They are the headlines of social media and not just. Joleen Diaz and her daughter Meilani Parks have a 24-year age gap – but people often think they are sisters.
"I don't think she minds," Diaz, 43, says of her 19-year-old daughter. "Growing up, she often heard people say they thought I was her sister." The duo from Northern California are very close.
"Meilan and I never went to clubs together," Diaz, who is a primary school teacher, told Jam Press, adding that she doesn't plan to date her daughter in the future either.
Joleen is a single mom after splitting with her partner 13 years ago, with whom she still maintains good relationships. But what's the secret to her youthful appearance. "I've always had a healthy and active lifestyle," Diaz says. "I rarely drink alcohol. I rest a lot and eat a balanced and healthy diet."
Diaz also strictly adheres to skincare routines. "I take great care of my skin and every day I wash my face in the morning and before I go to bed," she says, a regime she claims to have started when she was only 12 or 13. "My mother used to buy Mary Kay and I used her skincare products secretly."
Sunscreen, the serum of the c- and a product called tretinoin (or Retin-A) are also gifts from god, she says. "I use sunscreen, every day, even on cloudy and rainy days," she says. She has used Retin-A for approximately a year and a half and has seen that her skin has become "all the better" with her. "Having clean skin gives you confidence," she says, "even in the days when I don't look any better."
Mother and daughter are both on a dating app and regularly join forces on their romantic outings in order to approve each other's potential partners. "When we go out with people, we often go to bowling, to the movies, to walks, to the beach," Diaz told Jam Press. "Meilan asks me for advice on meetings all the time. I like that she believes in the advice I give. I feel like she's balanced in meetings and I'm glad my experiences can help her."
