ICYMI, Martha Stewart delighted the world when she snagged the cover of Sports Illustrated‘s iconic Swimsuit Issue. The entrepreneur looks stunning on her cover, posing in a white one-piece and looking like a glowing beach goddess with her tousled blonde bob.
However, Stewart’s appearance on the cover did raise a few eyebrows, with critics claiming there’s no way the 81-year-old Stewart could look so good via diet, exercise and good genes. Stewart has repeatedly denied any plastic surgery, though she told Variety that while she has used fillers and other injectables, she doesn’t like Botox. “Every now and then there are certain fillers that I can do for a little line here or there, but I hate Botox,” Stewart explained. “It’s a weird thing for me. I really and truly don’t do a lot.” Stewart does love a thoughtful, measured approach to, well, everything, so that tracks.
Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated
According to Stewart, it’s her commitment to sun protection and healthy living that contributes to her glow. “I’ve had absolutely no plastic surgery whatsoever. I have very healthy, good hair,” she shared. “I drink green juice every day. I take my vitamins. I eat very healthfully.” She also depends on a team of pros to keep her skin looking its very best and never skimps on her sunscreen and sun protection. “I have very good skin doctors. I’m very careful in the sun. I wear hats and I wear sunblock every single day,” Stewart explained.
Stewart, who worked as a model in her twenties, upped her beauty game to prep for the shoot; she had just two months to get ready, so the notorious perfectionist jumped into action. She quit drinking alcohol and increased her Pilates sessions and added a few more spa services to her routine. “I had my regular facials but maybe more frequently and I also got a spray tan,” she told Variety. “And I’m not a hairy person, but I got a complete body wax.” Her hard work paid off, given that Stewart essentially changed the swimsuit issue game forever.