Our Dermatologist Confirms Helen Mirren's Top Tip For Healthy Skin Is Tried-And-True Advice

Actor Helen Mirren is completely timeless. The 80-year-old star looks better than ever after a decades-long career, and we often wonder what her secret is. These throwback pics of Helen Mirren are beyond stunning — and she still is today. The actor looks essentially the same as she did a decade ago, and that takes a special kind of care. If you're wondering how exactly she keeps her skin so luminous, her advice is quite practical. "Don't smoke," she succinctly told Byrdie in 2024. "That is the single most destructive thing for your skin. ... Don't smoke and don't drink too much, either. That doesn't help, and it's a shame, because it's such fun to drink too much."

While this is already pretty well-accepted advice, our dermatologist can back Mirren up in more detail. Dr. Brendan Camp, a dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York, shares that smoking can deplete your body's ability to oxygenate its tissues. This can harm the health of skin cells and your skin's overall appearance. "Smoking also accelerates the degradation of collagen and elastin," he continues. "These are structural proteins that provide rigidity and firmness, which are synonymous with youthfulness. Their breakdown can contribute to signs of early aging, like fine lines and wrinkles (think smoker's lines)." 

Dr. Camp adds that alcohol is potentially just as destructive to the body when consumed in large amounts over time. He shares that alcohol is a diuretic and can deprive the body of water, which dehydrates skin. "Because it causes inflammation, alcohol can [also] contribute to the premature aging of skin," he adds.

It's clear that Helen Mirren is doing something right when it comes to her lifestyle choices. She's looked gorgeous throughout her career, and some of Helen Mirren's most stunning style moments were in her 70s. The actor seems to be more vibrant than ever at 80 years old in 2026. Dr. Camp warns that it's even more important to skip smoking and alcohol as you get older, so Mirren is definitely doing the right thing. "As the body ages, it becomes less resilient to toxins, making it more difficult to recover from the negative effects of smoking and alcohol," Dr. Camp says.

While alcohol is okay in moderation, Dr. Camp also advises against going overboard too often, because if you're thinking long term, alcohol can adversely impact your health, and it'll show in your skin. If the negative skin effects have you wanting to finally stop smoking and/or drinking, Dr. Camp says it's never too late to quit and to seriously consider taking Mirren's advice. After all, her otherworldly glow speaks to its effectiveness. "No skincare product or treatment will outpace one's lifestyle," Dr. Camp adds. "The best approach to achieving healthy skin is to maintain a healthy body."

In case you're wondering what Mirren does use on her skin, though, she happened to share a few of her treasured secrets with Marie Claire in 2025. "I'll always put a moisturizer on at night, usually the L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Anti-Aging Face Moisturizer. And then, in the morning, I'll always clean my face again and put a moisturizer on," she shared. "On some days, I use a serum, and other days I'll use a cream. I like to mix it up a bit."