I’m not a big fan of the term anti-aging. As I discussed with makeup experts Cindy Joseph and Ariane Poole, I much prefer the term positive aging, as I feel that it better represents how we should approach the aging process.

That said, a few days ago, I received an email from one of the women in our community that made me think long and hard about my position on anti-aging products.

Am I Being Too Hard on Anti-Aging Products?

To summarize, the woman who sent me the email (we’ll call her Stacy), said that she felt I was being too hard on women who use anti-aging products. She went on to argue that women of every age have the right to feel beautiful. “Who are you?” she asked, “To tell other women what they should put on their skin after 60?”

Despite the rocky start, we went on to have a very nice conversation. I explained to her that I had two general complaints with anti-aging skin care products.

The first is that they imply that aging is something that we should fight. I explained that, in my opinion, we should feel free to look our best, without trying to look younger.

The second problem that I have with anti-aging products is that they almost never work as advertised. It’s simply dishonest to show an anti-aging cream on a young woman’s face.

All that said, I definitely understand where Stacy is coming from on this issue. For far too long, older women have been asked to be invisible. As we reach our 60s, we have every right to wear the clothes that we want and choose makeup that makes us feel great. If there is a particular cream or makeup product that makes you feel amazing, go for it!

What’s Your Opinion About Anti-Aging Products?

Since this is a popular topic with our community, I’d love to get your opinion on this. Please take a few minutes to join the conversation. We have so many amazing women in our community and it’s always wonderful to see us learn from each other’s experiences.

What’s your opinion on anti-aging skin care? Do you think that anti-aging messages unfairly push older women to try to look younger? Or, do you, like Stacy, believe that we should embrace anti-aging products? Are there any particular anti-aging products that you have tried that have worked for you? Please join the conversation.