Beautifying aging versus anti-aging
With 25 years of beauty industry experience, I have had the message of anti-aging engrained in my mind for many years. Ever since I can remember, anti-aging or anti-wrinkle creams and potions have been the buzzword to create a sense of urgency for women searching for the fountain of youth. Even today, it is still one of the most search benefits by consumers on google for cosmetic products.
Lately, these claims have been under scrutiny from consumers, especially women Genxer and Baby Boomer. As I include myself in this group, they or we know that time is passing, and there is no stopping it.
Everyone on this planet is aging,
It is impossible to halt it. Why waste all this time and energy on something we cannot control? Would it be more fruitful to focus on beautifying and uplifting effects? As I reach my mid-fifties, I often ponder the past and realize that I love every moment of it. I am grateful to be here with my wrinkles and experiences. Of course, life can be challenging, and yes, there are days when I am very critical of what I look like, but I try to remember that some of my friends cannot see wrinkles on their faces as they have left this life too early.
When I was a little girl, I used to hear my grandmother complaining about aging, but she would always finish her sentence by” Well, I guess I am lucky because “so and so” did not have the chance to age,” This has always stuck with me.
So now what?
It is time to change the perception of aging, and it is a challenge; mindset changes are difficult for our society. Even though I know this will take a long time, I am in for this transformation and start beautifying aging!
The first millennials are in their 40’s, Gen X and older generations are dynamic and highly involved with societal transformation. We all have had to make evolutional changes to our way of living; these changes are now part of our DNA.
In my opinion, changing the perception of our outer appearance is the main issue. We know that our experiences, knowledge, and wisdom will and can go a long way; perhaps it is time to start thinking differently, all together, as a group, start connecting and talking a new language.
Here are some of my new thinking:
– Aging is a collection of experiences that makes us whole
– Beautiful skin is skin that is radiant, not wrinkleless
– The perception of being cool can be achieved with an untoned body
– We can have wrinkles around the eyes, but the twinkle inside will always be more powerful
– Grey (hair) is the new timeless tone
Ok, we cannot do this alone. What is the responsibility of the beauty and fashion brand?
– The well-known fashion and beauty label must be the pioneers of this change
– Use models of all ages
– Be authentic with the offering
– Use real people as spoke person.
– Be honest with the expectation and the results
– Hire more mature women and men; changing careers in the ’50s should not be such a burden
I am happy to see some changes are taking place;
Many beauty brands are switching their claims and changing the way they promote their cosmetic products. I have seen this first hand with professional premium brands such as BABOR.
CEW France had a full-day conference in December 2021, called Old is gold. One of the interesting facts is that by 2050, 2 billion consumers will be 60+ versus 600 million in 2020. This fact means more consumers will be pushing for better choices, and businesses are starting to recognize them.
Check this video from a business insider in 2020
How about the responsibility of the media?
– Celebrities must embrace this movement
– Influencers have to be more genuine
– More mature TV anchor or show host
In the end, consumers are the ones that will drive this movement, and every woman on this planet can contribute to this. I will start with my grassroots change and speak for the liberation of our body, face, and soul from this aging prejudice and focus on ways to beautify aging.
Who is with me?
