• Login
    • Join
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Formulary
    • Exclusives
    • Top Companies
    • Raw Materials
    • End-User
    • Packaging
    • Directories
    • Events
    • Jobs
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Formulary
  • Exclusives
  • Top Companies
  • Raw Materials
  • End-User
  • Packaging
  • Directories
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Current / Back Issues
    Features
    Columns
    Editorial
    Digital Edition
    eNewsletter Archive
    Our Team
    Editorial Guidelines
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    Top Features
    The Top 50

    ACI Prepares for a Busy Second Half of 2022

    Honeywell Technology Boosts Efficiency And Reduces Carbon Footprints

    Protection & Correction: Facial Cosmetics

    Preservatives Market Expands to Maintain Longevity & Quality in Household & Personal Care
    Online Exclusives
    Association News
    Breaking News
    Financial News
    Industry News
    International
    Marketing News
    New Products
    News Front
    Packaging News
    Patents
    Personnel
    Regulations
    Snapshots
    Top News
    Live From Shows
    Top News
    Sustainability Expert Aris Vrettos Joins Croda

    PCA Skin Introduces New Pigment Gel Pro Dark Spot Treatment

    Deadline Nears for NJ Recycled Content Law

    Tupperware Sells Nutrimetics Beauty Brand

    Henkel Closes Shiseido Hair Care Deal
    Blog
    Online Exclusives
    Glossary
    Infographics
    Podcasts
    Whitepapers
    Videos
    Expert's Opinion
    HappiTV
    eBook
    Surveys
    International Top 30 Report
    Top 50 Report
    Top Companies
    Gojo

    Top 50 Companies

    Herbalife

    3. S.C. Johnson

    Chanel
    Actives
    Functional Ingredients
    Pigments
    Polymers
    Preservatives
    Surfactants

    Sustainability Expert Aris Vrettos Joins Croda

    PCA Skin Introduces New Pigment Gel Pro Dark Spot Treatment

    SCOTUS EPA Ruling Won’t Impact General Regulatory Authority

    ACI Prepares for a Busy Second Half of 2022

    Honeywell Technology Boosts Efficiency And Reduces Carbon Footprints
    Air Care/Environmental Fragrance
    AP/Deo
    Color Cosmetics
    Disinfectants
    Fine Fragrance
    Hair Care
    Household Cleaning
    I&I Marketplace
    Laundry Care
    Oral Care
    OTC/Medicated
    Packaging
    Personal Cleansers
    Skin Care
    Sun Care
    Testing

    Sustainability Expert Aris Vrettos Joins Croda

    PCA Skin Introduces New Pigment Gel Pro Dark Spot Treatment

    Deadline Nears for NJ Recycled Content Law

    Tupperware Sells Nutrimetics Beauty Brand

    Henkel Closes Shiseido Hair Care Deal
    Lab Equipment
    Mixing
    Packaging
    Testing

    Deadline Nears for NJ Recycled Content Law

    L’Oréal Paris Has a New Answer For Men with Gray Hair

    Labskin's Microbiome-Friendly+ Seal of Approval Available in the US

    Sustainability Continues To Shape Beauty, Home & Personal Care Packaging

    Technology Cuts Plastic Decomposition from 500 Years to Three Months
    Contract Manufacturing / Private Label Directory
    Buyer's Guide
    Add New Company
    Corporate Profiles
    International Buyers Guide Companies
    Acme-Hardesty

    cosmopak usa

    LipoTrue Inc.

    QRS (Quality Resourcing Services)

    Croda Inc
    Live From Shows
    Meetings
    Webinars
    Snapshots
    • Magazine
      • Current / Back Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Columns
      • Digital Edition
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • Breaking News
    • Formulary
    • Directories
      • Buyer's Guide
      • Contract Manufacturing / Private Label Directory
      • Corporate Profiles
      • Add Your Company
    • Raw Materials
      • Actives
      • Functional Ingredients
      • Pigments
      • Polymers
      • Preservatives
      • Surfactants
    • End-User
      • Air Care/Environmental Fragrance
      • AP/Deo
      • Color Cosmetics
      • Disinfectants
      • Fine Fragrance
      • Hair Care
      • Household Cleaning
      • I&I Marketplace
      • Laundry Care
      • Oral Care
      • OTC/Medicated
      • Packaging
      • Personal Cleansers
      • Skin Care
      • Sun Care
      • Testing
    • Packaging
      • Lab Equipment
      • Mixing
      • Packaging
      • Testing
    • Top Companies
      • International Top 30 Report
      • Top 50 Report
    • Online Exclusives
    • Glossary
    • Experts Opinion
    • Slideshows
    • HappiTV
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Infographics
    • eBook
    • Blog
    • Whitepapers
    • Surveys
      • R & D Salary Survey
      • Sales & Marketing Salary Survey
    • Job Banks
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live from show Events
      • Webinars
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
    Expert's Opinion

    Global Attitudes on Aging: Embracing Aging and Beauty in America

    Cultural differences on aging.

    Global Attitudes on Aging: Embracing Aging and Beauty in America
    Funlayo Onafowokan
    Global Attitudes on Aging: Embracing Aging and Beauty in America
    Maye Musk
    Related CONTENT
    • Reserveage Launches New Pro-Collagen Booster Skincare Collection
    • A Code Red for Humanity: More than 100 Beauty Brands Will Halt Social Media Posts on Sept. 21 In Support of Climate Change Reform
    • TBC Beauty by the Numbers Infographic Series: The Allure of Ulta Beauty
    • Trending Skin Care Ingredients Offer Wellness Benefits
    • Ida Body Care Announces Partnership with Francesca’s
    Funlayo Alabi06.18.18
    When I gaze at my 52-year-old face in the mirror, I see how much I have changed and yet how much I remain essentially the same. Reconciling the issue of aging and beauty is a double-edged sword as a woman who grew up in Nigeria, West Africa but spent the past 35 years living in America. I grew up in a culture where age is celebrated, not hidden. Women enter into their 40s, 50s and 60s with a sense of power and accomplishment. Birthday parties are lavish events where women signal to society that they are no longer merely girls, but women of substance. They enter into their season of maturity expecting to be treated with reverence and respect because of their age. The parties are celebratory, not quiet funeral-like events. There are no over-the-hill jokes; instead you are likely to hear that life begins at 40, 50 or whatever milestone is being celebrated.

    A recurring theme at these milestone birthdays is gratitude and the celebration of living life long enough to enjoy another birthday. Gratitude that you have lived long enough to raise your children from infancy, you’ve gotten them through college and that you get to enjoy them as adults. Africans appreciate life and longevity is celebrated for all its benefits. Less attention is paid to wrinkles, sags and a diminishing waistline. Appearance is less of an issue; influence power and community are higher value assets as a woman enters into her mature years

    Age and Beauty in America
    In America, we have an obsession with youth and perfection that makes it nearly impossible for women to celebrate years of life and accomplishment. The standards of perfection are set so high that even young women in full bloom cannot meet the unrealistic expectations.  Women are urged to fight age, and many feel pressure to lie about their age. Women in public-facing professions are especially vulnerable to anti-aging prejudice. Instead of women feeling more powerful with age, Western society renders them powerless and invisible. Women who base their identity on their youthful looks tend to be the most vilified and traumatized as youth fades.

    According to Naomi Wolf, author of the Beauty Myth, current beauty standards are based around the pillars of youth – baby smooth skin, long lashes, narrow hips, slenderness – features only natural in prepubescent girls. Women are essentially encouraged to aspire to look like children, an appearance closely connected with helplessness, obedience, and malleability.

    Age and Beauty in Europe
    Watching European cinema or TV provides great insights on how women are viewed in France, Italy and other parts of Europe. One aspect that immediately stands out is that there is less of an obsession with perfection and youth in female characters. The women all look beautifully flawed like actual women and by the time their characters are fully developed on screen, their beauty cannot be denied. It is not unusual to see a female character over the age of 50 being portrayed as desirable and beautiful. Women seem to be more comfortable in their skin as they get older.

    In an article written by Elizabeth Siegel for Allure Magazine, a survey of European women on their outlook of what made someone beautiful, women in Spain, Italy, France, and the U.K. ranked personality, confidence, skin, and hair as the five top traits and only one in four women named age as a contributing factor. In that survey, 75% of the women did not mind looking their age, they simply didn’t want to look older than they actually were.

    If there is anything behind a face, that face improves with age.
    Lines show distinction and character: they show that one has lived,
    that one may know something.

     ~ Karen de Crow

    Youth may fade, but true beauty doesn’t. The beauty of youth is a different beauty from that which comes from age and experience. As we age, we grow into a deeper kind of beauty, one which works its way from the inside out. It’s a more authentic and less superficial beauty. It shows through the eyes and the confident way one moves through life. It’s a different beauty because it radiates from within and draws others in. It is a beauty that is more outward focused on building relationships and looking beyond oneself to change the world and make it better.


    About the Expert: 

    Funlayo Alabi is the co-founder of Shea Radiance, a natural beauty brand dedicated to transforming hair, skin, thinking … and lives into something more beautiful than what it was before.Funlayo is a global business leader who speaks domestically and internationally on matters of international business, market and economic access for African women, Africa’s agricultural sector and Shea butter. Funlayo and Shea Radiance were selected to be honored in the 2017 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program offering education, business support services and access to working

     
    capital. Shea Radiance was founded in 2008 by Alabi on the premise that women need to care for themselves and each other.  Shea Radiance crafts artisanal skincare and haircare products that are all-natural with the purest, small-batch, women-sourced shea butter from West Africa as a primary ingredient. Shea Radiance promotes the power of community and empowerment for women around the globe.  For more about the Shea Radiance story, please visit http://www.shearadiance.com. 
    Related Searches
    • natural
    • features
    • skincare
    • shea
    Related Knowledge Center
    • Hair Care
    • Skin Care
    Suggested For You
     Reserveage Launches New Pro-Collagen Booster Skincare Collection Reserveage Launches New Pro-Collagen Booster Skincare Collection
    A Code Red for Humanity: More than 100 Beauty Brands Will Halt Social Media Posts on Sept. 21 In Support of Climate Change Reform A Code Red for Humanity: More than 100 Beauty Brands Will Halt Social Media Posts on Sept. 21 In Support of Climate Change Reform
    TBC Beauty by the Numbers Infographic Series: The Allure of Ulta Beauty TBC Beauty by the Numbers Infographic Series: The Allure of Ulta Beauty
    Trending Skin Care Ingredients Offer Wellness Benefits Trending Skin Care Ingredients Offer Wellness Benefits
    Ida Body Care Announces Partnership with Francesca’s Ida Body Care Announces Partnership with Francesca’s
    Olay To Fight Bias Olay To Fight Bias 'Hidden' in Beauty Algorithms
    Jafra Introduces Six New Products to Skin and Fragrance Lines Jafra Introduces Six New Products to Skin and Fragrance Lines
    Consumer Demand for Perfume Soars Consumer Demand for Perfume Soars
    Mexico Becomes First Country in North America to Outlaw Animal Testing for Cosmetics Mexico Becomes First Country in North America to Outlaw Animal Testing for Cosmetics
    Estée Lauder Partners With Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman on Literacy Initiative Estée Lauder Partners With Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman on Literacy Initiative
    Color Street Foundation Pledges $150,000 For Ovarian Cancer Research Color Street Foundation Pledges $150,000 For Ovarian Cancer Research
    2021 #BrownGirlSwap Grant Competition is Open 2021 #BrownGirlSwap Grant Competition is Open
    Pacific Shaving Company Announces Launch of #ShaveWithPurpose Collection Pacific Shaving Company Announces Launch of #ShaveWithPurpose Collection
    Hims & Hers Appoints First-Ever Chief Growth Officer Amid Strong Q2 Results Hims & Hers Appoints First-Ever Chief Growth Officer Amid Strong Q2 Results
    Elizabeth Corrigan is New Board Chair at The Independent Beauty Association Elizabeth Corrigan is New Board Chair at The Independent Beauty Association

    Related Content

    •  Reserveage Launches New Pro-Collagen Booster Skincare Collection

      Reserveage Launches New Pro-Collagen Booster Skincare Collection

      The clinically-tested, science-backed skincare line features a proprietary formulation of micro-encapsulated copper peptides and nine world-class ingredients.
      09.21.21

    • A Code Red for Humanity: More than 100 Beauty Brands Will Halt Social Media Posts on Sept. 21 In Support of Climate Change Reform

      A Code Red for Humanity: More than 100 Beauty Brands Will Halt Social Media Posts on Sept. 21 In Support of Climate Change Reform

      Versed Skincare Founding President Melanie Bender mobilized dozens of beauty brands to support the CodeRed4Climate campaign aimed to eliminate global warming.
      09.20.21

    • TBC Beauty by the Numbers Infographic Series: The Allure of Ulta Beauty

      TBC Beauty by the Numbers Infographic Series: The Allure of Ulta Beauty

      See why consumers love this retail spot for everything skin care, hair care, body care, makeup, fragrance and more.


    • Skin Care
      Trending Skin Care Ingredients Offer Wellness Benefits

      Trending Skin Care Ingredients Offer Wellness Benefits

      Mushroom, rosehip and other natural components will be big for Fall and Winter 2021, according to Dr. Deborah Lee.
      Dr. Deborah Lee, Dr Fox Online Pharmacy 09.14.21

    • Ida Body Care Announces Partnership with Francesca’s

      Ida Body Care Announces Partnership with Francesca’s

      In select stores country-wide now and online, Francesca’s customers can discover Ida Body Care’s four-step body treatment set.
      09.13.21

      Loading, Please Wait..
      Trending
      • La Roche-Posay Takes Oily Skin To The Matte With Latest Double Repair Moisturizer
      • L’Oréal Paris Has A New Answer For Men With Gray Hair
      • Chillhouse & Sonos Collaborate On Music, Beauty & Selfcare
      • Parfums Christian Dior Launches Sustainability Program
      • Clorox Exits Venezuela
      Breaking News
      • Sustainability Expert Aris Vrettos Joins Croda
      • PCA Skin Introduces New Pigment Gel Pro Dark Spot Treatment
      • Deadline Nears for NJ Recycled Content Law
      • Tupperware Sells Nutrimetics Beauty Brand
      • Henkel Closes Shiseido Hair Care Deal
      View Breaking News >
      CURRENT ISSUE

      July 2022

      • The Top 50
      • American Cleaning Institute Takes on Onerous Regulations
      • Honeywell Technology Boosts Efficiency & Reduces Carbon Footprint
      • Skincare trends in Facial Cosmetics Producs
      • Preservatives for Household and Personal Care Formulas
      • Advancing the Research in Preservation Science

      Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies.
      You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.

      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms And Conditions
      • Contact Us

      follow us

      Subscribe
      Nutraceuticals World

      Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

      CRN Announces New Staff Appointments
      Food Supplements Europe: Most Consumers Use Dietary Supplements Safely
      True Westfjords Launches Dropi Cod Liver Oil Tonic
      Coatings World

      Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

      Waterborne Symposium Issues 2023 Call for Papers
      JNS-SmithChem Acquires Gulf Coast Chemical in Tampa, Florida
      Teknos Makes its Coatings with Help of Solar Power in Rajamäki, Finland
      Medical Product Outsourcing

      Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

      3M to Shed Neoplast, Neobun Brands
      FDA OKs Ra Medical Systems' DABRA 2.0 Catheter
      Hyperfine Leader Dave Scott to Step Down
      Contract Pharma

      Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

      TCG Lifesciences Inaugurates New R&D Facility in Pune
      Fujifilm Investing $1.6B to Expand Cell Culture Manufacturing Services
      Sharp Expands Clinical Services Operations at Heerenveen Facility
      Beauty Packaging

      Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

      Kevyn Aucoin Beauty To Launch Contour Eyeshadow Palettes
      Junoco Promotes #ToBeHuman Campaign
      Old Spice and Arby’s Launch Limited-Edition Meat Sweat Defense Kit
      Happi

      Latest Breaking News From Happi

      Sustainability Expert Aris Vrettos Joins Croda
      PCA Skin Introduces New Pigment Gel Pro Dark Spot Treatment
      Deadline Nears for NJ Recycled Content Law
      Ink World

      Latest Breaking News From Ink World

      BASF Venture Capital Invests in Climentum Capital’s First Fund
      JNS-SmithChem Acquires Tampa-Based Gulf Coast Chemical
      Quad Added to Membership of US Small-Cap Russell 2000 Index
      Label & Narrow Web

      Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

      Optimum Group acquires Labelco
      Provident announces appointment of Jake Garner
      APR announces VP promotions
      Nonwovens Industry

      Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

      Heartland Polymers Begins Polypropylene Production in Alberta
      Malowaniec Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from EDANA
      Weekly Recap: Lifetime Technical Achievement Award Presented to Richard Knowlson, Alkegen Completes Luyang Acquisition & More
      Orthopedic Design & Technology

      Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

      SpineX Begins SCONE Clinical Trial
      First Patient Enrolled in BioRestorative Therapies' Chronic Lumbar Disc Disease Trial
      Zimmer Biomet Creates Independent Philanthropic Non-Profit Coalition
      Printed Electronics Now

      Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

      NREL Scientists Explore How to Make PV Even Greener
      ams OSRAM Announces Closing of Sale of AMLS Business to Plastic Omnium
      Confidex’s Carrier Dual Delivers Shared RAIN RFID and NFC Memory

      Copyright © 2022 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.

      AD BLOCKER DETECTED

      Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
      Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.


      FREE SUBSCRIPTION Already a subscriber? Login