It’s a few weeks ago now that I was on a discussion panel with clinical dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting and psychologist Dr Linda Papadopolous for The 30+ Blog Collective (HERE) hosted by Eau Thermale Avene. We were talking about the way the beauty industry fails to connect with older women. There’s a rather old fashioned notion that everything has to be about glamour and perfection – the reality of life for most of us is that those moments are few and far between and it’s not actually something we’re genuinely aspiring to. Partially, it’s because the ‘dream’ the beauty industry is selling is no longer what we search for after counting sheep for hours while we can’t sleep thinking about how much we have to do tomorrow. What we want is skin that’s smooth, glowing and healthy looking with the least possible fuss, and to not be made to feel that anything less than airbrushed perfection is a fail on our part.
Avene PhysioLiftWe are far more educated about our own skin health, ingredients and skin care now. There is just no doubt that it’s thanks to blogs that the world of beauty has changing dimensions; our demands are different, and we really don’t buy into the fiction these days. If you want to chase anti-ageing, if you choose to have Botox or any other non-surgicals (or even a face lift!) or if you want to take each day as it comes, it’s totally up to you. For some women, the anti-ageing route is a very enjoyable thing and yet others are completely defeated by it. There aren’t any rights or wrongs when it comes to making your choices, but there is a fundamental wrong in feeling less worthy or less beautiful because you don’t look ten years younger than you really are. I’ll maintain that it’s not what you do, it’s why you do it that it’s important.
So, when it comes to keeping up your glow and smoothness, if you have sensitive skin, your choices are vastly limited. If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ll know that we’re rather Avene dependent in this household – my daughter has highly sensitive skin (actually, getting less so as she grows up) and with one or two rare exceptions, it’s just about all she can use. So, while the brand caters to very sensitive skin, over time, it’s begun to incorporate skin age concerns. Avene, and I know they won’t mind me saying so, is a good example of how a brand’s attitude is changing to older women, but the packaging hasn’t quite caught up. This is something we’ll see a lot of in 2016 – a back-end attitude shift that the front-end doesn’t match.
So, while Avene hosted a very open and honest discussion on how brands speak to older women, the packaging still talks about ‘youthful’ being a key objective. Nonetheless, the ingredient list has legs in terms of plumping and revitalising skin, containing hyaluronic acid and anti-oxidant Pre-Tocopheryl, while still being suitable for sensitivities. I think we’d all agree that looking less tired is something we’d all like – in fact, now I think about it, the beauty industry often confuses looking knackered with looking old! They aren’t the same. If you’re plumping, brightening and smoothing your skin, then you will definitely look more refreshed than if you weren’t. The ‘lifting’ aspect? It takes a lot for a cream to physically ‘lift’ is all I’m saying – if you’ve tried it and tested it fully, then I’d love to know if you’ve seen a lifting effect.
I am very, very fond of the Avene brand – it’s always helpful for consumers to know that behind the scenes, they’re one of the loveliest, most sincere teams that I know of, trying very hard to adapt to their consumers’ changing attitudes and needs. An emotional connection with a brand is one of the most powerful drivers there is, and if I was a huggy person, I probably would :-).
Look Fantastic has some great offers on the entire Avene PhysioLift range HERE.
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