Are attitudes towards ageing and beauty finally changing?
This year’s Paris Fashion Week was awash with beautiful and cutting-edge designs, as ever, but there was also a notable addition to the catwalk in February 2024: the amount of silver-haired models and front-row attendees.
“Beauty has no age, beauty has no boundaries, this was a moment,” according to Olivier Rousteing, creative director at Balmain, who featured Axelle Doué, Nadja La Ganza and Kristina de Coninck, all over 60, in the Balmain show.
It’s “a moment” because, historically, older women have been sidelined by the beauty industry, a sector obsessed with youth and how to bottle it.
Yet, on and off the catwalk, there are signs of change.
There has been a definite increase in the number of “older” stars featuring in beauty and fashion campaigns, with Maggie Smith modelling for Loewe and Helen Mirren fronting campaigns for L’Oreal. In an interview, Mirren told Elle that “when I was in my 20s, there was no way a woman of my age [now] would be a spokesperson for a beauty-product company.” The Oscar-winner has been joined in these campaigns by Andie MacDowell, 66, and both Hollywood stars have opted to stop dying their hair and “embrace the grey”, with fashion editors proclaiming that “grey hair has never looked so stylish”.
Last year, 61-year-old Jennifer Coolidge appeared in e.l.f Cosmetics’ commercial at the Super Bowl, the most high-profile advertising slot of the year, while And Just Like That, the highly anticipated Sex and the City sequel series, has put the lives of a group of 50+ women centre stage.
It may not be a revolution, but it’s a start.
Embracing the signs of ageing
As a whole, people are now living longer, healthier lives, helping to shift the perception of what we now see as “old”, alongside a tacit acknowledgement that those in the 55+ are a demographic with true spending power.
The beauty industry is also one of many sectors waking up to the fact that they need to get much better at embracing diversity, with many brands moving away from a stereotypical “ideal” that everyone is compared with, which includes recognising the fact that people age.
A recent survey for The Mix found that 42% of British women in this age group saw “greater acceptance of signs of ageing, e.g. wrinkles and grey hair” as the biggest change in the way the industry speaks to older women in the last few years. In the US this was even more pronounced, with 50% choosing this option.
Yet the progression towards greater acceptance of ageing isn’t clear cut.
When asked specifically about the beauty industry and its attitude towards the signs of ageing, more than more than half (52%) of the 55+ women surveyed said the industry was now more focused on combating the signs of ageing, rather than less.
At first these answers seem in opposition to one another, but they actually provide a better understanding a particular challenge for the beauty industry: shifting focus from trying to recapture youth to taking care of skin that naturally ages.
For example, over the last ten years, skincare experts have joined doctors in their heartfelt recommendation of daily SPF to protect the face, proclaiming it as the most important habit to reduce the production of wrinkles. Legendary makeup artist Bobbi Brown, 66, recently told Vogue that she had “made peace” with the lines on her face but wished she’d “been better at applying SPF when she was a teenager”.
While there are signs of an increased demand for cosmetic surgery around the world, the rise is largely reported among younger people, boosted by a demand for lip fillers. The cause of which is regularly attributed to their addiction to social media, rather than necessarily related to combating signs of ageing.
In fact, only 1 in 10 of the 55+ women surveyed by The Mix said that they had seen a big change towards cosmetic “tweakments”. One 55+ woman told us she’d recently had a discussion with friends about the changes in attitudes towards cosmetic surgery. “In the 90s and early 2000s there was a sudden trend for facelifts and botox, with many older women doing really drastic things to their faces to keep themselves looking young”, she explained. Now, there’s a shift towards protection and care, rather than chasing an over-the-top youthful ideal.
Spending power
Some of these changes are a recognition that this is a growing demographic, as most countries face an ageing population, who don’t want to be ignored or made to feel as if ageing is something to be ashamed of. Data released by the UK’s Office for National Statistics predicted that by 2025 there would be 14.1 million 50+ women in the UK, rising to 15.6m in 2040. At the same time, the number of women aged 15 to 49 would shrink from 14.8m to 14.7m.
This 55+ demographic is one that can wield significant spending power and, interestingly, one that is prepared to spend on sustainable products. We found that over half (57%) would spend more on a beauty purchase if it was more sustainable than other products of a similar standard. Although this was driven mostly by the choice of 48% to spend “a little more”, compared with the 8% who would spend “a lot more”. This backs up similar findings from a 2021 survey by Klarna, which found that 31% of Boomers value sustainability when shopping for beauty products, compared with 19% of Gen Z.
The impact
Despite this, the influence of Gen Z on the industry as a whole, and therefore what’s available to older women, can’t be ignored. One 55+ woman explained that while she doesn’t necessarily replicate the routine of skincare obsessed younger generations - she doesn’t have the energy for a multi-step routine before bed - she has noticed the proliferation of skincare in the market, which has led her to try new products.
Gen Z is also driving a shift away from perfection and towards diversity. This younger generation is incredibly focused on wellbeing and self-care. While the larger picture is about looking after mental health, treating the body kindly - be that through a face or hair mask or a relaxing bubble bath - is a big part of that and is feeding into the industry as a whole.
Tackling tough topics
For women over 55, the menopause has a massive impact on their life. The North American Menopause society estimated that by the year 2025, the number of postmenopausal women is expected to rise to 1.1 billion worldwide.
It’s has largely been a taboo subject but discussions are shifting. Recently, there has been a push to recognise the menopauses effects on women, with campaigners calling for it to be understood and more compassionately treated. In the survey, we found that more than 3 in 4 of women aged 55+ believe it’s important that subjects related to women ageing - such as the menopause - are more widely spoken about, across the media, social media and society as a whole. This was particularly prominent in the UK: 85% selected important or somewhat important vs 69% in the US.
The beauty industry has the power to help tackle some of the symptoms, such as dry skin, loss of skin elasticity and thinning hair. There are even a number new brands that have already cottoned on: Pause, a beauty brand for menopausal skin was created by cosmetics expert Rochelle Weitzner, and actress Naomi Watts has produced her own brand that focuses on the symptoms of menopause.
Now what?
The beauty industry is slowly shifting in its attitudes towards 55+ women but there is a long way to go in properly catering to this oft-forgotten demographic. While we are seeing more progressive attitudes towards ageing in advertising - though Helen Mirren and other grey-haired faces remain in the minority - we aren’t seeing that reciprocated in products. For every brand that is “pro ageing” - such as Prai beauty or Retrouvé - there are many more, and particularly mainstream brands, that continue to use “anti-ageing” rhetoric. Implying ageing is something to avoid or keep hidden, rather than a normal part of life.
At the same time, our survey showed a real desire for more open discussions of topics that affect women as they age, particularly the menopause. It’s an evolving landscape and properly addressing the needs of women in this category will need a nuanced and careful approach.
Below are five areas that can fuel greater understanding of 55+ women in the industry, which we have begun to research. Get in touch to find out more.
A deep exploration of their beauty needs.
Understanding what women in this category want from their products. Do they want products that address specific ageing skin concerns? All-rounders for simplicity or something that feels indulgent? How do those needs change as they age?
How best to communicate with this demographic. If the industry is going to shift its products and campaigns to better cater to mature individuals, it needs a deeper understanding of where this category gets their beauty information, how they consume beauty content and what influences their decisions.
Understanding what sustainability means to the 55+ demographic. Learning more about their sustainability preferences, concerns, and willingness to invest in eco-friendly products can guide brands toward responsible practices that appeal to this audience.
Appreciating how they see themselves. If the beauty industry wants to be better at representing this category, then they’ll need to really understand how women see themselves at this age, so they can better reflect that identity authentically in their branding and advertising. When we talk about embracing ageing positively, what does that mean to them?
Awareness of how the menopause affects their relationship with the beauty industry. There is an opportunity for the beauty industry to delve into research regarding the specific needs of menopausal individuals. Developing products that address menopause-related skin and hair changes can fill a gap in the market and foster brand loyalty.