The British Beauty Council is an organisation that was founded to represent the voices, opinions and needs of the British beauty industry.
Today, I received this email from them inviting me to attend this virtual event, so here's the note I sent to their CEO - I'll let you know if I get a reply!
Dear Millie,
Thank you so much for the email regarding the Beyond Bias in Beauty event being run by the British Beauty Council and it is so wonderful to see such events happening.
My business markets only to women over forty and we are one of the most excluded demographics in the beauty industry. Of course, there has been work by brands such as L’Oreal and Dove, and a few smaller brands that share my space but there is tremendous work still to be done for our demographic.
We all applauded Fabulous magazine’s appointment of the gorgeous Tracey McAlpine (@fightingfifty) as an ambassador on their beauty pages. They understand that midlife women are the fastest growing demographic in the world, soon to be the largest demographic in the world and we don’t just want to talk menopause.
And Jo Elvin at YOUMagazine recently ran both fashion and beauty pages exclusively for women over 40. Why? Because the reader reaction to previous forays into this arena were so overwhelmingly positive.
So there is progress, but at the other end we still have challenges.
The brilliant Caroline Hirons (vocally at a menopausal age) was recently quoted in the Emine Saner piece on her in the Guardian as follows:
“She was recently talking to a brand, which she says has been trying to work with her for years, about including one of its products in a menopause skincare kit she is putting together. “They came back and said: ‘No, we don’t want to reach that demographic – we’re shooting for a younger audience.’ And I was like: ‘And you’re happy to say that to me? A menopausal woman? You’re happy for me to sell your product, but not to people my age?’”
Nicola Bonn of @OutspokenBeautyNicola (over 10k Insta followers), is passionate about campaigning to getting shot of the “anti ageing” labels on beauty products which are still prevalent even at new product launches
I see this all the time and I think we both know that some iconic beauty brands, for many years, have been chasing millennials while sending the 40+ woman an “anti ageing” message. Indeed, brands have too often chosen a woman under twenty five to be the face of an “anti ageing” range. You and I both know who they are and how depressing this was.
I realise that some of them are now changing, that they understand the person with the cash in their purse is the older woman, but I also see every day, as I talk to brands about beauty box collaborations with me that many brands are not keen to be associated with us.
It is a shame.
So, while I wish you every success with your event, I can’t also help but note that there is no woman over 40 on the panel. Please, when you are talking inclusivity don’t forget us. We don’t want to anti-age, we want to age well. Just remind your audience of that if you get the opportunity.
Kind regards,
Karen Davis
Founder of TOYL
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Lisa Bell
September 10, 2021
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