In this era of inclusivity and acceptance, the fear of ageing is slowly diminishing. The narrative is shifting away from anti-ageing to ageing well and ageing authentically.
“Consumers these days are a lot more open and they're more positive towards ageing…We've seen that they're not focusing only on fixing problems, they are now embracing ageing and embracing every stage of life,” said Bow Tachamahachai, regional brand director, Shiseido APAC.
When it comes to skin ageing, there is now more emphasis on health and looking healthy rather than aesthetics.
“We have spent a lot of time focusing on lifespan, and we really achieve that now that we're living longer… We’re going to see a lot more work this decade on ‘healthspan’, and what and where we can find solutions for improving it,” said Lisa Carroll, director, Native Extracts.
This new and more positive outlook on ageing is pushing cosmetic firms to look at skin ageing from an entirely new perspective in terms of product development.
Shiseido for instance recently reintroduced its best-selling Ultimune serum which features new research into the significance of blood circulation and its relation to skin health and its overall appearance.
Carroll told CosmeticsDesign-Asia that she believes the category will expand beyond skin care and into hair care and body care, which are still lacking in pro-ageing developments.
“When you're talking to 50-year-olds, it’s a very different story, we've already got three, four, five decades of damage done. So how do we talk to that group now about ageing, and it isn't just about your face, it's your hair, it's your body – it's your health.”
The fundamental overhaul of the category is also prompting the industry to rethink its communications – such as the term ‘anti-ageing’ itself – which is growing more irrelevant with today’s savvy consumers.
“When it comes to the term anti-ageing, more specifically, we believe that over the next three to five years, it might evolve to being more inclusive and more positive. We believe that the term ageless beauty might be more widely used to really encourage them to be more confident and comfortable in their own skin regardless of age,” said Tachamahachai.
To hear more insights from Bow and Lisa on the current advancements that are ready to meet the new and more complex skin ageing needs of consumers, check out the video above.
