Have you ever seen social media posts proclaiming that beauty doesn’t last forever? Yes, the very same ones that have two photos juxtapose to each other? One of a young woman with flawless skin and cascading mane and the other of an older woman with a face full of wrinkles? We have been so socially conditioned to believe that beauty is all about youth that we are unable to see the insecurities that this concept perpetuates. The world of advertising and the skincare industry only goes on to amplify this problematic viewpoint. Any more birthdays than your 25th one and you are deemed fit enough only to use anti-aging creams. If a young woman who has barely started her life is relegated to the margins of what comprises beauty, imagine the priority that 50+ women are given by this industry?
Whether 25 or 65, everyone wants to feel beautiful and why shouldn’t they? However, with the socially approved definition of beauty recognizing everything young, there is hardly any room for women who have entered their menopause.
There is good news too among all this despair. The independent movements within the beauty industry have led to the expansion of the definition of beauty. The current movements have tied beauty with overall wellness - both physical and emotional.
Scroll on to find how you can look and feel beautiful when you have blown off 50 or more candles off your birthday cake.
Embrace Aging
Not just the wrinkles, you would experience other signs of aging as well.
The first step to feeling truly beautiful from within is to be comfortable in your skin.
Aging is a normal and inevitable process and no matter what products you use, your chronological age will eventually reflect on you. True comfort comes with truly accepting who you are. Stop fighting the ticking of the clock and embrace the signs of aging.
Breaking Stereotypes
Every year brings a new fashion trend with it. These trends try to slot you in watertight compartments based primarily on your age and appearance. Beauty more than trends, it is an expression of your individuality. By the time you are in your 50s, you know what works for you in terms of hair and makeup. Don’t buckle under pressure to fit in with the crowd. You are not a crowd, you are you. Finally at 50 and beyond you have the confidence to be you. Follow the trend, break the trend, stick to your routine, or experiment with your looks: you can do what you want!
Take Care of your Skin
Let’s be real, being menopausal is far from being pretty. Hot flashes, weight gain, dry skin, frequent urination, and mood swings, it’s excruciatingly exhausting. Your skin takes the beating when menopause strikes. With the dip in estrogen levels, your skin becomes dry, the plummeting collagen results in your skin losing the firmness and you may experience receding hairline due to menopausal induced hair loss. Just because we told you to embrace your age, doesn’t mean you stop caring about it.
- Combat dryness of skin by applying a generous amount of moisturizer at least twice a day and even more if the dryness persists.
- Adopt twice-daily exfoliation that will gently clear your build-up of dirt, debris, and dead skin cells that slows down with age.
- Never forget your sunscreen. UV rays play havoc with your skin and make it dehydrated. Be it 25 or 70, always head out in the sun only after you have applied a broad-spectrum sunscreen.
- For regaining that tautness of your skin, use a skincare product with collagen as its key ingredient.
- To prevent hair loss, keep away from appliances and products that will make your hair brittle and fragile. Use products that are natural and gentle on your hair.
Adopt a Healthy Life Style
All the skincare will be in vain if your lifestyle isn’t healthy. Stress is not only detrimental to your psychological health but to your appearance as well. External manifestations of menopause will only amplify with stress. Meditation, light exercise and healthy eating add quality to your life and help you navigate the tough terrain of menopause.
Aging like a fine wine doesn’t mean you jump on the band wagon of fashion trends that want you to look a certain way! It is all about celebrating the life you have led with panache. Don’t let your age define the way you should look.