Susan Sarandon's secrets to 'ageing gracefully' as she turns 80 - from boxing and subtle facial enhancements to keeping things spicy in the bedroom

She shot to fame with her breakthrough role as Janet Weiss in the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1975. 

Fast forward five decades, and Susan Sarandon still maintains her sex symbol status.

The actress, who celebrated her 80th birthday on Sunday, proves the ageing process is not anything to be afraid of as she continues to flaunt her stunning looks. 

With more than 170 film and TV credits to her name – and being the proud recipient of an Oscar – Susan has had a career most actresses can only dream of.

And she has done it while continuing to look fresh and age gracefully, even as the years pass by. 

So, what is the secret behind Susan's remarkable youthfulness? The Daily Mail finds out.

'If you want to age gracefully, you don't smoke and probably laugh a lot, and get the normal amount of exercise, and eat well and stay out of the sun would be the main things,' she told People in 2020.

Susan previously said that being 'awake' in life is what makes her confident, and that becomes easier 'as you get older and care less what others think'.

She told the Daily Mail: 'When I see people who have had massive work done, to me that isn't beauty – it is the personification of fear.

'It's so unattractive and proves someone is not at one with what's happening naturally.

'Beauty comes from within, from living in gratitude and understanding that everything is out of your control.'

However, the actress has admitted to having subtle facial liposuction under her eyes and beneath her chin, but avoids procedures like Botox to preserve her natural facial expressions for acting.

When it comes to skincare, Susan said she keeps her regimen pretty simple.

'Sex – that's good for your skin, right?' she quipped.

'I use skin oil and tinted sunblock,' the actress told People. 'I'm lucky I have good skin.

'I definitely have lines, and underneath my eyes have definitely gotten more hollowed out, I guess, as you lose collagen.' 

But thanks to her L'Oréal Paris role, the actress also has access to the brand's latest skincare innovations, as well as the make-up she's been sporting at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. 

'For me a lot of it is all about moisturising,' Susan told Vogue, revealing that she uses L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Golden Age Soin Jour Rose.

'As you get older the key is that it really penetrates but isn't greasy,' she explained. 'That's a great advantage of working with L'Oréal, to be able to see things when they first come out. I always ask them to send new things my way.'  

When it comes to fitness, Susan likes to stay active.

'I ride my bike down the West Side Highway, and I get 30 minutes on the treadmill,' she told People.

However, her fitness routine isn't all standard – she took up boxing ten years ago.

'Someone gave me lessons as a gift, then I continued, and I like it,' the actress said. 'I like the gym. It's really fun with all the boxers, and it's fun to hit – it's a workout!'

As for food, the star follows a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.

She eats carbs, but only in moderation.

The actress told WebMD that since going through menopause, she can't eat the amount of carbs she once did since her metabolism changed. 

While she limits how much she eats, she still allows whole grains, but avoids white bread and pasta.

In an interview with WebMD, she said she includes plenty of antioxidants in her diet, which have numerous benefits, including reducing inflammation.

For years, Susan was a vegetarian and while she's no longer, she doesn't include a lot of meat into her diet.

'I [still] don't eat a huge amount of red meat,' she told WebMD. 'Many meat products are very high in fat and calories.'

Another way the Oscar winner stays healthy is by limiting her alcohol intake and not smoking.

'And not smoking is really important, I'm not really a drinker,' she told British VOGUE. 'I think a little bit of wine in moderation is probably good, but I think really if you drink heavily it's not great.' 

'But I guess good genes,' she continued. 'I thank my mother.'