Welcome to Group Shot, a series in which we photograph people of the exact same age completely barefaced—no makeup, no filters, no retouching—and in the same lighting. Then we ask them about their lifestyle, habits, skin care routines, and any work they’ve had done. Here’s what 52 looks like.
Name: Amy G.
Location: Baltimore
Occupation: Online host for a finance company and actor
Do you have children? Yes, two (ages 21 and 19)
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? Yes, one drink per week
Have you had any cosmetic work done? A little bit of Daxxify on the forehead, elevens, and crow’s feet every six months for the past four years; occasional low-level laser treatments
Skin care routine: Japanese cleansing oil, moisturizer with SPF
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $3,000
“My kids have made me more confident. Having children is a whole other world, and you don’t really worry about what other people think. It gets to a point where you’re just comfortable in your own skin.
One of my daughters is working for a beauty company right now, so I’m definitely going to her for skin care advice.”
Name: Eileen W.
Location: Boonton Township, New Jersey
Occupation: Mom, wife, volunteer, and writer
Do you have children? Yes, two (ages 19 and 15)
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? Yes, five drinks per week
Have you had any cosmetic work done? Dermaplaning every two months; annual DiamondGlow facials
Skin care routine: AM: Eucerin Hydrating Face Cleansing Gel, SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel, RoC moisturizer with SPF, Neutrogena Rapid Firming Peptide Eye Cream. PM: Curology cleanser, TNS Advanced+ Serum, Gold Bond Age Renew Retinol Overnight Body and Face Lotion, PCA Ideal Complex Restorative Eye Gel.
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $2,500
“In 1993, I was working for a designer in a fashion office. She came back from some super fancy dermatologist and was like, ‘Ladies, everyone has to start wearing sunscreen every day.’ And we were like, ‘Okay.’ We all walked down to a Duane Reade, and she was like, ‘We all have to buy this.’ It was Cetaphil or Eucerin sunscreen—and I used that every day.
I was one of the only people I knew who was wearing SPF all the time. I would be going out with my kid in the stroller putting sunscreen all over him, and they’d be like, ‘What are you doing?’ It’s funny—one of my really good friends told me recently, ‘I should’ve started with sunscreen probably 10 years earlier.’ I told you. I told everyone.”
Name: J. Xavier
Location: Hoboken, New Jersey
Occupation: Lifestyle model and financial professional
Do you have children? Yes, two daughters (ages 31 and 27)
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? Only socially—two drinks per month
Have you had any cosmetic work done? No
Skin care routine: AM: facial soap and sunscreen when I’m going to be outside all day. PM: a hydrating cream with collagen.
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $100
“I have type 2 diabetes so I watch out for a lot of different things, like what I eat. I also drink a lot of water—probably close to a gallon a day, maybe even more than that. The medication can dehydrate me, so it keeps me drinking all the water.
As an actor, I used to think that trying to look younger would lead me to get more roles and opportunities. But I’ve found that lately, I’m not trying to work my way into becoming or looking different. Now I’m like, This is me and what I’m bringing to the table.”
Name: Jasmine F.
Location: Columbia, Maryland
Occupation: HIV Care services clinical coordinator
Do you have children? No
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? No
Have you had any cosmetic work done? Orchiectomy; breast implants twice (and two breast reductions); trachea shave; two chin implants; three nose jobs; facial contouring; forehead shaving; Botox in forehead every three months; filler in laugh lines every year or so
Skin Care routine: AM: L’Oreal Revitalift 3.5% Pure Glycolic Acid Brightening Cleansing Gel, L’Oreal Revitalift 12% Vitamin C + Salicylic Acid, L’Oreal Revitalift Anti-Aging Moisturizer, sunscreen with SPF30. PM: same as daytime except L’Oreal overnight cream.
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $3,000–$5,000
“I’m transgender, so a lot of my surgery started off with feminizing. When I was 17, I got on estrogen, then I had an orchiectomy. Then from there, I had my breast implants, then a trachea shave to actually make it smooth. I had facial feminization surgery and facial contouring, which is my cheek area. They also shaved my forehead to make it smooth, and they brought my hairline forward. My memoir, Flight of the Beautiful Lie, partly chronicles my plastic surgery journey and how individuals will stop at almost nothing to acquire the privileges associated with beauty.
One of the reasons I probably look so healthy is because I never drank alcohol. I tried it once, when I was 17. I didn’t like it, so I never drank again. Same with smoking: I tried it, didn’t like it, never smoked again. So having a clear system really helped my skin.
I really like my side profile. And my eyes. I have light brown eyes. That’s the most original thing on my face. Everything else—I’m not original.”
Name: Jean L.
Location: Fresh Meadows, New York
Occupation: Social media content creator
Do you have children? No
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? Yes, two to three drinks per week
Have you had any cosmetic work done? Botox in elevens, forehead, and masseters for teeth grinding; recently started filler in smile lines; SmoothGlo facial once or twice a year
Skin care routine: AM: CeraVe Cream-to-Foam Cleanser, Juara Tamarind Tea Hydrating Toner, Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C Serum, BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 30, La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer UV SPF 30. PM: Elemis Cleansing Balm, The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid Serum, retinol, and a heavy moisturizer.
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $1500–$2000 (which she notes is because she is paying below market value)
“One of my best friends is a dermatologist, so I’m very lucky that she takes care of me. She alerted me to the fact that I have rosacea. I never knew the source (and I still don’t know where it comes from), but I’d get a little red dot that almost looked like a mosquito bite. After turning 50, I was like, I need to get this checked. My friend took before-and-after photos, and you can actually see the discoloration. So now, I just try to even my skin tone. She’s been really helpful.”
Name: Jed R.
Location: Forest Hills, New York
Occupation: Pediatric registered nurse
Do you have children? No
Do you smoke? No (quit January 1)
Do you drink? Yes, five or six drinks per week
Have you had any cosmetic work done? No
Skin care routine: AM: Dove or Olay bar of soap. (I just use whatever’s available—I’m not brand loyal.) St. Ives Apricot Face Scrub once a week and sunscreen in the summer. PM: Queen Helene Cocoa Butter Creme or an Olay moisturizer.
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $228
“I’ve worked the night shift for 25 years, so I go to sleep every morning at like 9 a.m. and wake up around 4 p.m. I do think being away from the sun has helped my appearance: The ladies I work with at night (most of whom are young enough to be my children) don’t know how old I am.
I don’t keep any secrets. A lot of my friends are in the entertainment business; I’m the only one that works in healthcare. They believe in facials, they’ve had laser treatments, I’m sure they’ve had Botox too. I’m generally just afraid of needles. I don’t mind giving them, but I just can’t get them myself. I’ve heard horror stories about fillers and everything, so that kind of scares me too.”
Name: Kimberly T.
Location: New York City
Occupation: Retired teacher and therapist
Do you have children? Yes, five children (25-year-old twins and three stepchildren)
Do you smoke? Never
Do you drink? No
Have you had any cosmetic work done? Botox in the forehead every four to six months starting in my 30s; monthly HydraFacials
Skin care routine: Murad clarifying cleanser, La Mer Resurfacing Treatment, La Mer The Treatment Lotion, La Mer The Moisturizing Matte Lotion during the day, Murad mattifying sunscreen.
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $7,000
“I’m a developmental neuropsychologist, so I worked with kids. I would be making these really big facial expressions, and I was like, Oh my God, I’ve got to get Botox, because otherwise I’m going to have these big lines. So I’ve been using Botox in my forehead for, I don’t know, 20 years.
My skin care routine changed a lot, because I got cancer a few years ago. The reason I ended up using La Mer was because I had radiation. My face was totally dry, and someone said it worked really well for radiation burns, so I just took the information and kind of ran with it. All their products are gentle, and my skin has never been so soft.
The diagnosis was a real turning point for me. I was always waiting to be perfect to do something, and now it doesn’t matter. I put myself first. I have a blended family—that’s a lot of people to worry about, and I’ve just decided to put my oxygen mask on first and make space for myself. This is me.”
Name: Rinah A.
Location: New York City
Occupation: Industry relations manager
Do you have children? Yes, two boys (ages 24 and 18)
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? Yes, three drinks per week
Have you had any cosmetic work done? No
Skin care routine: Neutrogena face wash, moisturizer or tinted moisturizer, and sunscreen if I know that I’m going to be spending a lot of time outside.
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $500
“I am in menopause, so that’s definitely something that has impacted my appearance. You do see the skin changing. I feel like all of a sudden, I’m starting to see these sun spots on my face. You see more wrinkles.
On some days, I feel like my age is just a number. I don’t care. I feel pretty confident in my own skin—more than I did even 20 years ago. But at the same time, when you see signs of aging, some days you just look at yourself in the mirror and you’re like, ‘Damn. I can’t believe I’m this old.’”
Name: Samantha D.
Location: New York City
Occupation: Author, host, actress, and lifestyle journalist
Do you have children? No
Do you smoke? Yes, cannabis medicinally
Do you drink? Yes, three to five drinks per week
Have you had any cosmetic work done? Hyaluronic acid fillers in cheeks and smile lines; baby Botox twice in forehead and elevens (once before my wedding, once last year); cartilage transplant in tip of nose
Skin care routine: Cleanser, exfoliant once or twice a week, eye serum, neck serum, retinol, and sunscreen
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $5,000–$10,000 (The truth is I lose track!)
“I was never the girl in my group with nice skin. I was the girl with the skin issues, so I think that’s how I became an excellent makeup artist. I can make anyone look like they’re not wearing makeup from a lifetime of trying to cover up my own spots.
If my beauty budget were bigger, I’d probably have a facial every single month religiously. I’ve got the spa equipment at home: The infrared, the ultrasound, the electric zappy thing. Oh my god, I’m such a sucker for beauty gadgets. If they’re selling, I’m buying.”
Name: Sheila H.
Location: Yonkers, New York
Occupation: Publicist, podcaster, and entrepreneur
Do you have children? No
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? No
Have you had any cosmetic work done? No
Skin care routine: AM: Neutrogena cleanser, RoC daytime moisturizer. PM: Makeup wipes (occasionally), RoC nighttime moisturizer.
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $150–$200
“My skin can get very sensitive if I try something that’s out of the ordinary, so I just don’t do any of that—the lasers, facials. A lot of the women in my family have been blessed to have really great skin and really look youthful. I also credit that to God and faith, but I just try to keep things very, very simple. If it’s not broke, I don’t fix it.”
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Interviews have been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.
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