What IS her secret? Winona Ryder, 44, credits sunscreen and airbrushing for her youthful looks after Marc Jacobs joked she had 'made a pact with the devil'

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When it comes to hitting their 40s many celebs are quick to book themselves in for Botox to halt the ageing process - but not Winona Ryder.

At the age of 44 the Edward Scissorhands star seems to barely have aged a day 20 years after playing Abigail Williams in The Crucible.

Her flawless skin, doe eyes and girl-next-door appeal is as strong now as it was in her Nineties heyday - with Marc Jacobs snapping her up for his new beauty campaign.

Winona Ryder (pictured in January this year) hardly seems to have aged a day in 20 years but the actress said: 'I do look older. And, obviously, everyone knows about airbrushing'

But in an interview with the The Sunday Times, the actress appeared as mystified about her ever youthful looks as her fans. 

She said: 'I do look older. And, obviously, everyone knows about airbrushing.' 

While admitting to judicious use of tinted sunscreen, she urged Hollywood and the world at large to change their perspective on women's ageing.  

She continued: 'I feel like it sounds ridiculous for me to talk about ageism, because I've been very lucky, in the sense that in other people's eyes, I've maintained this [youthfulness], but I wish society could just celebrate ageing and it could be more of a goal. I do enjoy getting older.' 

Style reports that Marc Jacobs is baffled by her appearance joking that she's made a 'pact with the devil' and 'doesn't seem to age' but it's not 'plastic and it's not filler or any of those things'.

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The actress says that her youthful appearance is all down to clever editing and wearing tinted sunscreen

This isn't the first time Winona has to defend herself against charges of going under the needle to retain her youth.

In 2013, the Beetlejuice star told Interview Magazine that she was proud of her 'wrinkles'.

Speaking about Botox, Winona said: 'I’m not trying to knock it but, you know, I have a little bit of traffic now on my forehead - which I’m very proud of actually - and it’s interesting how people just instinctively are like, "Oh, maybe you should get something done for that." And it’s like, "Really?"'

But while many fans fondly remember her in romantic-comedy drama Reality Bites or playing Mina in Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula, she is about to gain a new set of admirers as a model.

In December last year she was unveiled as the face of the latest Marc Jacobs beauty campaign - lending her youthful features to a shoot inspired by French New Wave actress Delphine Seyrig.

Winona (pictured here in 1996) has maintained her smooth line-free skin and glowing complexion all the way into her 40s 

Winona's youthful looks have landed her ample opportunities. In December last year she was unveiled as the face of the latest Marc Jacobs (pictured here with Winona) beauty campaign

Almost 14 years to the day since she was arrested for shoplifting $5,560 (£4,000) worth of stolen designer goods - including a $760 (£550) Marc Jacobs sweater -  he revealed that Winona was his latest beauty muse.

In the campaign the actress was pictured with black and white winged eyeliner, evoking a distinctly 1960s vibe, as she clutches a string of pearls and rests her head against a mirror.

'It is with great pride (and pleasure) that I "leak" this image from our upcoming 2016 MARC JACOBS BEAUTY campaign,' Jacobs shared on his Instagram page, adding that he and Winona have been friends for many years. 

Jacobs added: 'The force of the surreal calm, and painstaking fetishistic polish of this film and its heroine are truly "ON FLEEK" and continues to inspire me to date. 

'No one I know could exude the adjectives I've listed as perfectly as Winona does. She does not model the look she gets into the role - and exudes it!'

Winona has dated a string of A-list boyfriends in the past thought to include Val Kilmer, Matt Damon, David Duchovny, Johnny Depp, Christian Slater, Rob Lowe and Charlie Sheen.