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, and skin care routines. For this installment, we chose to focus on people who haven’t had any work done (no Botox, no fillers, etc.) and included people ages 43–46.
Name: Vitalii P.
Age: 46
Location: New York City
Do you have children? No
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? No
Skin care routine: Oil cleanser, serum, microcurrent lifting device, red light LED mask, eye cream, moisturizer
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $500
“I’m an actor, and I love to watch old films because all the stars have natural faces. Today, when I watch newer movies, I can tell when someone has gotten work done on their face. It takes the focus away from their real acting and facial expressions.
I think the most important influence on your beauty is your health. I don’t drink. I’m not smoking. I don’t do drugs. I would like to sleep more, but I believe that my lifestyle helps my appearance more than any cream or treatment would.”
Name: Ranise F.
Age: 44
Location: Brooklyn
Do you have children? No
Do you smoke? Yes, cannabis
Do you drink? Sometimes—zero to two drinks per week
Skin care routine: AM: Dr. Loretta Gentle Hydrating Cleanser, homemade toner made of witch hazel and rosewater, Dr. Loretta Intense Replenishing Serum or homemade oil mixture, Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Dark Circle Reducing Vitamin C Eye Serum, CeraVe moisturizer with SPF. PM: same as daytime except Shani Darden Retinol Reform Serum and collagen facial moisturizer. Hydrating facial once every three months, buccal fat facial massage twice a year.
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $1,037
“A lot of things I use are DIY, because skin care is so expensive. So I figured, I’ll just make my own! But certain things, like a gel cleanser, I don’t know how to make.
I was obsessed with the marula oil from Drunk Elephant, but it costs so much money. That’s why I ended up making my own from scratch: I got marula oil and mixed it with a little bit of jojoba oil and rosemary oil. It’s definitely trial and error figuring out what percentage of oil I want for each serum. Like with a tea tree oil blend—I remember putting the first batch on my face, getting into an Uber, and the driver was like, ‘What’s that smell?’ And I said, ‘I'm sorry, it's my face!’ That was bad.
Everyone is so surprised when I tell them how old I am, but personally, I think I look my age. Everyone sees their own flaws when looking in the mirror. So I see my dark circles, my undereye wrinkles. I see things that I believe make me look older, but because I’m told so often that I don’t look like I’m in my 40s, I guess I should believe it.”
Name: Rebecca P.
Age: 44
Location: New York City
Do you have children? No
Do you smoke? Cannabis only
Do you drink? No
Skin care routine: Mary Kay face wash and moisturizer
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $50
“When I was younger, I wanted a nose job so badly. I wanted it to be thinner, and then I saw videos of how they do them, and I was like, Oh my God. Okay, I'm happy with my nose. No, no, no!
The acting industry is so obsessed with youth. I can understand why people would want Botox and fillers. But currently, I have no interest. I hate getting shots, and I’m not vain enough to care about things like that.
If I dyed my hair, I’d probably look younger. I’ve been told so many times, ‘Your face is too young to have all that gray hair.’ I went prematurely gray in high school, so I was coloring my roots for a really long time. But 10 years ago I stopped, because here in New York the upkeep is so expensive. And since I work in a swimming pool, the chlorine strips the color out anyway, even though I wear a cap. Eventually, I was like, Why am I doing this? And I realized I simply don’t want to anymore.”
Name: Michael W.
Age: 46
Location: Queens, New York
Do you have children? No
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? No
Skin care routine: Dial Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap, Clearasil Acne Rapid Rescue Spot Treatment for breakouts
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $30
“I’ve had this same routine for the last decade. I buy new things, and if they don’t work, I’m disappointed. I wasted money, and the whole product is just sitting there.
I’ve been to a dermatologist once to treat milia under my eyes, and they said, ‘Oh there’s nothing we can do to get rid of it.’ So, I’m stuck with milia, I guess. I did see a doctor who did a laser thing to generate new skin, but I don’t think that did anything. It made my face feel really, really burnt, and the outer layer of my skin peeled. But I am interested in trying other things.”
Name: Eamonn F.
Age: 46
Location: Hopewell, New Jersey
Do you have children? Yes, an 11-year-old
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? Yes, 15 drinks per week
Skin care routine: AM: Moisturizer with SPF 15
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $25
“I do nothing. I'm not even picky about my moisturizer. My partner tries to get me to use a fancier cleanser, but I just use a random bar of soap. Actually, I barely even wash my face. Now that I think about it, even in the shower I don’t think I wash my face. I moisturize. That's it. I've always had good skin. As a teenager, I've never had pimples or anything. It’s probably genetic. But if it ain’t broke, don't fix it—you know?
I have all this gray hair, but I love my appearance now more than when I was younger. My look is cooler, more interesting. I was always kind of handsome, but not drop-dead gorgeous. I was just blah. Now, I think I have a more interesting, silver fox look.”
Name: Alexis P.
Age: 44
Location: Edison, New Jersey
Do you have children? Yes, two (ages 12 and 14)
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? No
Skin care routine: CeraVe or Cetaphil gentle cleanser, rosacea prescription cream, moisturizer with SPF
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $200
“My first symptoms of rosacea showed up seven years ago. I had a lot of redness on my cheeks, and I wondered, When’s that going to go away? And then my husband said something, my mom said something, and I was like, Huh, is something wrong? So I went to a dermatologist, and she confirmed it was rosacea.
Finding a good dermatologist took time. My previous one would always recommend laser treatments and more expensive stuff for my flushing. Maybe I don’t know enough about lasers, but it seems like once you start, it’s something you have to keep up with. I didn’t want to do that. She also didn't seem very interested in talking to me. She seemed like she was always in a rush.
Now, I have a dermatologist that I really like. I’ve been with her for four or five years. She always asks if I have any questions at the end of each visit, and she answers all of them. She’s very patient, takes the time to reassure me, and gives me all these treatment options. Oh, and she never pressures me to do anything.”
Name: Nalema R.
Age: 46
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Do you have children? Yes, three kids
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? Yes, three drinks per week
Skin care routine: AM: Olay antiaging cleanser, Olay antiaging serum, Olay antiaging moisturizer. PM: Biore makeup wipes, thicker night moisturizer. Monthly HydraFacials.
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $5,000
“I don’t wear sunscreen ever. Actually, I went to an esthetician who hooked me up to a machine that calculates all the damage you have on your skin. I had no visible sign of sun damage. None. Nothing. My results came back 99% perfection—no lie. Ever since that, I’ve never used sunscreen. But sometimes I’ll wear makeup that has SPF in it.
Maybe one time, I seriously considered getting injectables. Someone told me to get my laugh lines fixed, but I love mine. I also feel like my undereyes are dark, but then I realized I’m fine with using concealer. I look at everybody’s faces nowadays with all the filler and Botox, and they all look the same. No offense. I like my unique look, and I want to keep it that way. But lasers—I’m not opposed to that.
It’s important to take care of your skin and start early if you can. I do this with my kids: I have boys, so my son takes care of his skin as well. I buy him different shower gels, products for his beard, things like that. He gets it from me.”
Name: John M.
Age: 46
Location: New York City
Do you have children? Yes, an 11-year-old
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? Varies as a social drinker, but generally zero drinks during an average week
Skin care routine: Soap, sometimes Cetaphil lotion
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $20
“My whole skin care routine is just soap essentially. It’s hilarious.
My sister did tell me at a young age, ‘When you’re 30 or 40, you’re going to wish you used moisturizer.’ I think I was 19 when this happened. She’s probably right, but I don’t know. When you’re married, you cut corners. I buy whatever’s on sale. But having a wife and daughter, I’m totally outnumbered at home. I listen to their conversations, and I’m fascinated by my wife teaching our kid about skin care regimens and stuff like that. I love learning new things.
I definitely have sun spots on my face. It’s probably from riding around in cars in Vegas. And the excessive sun exposure here in New York. I try to wear sunscreen; I probably should’ve worn more.”
Name: Jennifer W.
Age: 44
Location: Hainesport, New Jersey
Do you have children? Yes, two boys (ages 14 and 19)
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? Rarely, one drink per week at most
Skin care routine: AM: Cetaphil face wash, EyeMax AlphaRet Overnight Cream. PM: Towel to remove makeup, retinol, Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2.
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $1,200
“I have to admit, I am not the best person with skin care only because my skin has always been pretty okay. Only in the last year, I’ve kind of noticed my eyes getting puffy and a few wrinkles here and there.
My skin is definitely changing. I see signs of aging on my neck, around my eyes. Every time I look in the mirror I’m like, Oh, I see a wrinkle right above my lip. Nobody else sees it, but it’s still disheartening. I don’t want to look like I’m getting older, and sometimes I miss my younger face. Although with your 40s, other great things in life come along, like being financially secure and having a job. There are positives, but as far as skin goes, I miss my youth. I miss my late 20s!
I'm not against Botox—I’m just not ready for it right now. If I were to get it, I’d probably want it around my eyes, maybe my laugh lines too. I would probably invest in a stronger eye cream if I could, but I’m not sure that I’m ready for lasers or anything like that. I feel like most of my concerns can be covered with makeup.”
Name: Kennedi E.
Age: 43
Location: Houston
Do you have children? No
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? Yes, three drinks per week
Skin care routine: AM: ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser, ZO Skin Health Renewal Crème, sunscreen. PM: ZO Skin Health Complexion Renewal Pads, ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish, ZO Skin Health Renewal Crème. DiamondGlow facial every two to three months.
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $1,500
“I started seeing an esthetician for the first time this year, because I felt like my skin was doing weird stuff—just not as consistent. One thing I learned from her is to leave my face alone. If I see something, like one little pimple, I’m usually like, No I have to pick at this. Then, I end up getting little spots and dark marks. Using retinol has helped fade the scarring though.
I have super sensitive skin, but my esthetician mentioned microdermabrasion to make it smoother. To be honest, I’m still a little nervous and scared to do anything ‘invasive,’ but that’s the only treatment I’m somewhat curious about. I don’t really care about injectables. I’ve heard too many horror stories, and this is the only face I have.
My favorite thing about myself is my smile. I’m really big about taking care of my teeth, because I went to a medical high school. At some point I even wanted to be a doctor. But yeah, I love my smile.”
Name: Daniel B.
Age: 46
Location: Trenton, New Jersey
Do you have children? Yes, two (ages 15 and 18)
Do you smoke? Infrequently
Do you drink? Sometimes, maybe one drink per week
Skin care routine: AM: Goat milk face wash with aloe, Bulldog Age Defense Moisturizer, Bulldog Original Shave Gel. PM: Bulldog Original Face Scrub, Bulldog Age Defense Moisturizer.
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $300
“I discovered Bulldog at Walgreens or some other store when I was looking for a shaving gel. I tend to nick myself, so I bought that first. I saw Bulldog also had a beard oil, so I figured I’d try that too. I think it’s made a difference. I mean, my skin feels more moisturized, and I get less cuts and scrapes.
I was diagnosed with psoriasis 15 or 20 years ago in my late twenties. It’s basically the body producing extra skin cells. For me, it’s gotten under control, because I have a prescription for triamcinolone acetonide. I’ve used that for the past five years, and the outbreaks have been very manageable. If I do have a flare-up though, it’s usually on my elbows and knees.”
Name: Adena A.
Age: 46
Location: Farmingdale, New Jersey
Do you have children? Yes, three (ages 10, 13, and 19)
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? Yes, three drinks per week
Skin care routine: AM: MadHippie Hydrating Facial SPF, glycerin lotion bar, Nars Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30. PM: Charcoal loofah, Weleda Skin Food Face Care Nourishing Night Cream, eye cream with caffeine.
Estimated annual amount spent on skin care: $500
“I only use a moisturizer and SPF—that’s pretty much it. I have a 13-year-old daughter, and she’s always watching videos online about toners, serums, all that stuff.
I prefer to live a more simple, minimalist lifestyle. That started 10 years ago or so when a couple of people in my family developed cancer, which was a shock: We were the healthy family. We were the people that never got sick. So then I started going down these rabbit holes of, What's this? What's that? How did this happen? How does that happen? And that’s when I started reducing the amount of unnecessary products I have in my life—skin care, household cleaners, even laundry stuff. I don’t need all that.
I’m 46, and I’m at a place where I accept who I am and that I’m changing. I’ve got fine lines that were never there before, but I’m okay with that. I’m a mom. I’m a wife. I’m a sister. Things are finally quieting down in my house to the point where little pieces of myself are coming back. I’m doing this photoshoot. I’m putting myself back out there. I’ve always kept that side of me hidden, but this is who I am.”
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Interviews have been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.
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