Joanna
Krupa
at 40.
Beauty, balance, and a life on her own terms. A candid conversation about what matters most.
Ahead of her 40th birthday, model, television host, and animal advocate Joanna Krupa spoke exclusively with Nadja Atwal about skin care, fitness, style, and the priorities that come into focus with age.
The original feature celebrated a career spanning magazine covers, television, and fashion, alongside her work for animals through PETA campaigns and Angels For Animals. In this conversation, she shares the habits she values and why time with loved ones comes first.
Joanna, you are living proof that 40 is the new 25 (and without a facelift), but please donāt tell us itās just drinking water that makes you look this fantasticā¦
Thank you thats very sweet and a huge compliment ā¦..I have always taken care of my skin since I was in High School, as my mom always told me how important it is to keep your skin moisturized which will help in slowing down the aging processā¦..As the years went by I stuck to that and growing up I didnāt spend a lot of money on face creams as I think most of them of them are overrated and just a marketing tool. There are a few products I value and therefor put my name behind in.
On the Skincare front I really like Elphia Beauty, since itās innovative, effective and cruelty free. Every skin is different, but mine is more on the dry side ā so the rich serum is perfect for me and camomile ingredient calms my skin down after days full of travel and TV make up. I also use the Elphia exfoliating gel to get rid of any makeup build up and dead skin and after that I apply the serum to give me extra moisturizing and anti-aging nutrients .
Oh and I never go to bed without putting Lucas Papaw ointment on which feels like Vaseline ( I used Vaseline most of my life under the eyes until I learned they test on animals) and I have used it for years to prevent any creases during sleep and I also never sleep with my face in the pillow as it will cause wrinkles ..Instead I position my pillow so my head is resting on it not my faceā¦.
As a general take :I believe you have to care for your skin from an early age on though and also teach your children to take care of it and why its important ā just like my mother did.
You do love the beach, but you are not the ābake in the sun typeā , so how do you manage?
I love going to the beach indeed, but I always cover my face by wearing a hat and sunglasses and tons of sunscreen..I spray tan my body so that way I donāt scare people away with my Casper the ghost natural skin color, but Its worth it because it definitely helps with the aging process.They say Vitamin D ā which sun provides ā is good for you and I agree, but there is no reason to bake in the sun for hours and not use sun protection as those people will regret it a few years later and wIll be looking for the magic potion that just doesnāt exist to undo all that skin damageā¦.
We love about you that you are a woman who likes to enjoy life and is not a gym rat necessarily. What are is your fitness and well-being advice?
I enjoy going to the gym a couple to a few times a week and love hiking those beautiful hills in LA and I have do those spinning classes with friends occasionally . So I am active to keep my metabolism going, but I am definitely not obsessed with fitness. It has never been my goal nor my career to look like a fitness chick. I always loved to have a feminine body over the ā all lean and musclesā type and that is what my career was all about.I canāt imagine my life going to the gym everyday for hours and doing all these crazy protein shakes etc .I love to live life and enjoy every moment cause you never know when it will end.
Why worry about the things you cant change is my mottoā¦.Be the best you can be without killing yourselfā¦maintain a healthy diet, but if you feel like having that piece of chocolate go for itā¦I never tell myself no..I just have learned over the years how to adjust my calories. If I am craving some sweets and I decide to have some then I would eat less of a lunch or a dinner to balance out my daily calorie intakeā¦Balance and moderation is key, so you also have to have discipline just like with anything in life.
Some people have breakfast, some skip it, but what is your preferred first meal of the day?
It all depends..sometimes I wake up and I am not hungry so I just have a cup of coffee and wait until I am hungry, because if I eat and I am not hungry then I have cravings all dayā¦..Donāt really have a preferred first meal of the day..for example yesterday I had sunny side up eggs with toast and jamā¦Today I had strawberry almond milk yogurt with some almonds and later in the day ā since I was craving it ā I made myself some french toast (laughs).
A voice for animals.
Animal advocacy was central to the original profile. These two campaign images accompanied the interview, reflecting her work with PETA and Angels For Animals Rescue.
What do you value most in your life?
I value every moment and appreciate my loved ones and try not to look at the things that donāt matter.. I think with age you learn not to care as much about āthingsāā¦.āthingsā were important to me when I was in my 20 s . Now are no longer a priorityā¦to me itās the most important is to spend time with my loved ones and make work my 2nd priority, no longer no 1.
You are the host of Poland Next top model and are celebrated a style icon. What your take on style ?
Today I think women should simply enjoy fashion, experiment and have fun with it and wear what they think makes them look good and makes them happy. I donāt follow the trends anymore..I choose to wear what makes me feel confident in my own skin and donāt really care what anyone else thinksā¦.It comes with age that little petty things just donāt matter and donāt bother me anymore.