Well that was interesting.
Thank you so much to all of you who took part in our survey about what beauty means to you over the age of 40.
There were twelve questions and the results are fascinating so let's start!
Your #1 beauty concern by 46% is fine lines and wrinkles, followed by uneven skin tone (25.9%) and sagging (24%).
Fine lines and wrinkles are addressed by hydration and facial massage. You need to drink water and hydrate the skin externally, as well as protect from key skin damagers such as the sun and pollution.
Uneven skin tone can be a function of internal inflammation, sun damage and lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol). Key to helping here are retinol based serums (Vitamin A) and dedicated products to help even out skin tone, as well as cleaning up your lifestyle!
QUESTION 2
This question was all about the wording that brands use to try not to offend us. Back in the day "anti aging" was the buzz word and we knew what it meant, but these days it's just slightly offensive. However that isn't the word that you like least, that word is "sagging". Now what we don't know is if we hate it because we recognise the function on our faces or if it just implies something we're not. What do you think? Comments welcome!
QUESTION 3
Which ingredient do you most value in your skincare?
55% of you love Hyaluronic Acid which is an ingredient that helps the skin retain water, so plumps for longer. It helps moisturisers work better, it helps facial oils stay longer on the skin, it's a great ingredient and while is says acid, it's not an ingredient that strips skin.
Vitamin A is also known as Retinol and is one of our best friends as we get older, however, it needs to be treated with respect and you need to build up your skin's tolerance to it. Start with a mild product and build over months from there as sometimes skin reacts to Vitamin A. The other general rule is to use it at night, because sunlight can break down some products on your skin rendering it ineffective, so use it as part of your night care for maximum results.
Vitamin C is an incredible anti-oxidant, worth taking both topically and internally for skin health as we get older.
Vitamin E is both an anti-oxidant and a helper to other ingredients, such as Vitamin A - in short, it helps them to be absorbed better.
Peptides - these help smooth skin are are perfect for skin over 40. Very expensive to make which is why these are in high quality skincare only.
QUESTION 4
What, in your opinion, defines beauty?
Isn't this just a great question? What do you see as beautiful once you're over 40?
Confidence.
Kindness.
Morals, Character, Values.
Wellness.
In that order.
In fact, at TOYL, we believe that beauty products are all about giving you confidence. Over the age of 40 confidence can start to decrease as we have less of the confidence of youth and more experience of life, but beauty products are key to helping women feel great about themselves - in fact, that's the whole point of TOYL, to help you feel great about yourself.
Kindness is beauty. Any of us who have been on the receiving end of kindness know how beautiful it is. Any of you who are kind just remember, we think you are amongst the most beautiful people on the planet.
Morals, Character and Values. It seems we value people who are decent. That means different things to us all but I've got a great friend who says "you can never go wrong doing the right thing" and that's the essence of morals to me.
So, in fact, over 40 we see beauty in all but traditional "beauty". We see it radiate from someone in the form of confidence, kindness, character and how well they look. In short, we see beauty in the whole person, not in just a visual aspect and we should all take great heart in this.
QUESTION 5
DO YOU FEEL ANY OF THESE PHRASES RESONATE WITH YOU?
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is the phrase that most resonates with you and doesn't that just tie in with what was said before? If we see confidence, kindness, wellness and decent character in someone we see beauty, and that combination is different for all of us.
QUESTION 6
When it comes to makeup and skincare what is the most important factor to you?
Make up and Skincare are important to you because they enhance your appearance. I'm going to stretch this (not too much) and say that you want to enhance your appearance because it makes you feel more confident and happier about facing the day, which is the third winner. The other key point is that you feel it keeps your skin healthy, so the choice of skincare is very important to you to ensure that you are feeding your skin well.
Many of you felt it part of a self care routine, many of you liked how the products smell, feel and act on your face and who's to say you're wrong? Nothing beats a relaxing evening with a face mask and a bit of a pamper.
Part 2 soon!
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