Why we say well-aging and not anti-aging at wild leaves
- Erin S.
- May 23, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: May 2, 2023
We don’t do “anti-aging” at Wild Leaves. That concept is loaded with so many unspoken subtleties about not being good enough as we age. Nobody needs that. Which is why we are working against those toxic beauty standards to redefine society's standards of aging.
While many of us would love to turn back time on skin aging, the truth is that aging with grace is the way. Well-ageing provides a more holistic – and let’s face it, more realistic – approach to how we treat our skin, our mental health, and our entire being.
Something about “anti-aging” has never sat right with me. It’s a complete counter-productive and false narrative that implies people, especially women, need to fight and work hard to achieve an unrealistic, unobtainable goal. It all sounds pretty stressful, to be honest. That means the approach towards anti-ageing is inherently loaded with stress, which, in itself is an ageing factor, one of the most causative at that.
So, I asked myself: what can I do about ageing? How can aging feel less scary and more easeful? How can we change the narrative? And how can we tap into feeling alive over and over again – and do it with grace. The answer I came up with is well-aging.
For me, well-aging is a way of life. It’s not an ultimate destination or unattainable goal. It’s about feeling alive and integrating rituals, routines, and habits that support a well-ageing process.
As a company supporting rituals around skincare (and other daily routines), this is a big one since aging is associated with our looks. Basically, in this industry, young and youthful = good. Ageing and wrinkles = bad. But it’s long overdue to change our perceptions. And it starts with ageing well.
It has been a widely-held belief that chromosomal factors are the leading determinants of aging. Today, however, research shows that 90% of how our skin ages is actually up to us. Lucky for us, (skin) aging is the result of a more comprehensive array of factors than just having “good” or “bad” genes. These include both external and internal factors as well as how your body responds to them. What impacts our skin can range from UV radiation, air pollution and our environment, to lifestyle, smoking, alcohol, nutrition, stress, sleep deprivation, cosmetics, and more.
Redefining societal norms about aging
It’s a truth that nowadays getting older is associated with fading beauty, sickness, loss, death… All the scary things. The idea of aging can indeed be intimidating and the future can seem pretty bleak if we adhere to this narrative. The skincare industry in particular has ultimately capitalized on society’s collective fear of aging by coming up with scores of “anti-aging” products.
Think about that for a second… ANTI-aging.
Yes, it’s possible to slow down and even curb many of the potential “scary” effects of aging, but I’ve got news. Brace yourself, it’s pretty real: We. Will. All. Age.
Let that sink in for a minute.
You will age. I will age. Our parents will age. Our children will age. There’s nothing “anti” ageing about it.
If we’re lucky, we WILL age. Aging is a gift, ageing is a blessing.
Being proactive about our skin health
I’m going to say something unpopular for those who want a quick fix to ageing well:
Without proactive steps towards creating individual and environmental changes that promote well-ageing, no amount of skincare will work. The concept of ageing well is fundamental to quality of life, and potentially even length of life. Ageing well emphasizes the idea that people can maintain satisfying and healthy lives as they age by exercising, eating well, alkalizing the body, eliminating toxins, spending time outdoors, living a conscientious life, and of course, it can also include good skincare.
Ageing well is a dynamic, interactive process that creates long-term, positive change by allowing you to proactively shape your life. Did you ever notice that the people living fulfilling lives, who smile a lot, laugh loads, spend time with others, and have a healthy diet, are the ones who appear timeless? They don’t fall under an “anti-ageing” category, but definitely age well. In our performance-and-achievement-based society, the great thing about well-ageing is that it takes the pressure out of striving towards an unattainable version of who we are. The concept of well-ageing is meant to guide and support you along your journey rather than stress and frazzle you to make impulse buys or feed into insecurities.
Grounded in nature
At Wild Leaves, we focus on the body’s largest organ as a mirror to our overall well-being. We’re very conscientious about providing a holistic approach to well-ageing, well-being and well, everything (in our range of competence), which is why we are aware that health is so much more than skincare. We have topical skincare products harvested from nature to feed your skin nutrients from the outside in, as well as superfood drinks to support alkalizing and nourishing your skin and body from the inside. We’re still a work in progress but there are many great things in the making so we can meet you exactly where you’re at and support you in being exactly how you are.
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