Anti-aging has always been a buzzword in the beauty industry - with piles of articles with words like “unsightly” and “eradicate” being used around maturing skin.
Recently though, the idea of anti-ageing has become even more insidious, with the notion of “preventative ageing” being pushed toward younger women and girls.
Social media, sadly, has a big part to play in this; as most images and videos we see are heavily filtered and blurred; to the extent that even normal skin texture looks like a “flaw”.
Girls as young as eight are investing in heavy duty, retinol filled skin care, and a growing number of young women are feeling the pressure to use botox and fillers as a way of “preventing” the ageing process - in the hopes of looking forever 21.
The use of these products can be harmful, especially for such young girls, and the pressure to remain “effortlessly” youthful can lead to significant mental health concerns, body dysmorphia, and ongoing physical issues - it can even exacerbate poor skin health in later life.
It can feel impossible to feel good as we age; with the worry that “looking our age” is actually a bad thing (it isn’t!).
So how can we tackle this, and feel comfortable, confident and happy in ourselves? My little guide below might help (and it’s definitely a reminder I need!)
1. Do A Detox
No, I don’t mean giving up solid foods or cutting out things you love; I’m talking about a digital, or environmental, detox.
You’ll have read lots of guidance around just “switching off social media”.
Unfortunately, for a lot of us, this outlook might leave us isolated; after all, social media isn’t just a revenue stream for influencers, it’s a way for us to build community, and connect with friends, and family.
If you (like me!) rely on social media to keep in contact with the world, it’s key to find online communities, spaces, and influencers that empower you, and speak to you - not make you feel bad about yourself.
Of course I’ll encourage you to follow our Facebook and Instagram pages - if your interest is in natural beauty or hair care, we aim to share positive, empowering information around hair and skin care that will help you feel good about you.
2. Treat Self-Care As Self-Love
This one sounds really corny, but it’s true - staring in the mirror, examining your face and feeling bad about yourself really won’t help anything (it’ll just make it worse).
Change the focus of your self care routine; make it about how you feel, not about how you look - and I guarantee, when you feel good, you’ll look good, too.
Instead of trying out a hoard of new products, and giving up after a week when you see no change; stick to a simple, easy to follow routine that leaves your skin feeling soft, and moisturised.
Using too many products on your skin can be too harsh, drying, and over-complicated; it might even have the opposite effect than you’re hoping for.
As we mature often our skin needs a little more nourishment. Maturing skin refers to skin after age 40; this is when our collagen levels drop, so you might notice a little less firmness, discoloration, or skin thinning.
Use products with ingredients that hydrate and moisturise your skin; I recommend the Odylique Silk Touch Cleanser. This is a very gentle, oil based cleanser that moisturises skin while it cleanses.
Focus on rose based moisturisers and toners. Rose is fantastic for maturing skins; soothing and calming on redness and dryness, and also aiding firmness and wrinkles. The Odylique Timeless Rose Moisturiser is a lovely day moisturiser that can be used around the delicate eye area.
For a gentle, non-drying, toner; try the Acala Rosewater. Rose Hydrolat contains goodness from every part of the rose plant (not just the petals) so it offers hydration while it tones.
If you need a richer night cream, or want a stronger firming effect, the Lavera Firming Night Cream contains bakuchiol. Bakuchiol is a natural alternative to retinol; tightening and firming skin without leaving it feeling red, sore or tight.
For a collagen boost, the Odylique Prebiotic Cream contains plant based collagen, helping plump skin. It’s very rich, so best used as a night cream.
3.Throw Out The Rule Book
We’ve all come across the hoards of rules about ageing. Tons of fashion and beauty experts all with conflicting ideas about what it means to age “with grace”.
With all the rules, it’s impossible not to feel overwhelmed and frankly, a little stressed about how on earth to stay feeling like you.
So, here’s my expert opinion: screw the rules!
If you’re struggling and in need of inspiration for what might work for you, we have some helpful make-up tips in our blog, from dopamine dressing to current trends.
You might find changing the type of make-up you use helpful; if you have any skin cracking or dry spots, traditional liquid make-up might settle into those, not giving you the intended look.
Swap to a cream-based foundation, like the Odylique foundation, for a moisturising feel and coverage that won’t accentuate any fine lines.
On your lips, using a natural lipstick is sure to help; and the lipsticks on Suvarna are all made with natural oils and waxes, so they help hydrate your lips (yes, even the matte shades!)
If you want a bold matte colour, try the Benecos lipsticks; or for a more glossy, sheer colour the Odylique lipsticks work wonders.
4. Colour Your Greys…Or Don’t!
Hair is a big part of our identity and it does change as we age; you might notice some thinning, dryness or even a change in your hair porosity.
One of the biggest concerns as we age, obviously, is going grey.
If you want to colour, but are worried about using a dye on hair that is going through hormonal changes, then using a natural, henna based dye will be really helpful.
Henna helps to aid strength and shine in the hair and can encourage natural hair growth.
The It’s Pure Organics range of colours offer great coverage and benefits for hair, and are gentle enough even for fragile hair strands.
Try any shade you like; whether you want to blend with the rest of your hair, try an entirely new shade, or give yourself some highlights on grey strands; have fun with it!
If your hair is quite dry, or you’re noticing breakage, you will need to follow up with a good conditioner; Henna conditions hair by nourishing and strengthening, but it won’t lock in moisture for the hair shaft - so using a follow up conditioner, such as the Logona Colour Fix, when you rinse out will help prevent dryness.
If you don’t want to dye - then you might need to change your routine a little, to protect your hair strands. If you’ve always had low porosity hair that hasn’t needed much care, it can be tricky to make the change!
We have some great tips on using Ayurvedic techniques to look after your grey hairs, here.
Grey hair is typically more coarse, and more porous, so it needs more moisture to keep it soft, and shiny. Using the Odylique Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner is a great way to keep it nourished and moisturised; and potentially doing a hair mask, such as a Cassia Gloss, every couple of months, will strengthen your hair.
Whatever you decide, make sure you tell yourself how fab you are! Give yourself that little affirmation with your self care routine - that hey, I look great today.
If you need any more advice, or guidance, be sure to send me a message >>>
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