California Mum And Daughter With 23-Year Age Gap Keep Getting Mistaken For Sisters

A mum who constantly gets mistaken for her 19-year-old daughter’s sister says the teenager doesn’t get offended with the comparison because they’re ‘so close’.

Whenever people see pictures of 43-year-old Joleen Diaz and her daughter Meilani Parks, they cannot believe there is a 23-year age gap between them.

Joleen, an elementary school teacher from northern California, has revealed how she manages to maintain such a youthful appearance, saying her secret is clean living.

See if you can figure out which one is Joleen from the video below:

The proud mum says she is ‘very close’ to Meilani, with the two doing lots of things together such as shopping, working out and travelling. ‘Sometimes [we] just lay on the couch and talk,’ she explained.

Thanks to this closeness, the teenager doesn’t take offence when people think her mum is her sister, with Joleen saying: ‘I don’t think she minds… I was pretty young when I had her, so it’s not entirely impossible that we could be sisters.’

Despite her youthful looks, Joleen refuses to tag along with her daughter to parties, saying she doesn’t ‘foresee us doing that anytime in the near future’. She added: ‘I’ve had my share of doing both – these days I’d rather stay home, drink a nice cup of hot tea, and watch a good movie.’

The 43-year-old puts her youthful glow down to her ‘healthy and active lifestyle’; she ‘rarely’ drinks alcohol, gets a lot of rest, and eats a ‘balanced, healthy diet’.

The key, however, is her beauty regime:

I religiously take care of my skin, and every day [I] wash my face in the morning and before I go to bed. And the real secret? Start early. I began taking care of my skin at a young age, around 12 or 13. My mum used to buy Mary Kay and I would secretly use her skin care products.

A product that has shown dramatic change for me is Tretinoin. Most people know it as Retin-A. I’ve been using it now for about a year and a half, and I’ve seen my skin just get better and better.

I absolutely use sunscreen, every day, even on cloudy, rainy days. I also use a vitamin C serum day and night. Having good skin gives me confidence, even on the days I don’t look my best.

And in case you’re wondering, Joleen is already insisting young Meilani follows the same rigorous routine as her. ‘Yes I do,’ she explained. ‘I had her start around age 12.’

In addition to skincare products, the mother believes her generally relaxed attitude is also key to her youthful looks. ‘I’m pretty pragmatic and try not to worry too much about the past or anticipate worries in the future,’ she said.

Joleen split with her husband amicably 13 years ago, but the family still get along and regularly go on holiday together. The mum says she lives a ‘pretty simple life’ and is ‘content’ with what she has.

She regularly posts picture of the two of them on her Instagram, leading many social media users to express their confusion at the fact Joleen has a teenage daughter.

In fact, some have pointed out that they can’t even figure out who is the mum and who is the daughter, with one person writing: ‘Which one is the mom I dnt understand [sic].’ Another asked: ‘Who had who at this point.’

Others were in disbelief at the reality of the relationship, with one person asking: ‘are you really a mom???’ and another stating: ‘If you’re her mom… You are officially the hottest mom in the world!’

Now if you’ll just excuse me while I go and buy loads of moisturiser in an attempt to delay the ageing process… although going off Joleen’s advice, I probably should have started 10 years ago. Ah well.

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via story@unilad.com