There are certain buzzwords in the beauty world. Acne-free, shrink pores, repair split ends ? you get the idea. But perhaps no term is more widely used than anti-aging.
That?s what makes Allure?s just-announced decision to refrain from using the term in its pages pretty revolutionary. In a poignant editor?s letter fronting the mag?s latest issue (which just so happens to feature the stunning Helen Mirren as cover star), Editor-in-Chief Michelle Lee calls out, well, all of us really for relying on the term as a marketing ploy. ?Whether we know it or not, we?re subtly reinforcing the message that aging is a condition we need to battle ? think antianxiety meds, antivirus software, or antifungal spray.?
Pointing out that ?language matters,? Lee reminds us that people always tend to place conditions on compliments proffered to anyone over a certain age. ?When talking about a woman over, say, 40, people tend to add qualifiers: ?She looks great…for her age? or ?She?s beautiful…for an older woman.? Catch yourself next time and consider what would happen if you just said, ?She looks great.??
Our September issue, starring #HelenMirren, is the long-awaited, utterly necessary celebration of growing into your own skin ? wrinkles and all. No one is suggesting giving up retinol. But changing the way we think about aging starts with changing the way we talk about aging. With that in mind, and starting with this issue, we are making a resolution to stop using the term ?anti-...