Beauty Has No Age Limit!-celebrating Beauty At Any Age
Nearly all women over 50 want to see a change in society’s view on women and aging. In addition, the majority of women believe that if media were reflective of the population, a person would likely believe women over 50 do not exist. These and other observations can be found in the new Dove global report, Beauty Comes of Age. According to the study, there exists a new generation of women who possess a proage attitude, believing they are “too young to be old.”
proage is a global initiative designed to help start an attitudinal change about aging-from negative and fear driven to affirmative and hope driven. In its commitment to widen the narrow definition of beauty, the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty hopes to change the way society views women 50-plus and break down the stereotype that only young is beautiful.
“This generation is poised to redefine youth and age as something more than the number of years lived, but as an essential quality of being alive and thriving in the world,” says Dr. Nancy Etcoff, Harvard University psychologist and a collaborator on the study.
The report explored the stereotypes and associated stigmas felt by women, ages 50 to 64, as related to beauty, appearance, place in society, sexuality and overall fulfillment. It found that it is far too common for 20- and 30-year-old women to be represented in media, advertising and entertainment, while women 40- and 50-plus are virtually ignored.
The report uncovered a new generation of women 50-plus. These women do not view themselves as “older.” Dr. Etcoff said that, “Women over 50 are doing things today that previous generations never thought possible. They are mothers of young children, CEOs of major companies, and students going back to school for advanced degrees. It is time for society to catch up with this new generation.”
Today’s 50-plus women are proage, meaning they are less concerned with looking younger than they are with looking the best for their age. Some of the most encouraging results:
97 percent believe society is less accepting of appearance considerations for women over 50 than their younger counterparts.
The majority of women choose “young” (59 percent) over “old” (16 percent) to describe themselves.
The new Dove proage product line was developed for women who believe that beauty has no age limit. It features a complete collection of skin, hair and deodorant products specially created to meet the unique skin and hair changes connected to the needs of maturing women. The products are not anti-age but proage and include:
Skin care: Products such as face and body cleansers and moisturizers, body lotion and deodorant contain ingredients to help mature skin look more vibrant and luminous.
Hair: A collection of shampoo, conditioner and styling products designed to bring back the fullness and thickness of mature hair without weighing it down.
Underarms: Antiperspirant/Deodorant, which includes a moisturizing lotion to nourish mature skin and help maintain its resiliency.