Like many people, Gong Li says she is afraid of growing old.
'But being afraid is useless. I think we can be old in terms of years but keeping the mind young is far more important,' she says.
But for now, losing her looks is the last thing Gong, 33, has to worry about.
As spokeswoman for French cosmetics giant L'Oreal, the actress is featured in the latest advertisements for the Plenitude White Perfect skin-care line. Gong says shooting the commercial for television was harder than doing a movie.
'In a commercial you have only a few seconds to convey your message and emotions, whereas in a movie you have several hours . . . it was quite a challenge,' she says, adding she had to endure a freezing studio in Beijing where the commercial was shot.
'With work pressure, which involves day and night shooting, taking good rest is very necessary to keep skin beautiful,' she says. 'When not working, I have plenty of rest. I also eat lots of vegetables, brown rice and drink Chinese herbal soup. I don't eat spicy food anymore.' Gong's definition of beauty is to be natural. 'Self-confidence, the way you interact with people and your attitude adds to beauty,' she says.