Andie MacDowell on Aging Beautifully in Hollywood

photo credit: jonas bresnan

Andie MacDowell has a beauty that stands the test of time. Clearly–she’s been a L’Oréal Paris spokesperson for more than 30 years! But her lengthy career as an actress and spokesmodel is the result of much more than physical beauty. In Toronto to celebrate the power of women with L’Oréal Paris Canada at the Toronto International Film Festival, MacDowell is also a champion for other women. Here, she chats with Best Health’s Courtney Reilly-Larke about embracing age, the importance of self-care, and staying humble.

How have beauty ideals changed since you began working with L’Oréal in 1985?

Well, when I first started [with L’Oréal], it was just me and one other person. As I’ve watched them grow, they became much more of an international company. I meet women from all over the world and it’s really exciting, to come together with women from India, China or Japan, and the Middle East. The world has become smaller in a lot of ways and you can see it through the marketing of L’Oréal. They’ve also embraced women of all ages, they were at the forefront of that.

The last few years have been big ones for women in Hollywood. What do you hope to see evolve in industry in the coming years?

I’ll hopefully see women running studios, and more women in powerful positions, so that they can make the decisions that will influence other women. You see a lot of encouragement in film festivals for more female directors, which I think is really important, but I love seeing women on set, too. There’s a comfort to seeing women on set — I feel more at home and more supported when I see female crew members.

photo credit: ryan emberley

What daily practices have helped you to age beautifully?

I love to exercise, and I love to hike. I find I sleep a lot better if I go on evening hikes and I love morning hikes because the rest of my day goes better. When I hike, I’m conscious — [I make sure] to actually hear the birds, to see things, to notice how the light falls on rocks or to notice plants. I think being around nature and trees is healthy for your mental state and that really does effect what you look like.

So, that and yoga. If you have the right teacher, they really feed you in a way that can inspire you to feel good about yourself.

I also juice every day, I love eating healthy food and doing cleanses. I think it’s just a part of who I am — I’ve always been like this. I’m very much into self-care. My daughters and I used to do little spa days together and we still do.

What has your yoga practice taught you?

Breath. I think we forget to breathe especially when we’re in panic mode and it can really calm you down when you just take time to breathe. If you do enough yoga, they’ll tell you breath work is the most important part of the practice. It’s also taught me humbleness — it’s not about doing the tricks or what you can and cannot do, it’s about what you can do that serves your body. (Inspired to start your own yoga practice? Find the best yoga style for your personality.)

It’s obvious you love health and wellness. What’s you #1 health tip?

Drink a lot of water and eat a lot of raw vegetables.

Looking for more beauty inspiration? Read about hijabi YouTube video sensation Aysha Abdul.