I have lived and worked through more than four decades of the conversation around anti-ageing.
In the 1980s, the industry spoke boldly about fighting age and products promised to erase wrinkles, to restore youth and stop the clock.
At the time, consumers embraced the idea that a single ‘miracle ingredient’ could undo the years, and brands built empires on that promise.
But with each passing decade, this lens began to change.
Consumers grew more discerning and started asking questions that the industry was challenged to answer: Was ‘anti-ageing’ even a desirable goal?
The cultural narrative shifted too. Movements around wellness, authenticity and self-acceptance influenced the way we saw beauty.
A new term, well-ageing, emerged – softer, more respectful, and more aligned with a world that values resilience and healthspan over the impossible dream of turning back time.
And yet, the reality is more complex. Women, myself included, may embrace the language of well-ageing yet many still long for visible results.
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