Raging Against Anti-Aging. Is the Beauty Industry Listening?
Facing the Facts: There’s No Stopping Aging
It's time to remove the "anti" from aging.
There is no ANTEdote. It is a guarantee and an important part of our journeys - a reflection of our experience - time, growth, and wisdom gained in this lifetime. But, aging needs to be redefined. First Nation and Ancient cultures revere and respect aging as a sign of knowledge and wisdom. Why is our industry having 20-somethings deliver the anti-aging narrative? Shouldn’t this education come from those who have experienced the aging process and have their wisdom to share with their younger counterparts?
So out with the "ante"....but in with the ....what? ...What will stick? Well-Aging? Slow Aging? Age-less? Pro-Aging (as in supporting the skin's natural progression)?
Look Who’s Talking
Women in the 45yr plus demographic don't want anti-aging solutions promoted by 20-year-olds who haven't experienced the natural effects of aging yet. Does the industry have it backwards? Should older women be educating younger generations on how to better care for our bodies? After all, they know what is coming!
How do women over 50 feel about anti-aging campaigns coming from younger generations? A 2018 study showed that the majority of this audience feels ignored by brand messaging – more precisely, 78% feel under-represented or misrepresented by advertising; however, 69% would be more receptive to brands if they represented over-50s more accurately.
NATIVE's Take on Age-less Beauty
For us at NATIVE, it's about "Respectful Aging" - honouring our bodies' natural response to living on this planet, whilst focusing on the health and wellness of our bodies and the prevention and protection of the visible signs of aging, especially through lifestyle practices - diet, sleep, hydration, etc. Taking from ancient cultures that revered age as wisdom, experience, knowledge and a privilege, we see the Beauty Industry has a paradigm shift to make in its messaging.
The personal care space is beginning to recognise this demographic is not buying the messages from women decades younger than them, and want solutions and advice on aging from brands and their influencers/spokespeople who understand what aging is all about - the changes in our skin, our bodies, our lifestyles, etc. Instead of being ageist and shameful, these messages can empower women at the later stages of their lives with respect, offering realistic expectations and solutions developed for maturing skin.
CLICK TO VIEW LISA’s INTERVIEW on “AGE-LESS BEAUTY” with COSMETICS DESIGN
Lisa Carroll, NATIVE's Director & Innovator is passionate about this shift (especially since she turned 50 nearly 5 years ago ) and reminds us that "age is something to be revered...Our whole focus is on looking at plants as sources for nutrition, whether for topical or ingestible solutions. We are looking at compounds like Quercetin, Rutin, Vitamin C, Glutathione, Ergothionine, etc. for things like anti-glycation, collagen synthesis and so much more! We acknowledge we have hormones that are plummeting, dimming that youthful glow, reducing elasticity and collagen production, and slowing our cellular turnover. Women want solutions that support healthy skin, but most importantly, the skin they are in. Instead of focusing on masking greys, wrinkles or crepey skin, we foresee a future that embraces expression lines and celebrates decades of joy and thereby redefines "beauty" for women over 45, as a powerful time in a woman’s life for expression and acceptance. Being in the best ”health” we can, so we can look and move through these later chapters feeling excited and alive!”
A New Narrative for “Aging”
Together, the industry is creating a new narrative around "aging" and NATIVE is driven to support brands that are on this mission by offering "age-embracing" botanical extracts that offer phyto-compounds that are considered useful in supporting the skin's natural aging processes, offering anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatories, and so much more!
