How I Feel When Someone Says I Look Good (for my age)

It’s really interesting how my children define a beautiful woman.  I have three sons aged 8, 16, and 17.  They tell me I’m beautiful and there is no association with my age.  What they see is a woman who takes care of herself and cares about others.  A woman who loves animals with a passion and enjoys many different things in life.  I’m fascinated by other cultures and treat people with kindness.  My children don’t notice whether I’ve gained or lost 5 pounds or am wearing a new lipstick.  What’s beautiful to them is who I am and what I stand for.  They see my mother who is in her seventies the same way.  Beauty to them is not based on age and I’m not going to be any less beautiful, to them, because I look different twenty years from now.  It’s too bad everyone can’t see beauty through the eyes of a child.  For the majority of our children, something will change their perception of beauty as they grow older.  That SOMETHING is exactly what I to focus on in this discussion that needs to change!  I’m honored to be a partner in RoC Skincare’s recent campaign, #ForYourAge.

I can’t count the times over the course of the past year someone thought they were complimenting me by saying I look good for my age.  I’m 47 years old.  They are also shocked when I ask them, what does that mean?  Most women who are 47 don’t look good?  The time of looking good is over for the majority of us?  We look good when we are 27 but at 47, it’s not expected?  My heart races as I type this because it’s a big problem within the media and our society.  According to a recent survey for RoC Skincare’s #ForYourAge campaign, 87% of women feel that society expects us to act our age but look younger.  Nearly 1 and 4 women feel it would be worse to admit their age than to share their salary.  I used to think I shouldn’t buy certain makeup products, listen to certain music, or wear my a hair a certain way because it’s not appropriate for my age.  Well, at least people won’t think it is, right?  They might talk about me behind my back and laugh at the things I do.  Should I care?

The moment I turned 35, I felt like I was in a new category of people and classified differently.  The free spirit and enthusiasm I carry with me as a human being was slowly being taken away and invalidated.  It was no longer age appropriate for me to be a free spirit.  That was something hard to face.  Well, here I am 12 years later and I have a different outlook on it.  If someone doesn’t like the things I do and who I am, they can steer clear of my path.  Why should I allow anyone to dictate who I am, how I feel, and what I choose to do?  Why am I only beautiful for my age?  Am I expected to be falling apart at the seams?  Seriously, why is this supposed compliment qualified by age?

I take care of myself and skin care is really important to me.  Do I look younger than my age?  I don’t know, maybe.  People say I do but we always see ourselves differently and we are our own worst critics.

Yes, I do participate in aggressive cosmetic procedures and I’ve shared many blog posts about products and procedures I’ve tried over the years.  I LOVE skin care and  I love science!  That’s why I’m always experimenting.  It’s not because I’m insecure or trying to be someone different.  I’m a very curious person.  Cosmetic procedures and ingredients in skin care are fascinating to me.  You can go back 2 years and read educational posts I’ve published about the benefits of using retinol.  There’s a lot of scientific evidence about retinol and that’s why I’m so interested in it.  When I’m asked what I don’t substitute in my skin care routine, there are two things:  Vitamin C serum and Retinol.  Retinol is a derivative of Vitamin A and the #1 dermatologist recommended cosmetic age-fighting ingredient.

I’m excited to share a new product from RoC® Skincare  RETINOL CORREXION® MAX Daily Hydration Crème, and it’s available at Walmart.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get effective skincare products!