Julia Louis-Dreyfus discusses the challenges of aging 'on a public stage'

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is no stranger to the entertainment industry. The comedic actress has been entertaining the public for a few decades, and she's quite aware that her beauty transformation has not gone unnoticed. In an interview with New Beauty magazine, the acclaimed star, 54, shared her thoughts on aging in public and just how bizarre it all seems to her at times.

“You’ve seen me age!" she exclaimed. "I’ve been in showbiz for so long. From the first time people saw me on Saturday Night Live until now… it’s no secret that I’ve gotten older. I’ve gotten older in front of you and that is odd — it is still so strange to me that everyone has seen me age on a public stage. It’s totally changing and difficult.”

The grounded actress seems to have a sense of humor about it all, but at the same time, Julia takes steps to take care of herself, which can be rather challenging on jobs that call for 17-hour days.

“It can get really hard on-set and the biggest challenge is getting enough sleep,” she explained. “And, when I don’t have enough sleep, my metabolism goes crazy and my decision-making when it comes to good food choices is not the best — it’s very easy for me to go off the wagon as the hours of the day get longer.”

Julia stays fit and healthy by hiking, taking spin classes and committing to at least one day of cardio a week. "I think it’s so important and anyone feels better after they do it," she said. "I’m admittedly a lot better in smaller classes and groups though; when there are gobs of people, I start to get self-conscious."

When on the road, the Veep star tries to be prepared so that she doesn't make poor food choices. That means Kind Bars or even just carrying some almonds with her.

One thing time has taught Julia is that less can certainly be more. For her makeup routine, she swears by easing up on foundation. "All it does is define the lines you have," she said of the common beauty mistake. "I’ve worked with the same makeup artist, Karen Kawahara, for 20-plus years and she goes light, light, light on my foundation. It’s so key and your skin looks great doing it like that."

But proving she's just like any of us, there's one thing Julia struggles with: taking off her makeup. "I’m not someone who can fall asleep with my makeup on, that’s disgusting to me, so I have to take it off," she admitted. "But I really hate it!"