Bye-bye Anti-Aging,
and Hello Well-Aging
Bye-bye Anti-Aging,
and Hello Well-Aging
Since the 1980s, anti-aging has been a beauty buzzword.
It is a term used to describe the desire for people to slow down the ageing process. What all of this does, however, is overemphasise the negative aspects of aging. It reinforces the message that ageing is a condition we need to battle.
Anti-aging is associated with a youthful appearance, and both sexes are self-conscious in different ways about their appearance. The general consensus was that old age is stigmatised as an “unhealthy” stage of life, with body and mind naturally deteriorating and people being excluded from society. Therefore, anti-aging routines are typically viewed as either self-indulgent or motivated by anxiety about the body’s inability to conform to the existing youthful ideal of beauty.
The social support of our peers is essential as we age. Higher levels of social engagement, wellbeing, and improved mental health are all linked to increased satisfaction with one’s personal appearance, according to research.
One thing is certain: when women are unhappy with their appearance, they limit their social interactions, and their health and wellbeing may suffer as a result.
In a culture where beauty standards emphasize youth, we prefer to talk about anti-aging rather than aging well. What if we could shift the way we talk about aging? Well-aging does not imply attempting to appear as if you are still in your twenties. Instead, it’s about embracing your physical changes and the idea that beauty doesn’t peak at any one point in your life, it keeps evolving. Choosing well-aging as an alternative will make the changes feel less difficult. The reason? You won’t be fixated on the fact that aging is the enemy. Living life to the fullest and accepting and embracing new stages of life is what positive aging entails.
Language matters. When referring to a woman e.g., over the age of 50, it is common for people to use qualifiers such as “She looks great...for her age” or “She’s beautiful … for an older woman.” Next time, stop yourself and consider what would happen if you just said, “She looks great.” Together, we can start to shift the narrative and appreciate the inherent beauty in people of all ages
Your personal contact
Sandra Gut
Portfolio & Application Laboratory Manager Cosmetics
RAHN (UK) Ltd.