Back in the 80s "anti-ageing" vocabulary became the buzz of the beauty industry. This marketing catchphrase was designed to sell products to older women by triggering them to feel vulnerable about everything from wrinkles to saggy skin.
Thankfully, we are living in an era where many of those products claiming to be "anti-ageing" or "age-fighting" have been rejected and replaced with a more "Pro-age" sentiment.
The beauty industry has shifted their vocabulary to be all about renewal and regeneration, and whilst they still promote product benefits such as "anti-wrinkles", using language to shame women about ageing has become distasteful and even taboo.
At the end of the day, we are all ageing and inevitably signs of ageing will appear on our skin. But you should still feel comfortable and confident in your skin, and AMPERNA® products can help you with your pro-ageing skincare regime.
So, what has Brought About This Change?
The attitude of "pro-age" has risen thanks to a number of factors:
Consumers wanted 'pro' language.
Consumer research informed the beauty industry that anti-ageing language no longer resonated with the public. In fact, a few years ago Datamonitor Consumer reported that pro-ageing was the new revolution in the personal care industry and consumers were interested in pro-age cosmetics.
Mintel research found that 69% of people agree that society is too focused on a youthful appearance, and 30% of women do not like being reminded of ageing when searching for beauty products.
With the global skincare market being valued at over US$130 billion, the industry needed to listen. In order to appeal to the growing number of older consumers a new "pro" language would need to be adopted.
Mass-marketing campaigns
A number of brands listened to consumers and lifted their game by celebrating women of all ages. In the last decade, we have seen advertising that talks to the beauty in being natural and some campaigns even celebrate our perceived flaws. The most famous of these campaigns is of course Dove’s "Campaign for Real Beauty". It started in London and Canada and asked the public to vote on whether the women featured in the advertising were "fat or fit?" and "wrinkled or wonderful?" and "Does beauty have an age limit". This ground-breaking advertising campaign started a conversation about society’s notions of female standards of beauty. The public embraced it and started to talk.
Beauty Publishers have Embraced Pro-age.
In 2017 Allure magazine - America's most popular beauty publication announced it would stop using the expression anti-ageing. "Whether we know it or not, we are subtly reinforcing the message that ageing is a condition we need to battle" explained Michelle Lee in her editor’s letter. "Changing the way we think about ageing starts with changing the way we talk about ageing".
They have also started featuring mature women such as Helen Mirren, who at the time was 72, on the front cover or within the magazine. These models are now often the face of brand campaigns.
What Does it Mean to be Pro-age?
Being pro-age does not mean that you reject beauty products; rather you reject the notion that beauty is defined by eternal youth.
You have a positive attitude towards naturally looking older and accept that wrinkles, grey hair and fine lines will happen as you age. You do not opt for products or surgery to try fighting this natural ageing process.
Having a pro-age beauty attitude can also mean you are anti "anti-ageing" and want to see the end of products and marketing campaigns that talk to this unrealistic and ageist concept.
Caring for mature skin
Mature women (women aged 55+) have strong purchasing power and the beauty industry has started catering to their needs of the pro-aging movement to market their products. This language tends to be positive versus making ludicrous (and false) product claims such as "turn back the clock" or "stop the results of ageing".
Pro-age beauty products and pro-age skincare tend to be designed around the benefits relevant for ageing skin. As skin ages, cells do not turn over as quickly, skin can lose elasticity and cheeks can lose fat. Production of youth-boosting components like collagen and hyaluronic acid also drops dramatically from your mid-twenties, which results in the appearance of signs of ageing.
Some of the vocabulary used for pro-age products is:
- Regenerates
- Instantly plumps
- Deeply hydrates
- Firms
- Nourishing
- Enhancing
According to Dermatologists and beauty experts, tips on how best to care for mature skin are:
- Use sun protection all year-round. This can be a broad-spectrum sunscreen moisturiser with an SPF of 30 or higher, and ensuring you wear hats and long sleeve clothing where possible.
- Apply serums with antioxidants to help slow down collagen breakdown.
- Moisturise often to keep skin hydrated.
- Eat well to continue to nourish your skin.
- Use products with "active ingredients" as required.
- Ensure that you get enough sleep as this helps your body refresh and renew itself.
When should you start your pro-age skincare regime?
Caring for your skin from a young age lays the foundations of ageing gracefully in your future. Many factors will determine the way your skin ages: genetics, lifestyle, skin type, sun damage etc. but learning to have a proactive approach to skincare rather than 'reactive' will help and prolong these visible factors for longer.
From your mid 20s is usually when dermatologists and beauty experts recommend starting a pro-ageing skincare routine. The preventative measures you take during your 20s will help delay the onset of visible signs of ageing skin and decrease of collagen production.
If not in your 20s, then definitely by the time you reach your early 30’s should you start incorporating a pro-age skincare mindset. Include pro-ageing ingredients such as retinol, niacinamide, glycolic acid, vitamin C and peptides in your products - which are ingredients included in the AMPERNA® range.
As skin ages, it also changes in both tone and texture. Being able to recognize these changes and adapt your routine accordingly is the key to beautiful healthy-looking skin at any age.
Maintaining a strong skin barrier throughout the changes of your skin is imperative. Healthy skin means that the skin’s natural wall of defense (a lipid barrier) locks in moisture and keeps out external enemies such as pollutants, irritants, allergens, and pathogens.
As part of your approach to caring for mature skin, AMPERNA® helps by working with you to find suitable holistic solutions. The AMPERNA® range is suitable for all ages and all skin types and has been tested on eczema, perioral dermatitis, rosacea, acne prone skin and more. AMPERNA® is an Australian owned, ethical skincare brand, dedicated to creating revolutionary and unique formulas to help rebalance and transform the appearance of skin.
Could Histamines be Triggering Your Skin Condition? may be a great place to start for help eliminating foods if you have skin concerns.
How your Skin Changes with Age (20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and Beyond) | AMPERNA® is also a great blog post with how our skin changes through the years.
Sources:
https://www.globaldata.com/industries-we-cover/consumer/
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2017/aug/17/is-it-time-to-ditch-the-term-anti-ageing
https://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/02/health/age-self-fulfilling-prophecy/index.html
https://www.premiumbeautynews.com/en/the-pro-aging-movement-the-beauty,7657
https://www.seppic.com/pro-age-when-ageing-becomes-trendy
