upon receiving the Icon Award at the 2017 Billboard music awards, Cher put the audience to shame when she revealed that even at 71 years old, she could do something many of us struggle to do. “I can do a five-minute plank,” she smirked. “Just saying.” In an appearance on the Ellen Degeneres Show in 2018, Cher shared her favorite exercise to keep her butt in shape. The movement is called the ‘fire hydrant,’ and it’s double trouble – thanks to its ability to work both your core and your booty.

“So you get down on all fours and you put your leg up and you make an L with your leg and you do it up like that,” the singer explained. “Three sets of 25.”

Apart from going to the gym, Cher tries to find other, more creative ways to keep fit. In 2010, aged 63 years old, the singer told E! online she had been learning to surf.

“Oh, and Wii tennis! I love it! I play with a passion,” she added. “I run across; I yell at the other players. It’s great.”

A Healthy Diet

Skincare, surgery, and exercising aside, it’s no secret that one of the critical attributes to longevity is maintaining a healthy diet. Speaking to People, Cher revealed that she had found a diet that suits her after years of trial and error. For her, the most important thing was to target all the foods that negatively affected her and avoid them as much as possible.

“I try to avoid foods with a high fat content because they make me sluggish and keep my weight up,” the singer shared, before adding that she avoids dairy because she believes it is “too high in fat and cholesterol.”

Speaking to Mindfood, Cher revealed she never ate meat, even as a child, and still avoids it to this day. “My mother was basically a healthy eater out of poverty because we didn’t have a lot of money, so we didn’t eat meat because we couldn’t afford it,” she said.

In her 1991 fitness book, Forever Fit, Cher wrote that she concentrates on eating foods she knows will give her energy. “I’ve been concentrating on eating the foods that Robert [her co-author] has stressed as being terrific: brown rice (not white rice), legumes — lentils, pinto, navy, lima and kidney beans—vegetables, pastas, fruit,” she wrote, according to Good Housekeeping. “Pastas give me a lot of energy, and so do fruits like bananas, papaya and nectarines, because they have a lot of sugar but it isn’t refined.”

While the singer is generally disciplined when it comes to healthy eating habits, she does have one, albeit relatable, weakness; dessert!

“My worst addiction is sweets, Chocolate,” Cher admitted. “Sweets have been the toughest “substance” for me to kick. ”

She’s worked hard to stay fit.

Speaking with Interview Magazine, Cher revealed that freedom is behind her beauty and her style. Pleasing other people is not a part of that. She doesn’t do things because she thinks that other people will like them. She will only do them if she believes that they are right for her.

Cher’s ideas about youth and beauty came from her mother, as she recounts in the interview. “You know, you’re not the most beautiful, you’re not the most talented,” Cher recalled her mother telling her. “You won’t always be the youngest, but you are special and there’s something more important about that.”

In 1991, Cher began to speak about her dedication to looking good. She went into detail about her beauty regimen in the book Forever Fit, for which she also released a special series of workout cassettes.

Cher told People Magazine that while many try to attribute Cher’s looks and body to plastic surgery, she says the right way she got there is through plain ol’ hard work.

“It isn’t like I’ve got some amazing secret that nobody else has,” she said. “I’ve killed myself in the gym to have this body. What’s ironic is that the press wants to write off my body as the result of cosmetic surgery. This way, they can dismiss me—and exercising—by saying, ‘Well, look at her, she just went out and bought that body.'”

“Plastic surgery is no panacea. Nothing can change and maintain the shape of your body better than exercise and proper eating,” she added.

Discipline is key

Cher expanded on these sentiments in the summer of 2018 in an interview with Today. She reiterated the fact that she doesn’t drink, do drugs, or smoke. She does work out, and her only vice is the fact that she likes chocolate.

“All right. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t do drugs — I never have,” she told reporters. “I work out. I’m pretty good with my diet, except I like chocolate.”

The cultural icon also affirmed the importance of remaining disciplined, especially as she began to age. “You have to work twice as hard. You have to be in the gym all the time,” she told E! Online.

According to Cher, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is about much more than just looks and fitness. She said that by not exercising, one risks missing the “exhilarating highs of daily workouts” and not learning what they can do to keep both body and soul healthy. And while discipline and dedication is absolutely necessary for maintaining a healthy body, even she knows the importance of letting yourself have a treat once in a while – be it a cake, chocolate, or even a portion of french fries. “A diet shouldn’t torture you,” she says.