This is what 51 looks like: Tech company founder reveals secret to smooth skin

Rav Bumbra lives in Bristol with her husband and their two children, aged 22 and 13. She is the founder of technology recruitment company Sturctur3dpeople, and Cajigo, a mentoring app for women in technology.

SKINCARE STEP-UP

I’ve been taking care of my skin since I was 16. Now I love La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 Serum (£38, look fantastic.com), which brightens, plus its Redermic [R] Anti-Wrinkle Retinol Treatment (£32), which makes my skin look so smooth friends asked if I’d had Botox. I use a hyaluronic acid with it, for moisture.

MENOPAUSAL HAIR FIX

When I hit the menopause at 49, my hair started to thin. Online I found an ancient Chinese technique of washing hair in rice water to keep it shiny and thick. Just boil half a cup of rice with two cups of water, drain off the liquid, and leave it for five days. I use it every week instead of conditioner.

SKIPPING CHALLENGE

I have always been a size 8, but now I find it harder to keep a flat stomach, so I do 30 minutes of abs work every morning. I also do a 30-minute full-body workout three times a week, using the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred workout DVD (£5.99, store.hmv.com). Plus, during lockdown, I’ve started skipping, to tone my core.

FRUIT FACIALS

I mix up my own 20-minute face masks from whatever is in the fridge. I started this as a student, when I couldn’t afford professional facials, but I think they work just as well. For example, gram flour, turmeric, yoghurt and lemon is an exfoliating, hydrating and brightening mask.

MIDLIFE TECHNOLOGY GURU

I’ve worked in the technology sector for more than 20 years and set up my own technology recruitment firm in 2016. It gives me a buzz to empower other women and I think these happy hormones keep me young. Lockdown is the perfect opportunity to broaden your knowledge. Meetup runs group sessions (now virtual), or try codebar.io for coding courses.

• Do you look good for your age? Reveal your secrets to [email protected]