Sexy senior citizens

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According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics the number of people aged 65 plus increased by 63,100 people in the year to June 2005, meaning there’s a massive 2.7 million people in that age bracket in Australia. In the 20 years since June 1985, the proportion of older Australians increased from 10.3 per cent to 13.1 per cent. Demographers know it. The Government knows it and now the beauty business knows it too. Populations in the Western world are ageing at an incredibly rapid rate.

The beauty business, always at the forefront of social change, is starting to sit up and take notice. Now that baby boomers are turning 60 they’re demanding a completely different approach to beauty and skin care than their mothers did. Not content to age gracefully, today’s 60-year-old wants to look 50 and not only is she prepared to do what it takes to get there, she also has the disposable cash to pay for it. “It’s no longer enough to have a one-size-fits-all approach to the anti-aging needs of all women”, says James Rickards, group brand manager for skincare at L’Oréal Paris. Rather, cosmetic companies are discovering that baby boomer women represent an entirely new consumer category.

The cosmetic industry has been peddling ‘mature skin’ products to older women for more than a decade, but these products have traditionally been all about targeting fine lines and wrinkles, as well as treating some of the symptoms of post-menopausal skin. What no-one, until very recently, bargained on was that grandmothers are still very interested in protecting their assets. It turns out that the flower power girls of the sixties want to be the sexy senior citizens of the naughties.

Tina Cooke, public relations manager at Estée Lauder says the over-sixties “want to stay looking as young as possible for as long as possible, so they are open to the idea of anti-ageing products”. That said, this demographic is also wary of spending money on products that don’t perform. Wendy Finlay, head of education and development at Clarins, says, “This particular market will remain true to a brand if they believe it achieves results. They’re not always easily convinced by the razzle dazzle of product claims. They are sophisticated, savvy purchasers who want information.”

Cosmetic companies are now racing to produce products that exactly target the skin care needs of post-60 skin, keen to meet the requirements of this new, powerful group of beauty consumers. As a result, a swag of new products are being released, variously aiming to slow down the effects of the dryness, thinness, pigmentation, loss of tone, density and suppleness that’s associated with elderly skin conditions.

Lancôme
In its efforts to hone in on the needs of this valuable consumer group, Lancôme has surveyed more than 10,000 women from around the world. Its findings revealed that mature women want products to help restore their skin’s tone and lift, and to give it renewed freshness, firmness and radiance. The Lancôme Research and Innovation Laboratories were among the first to discover the significant role calcium plays in the skin. At age 60 the skin, like the bones, has to combat a dramatic reduction in this mineral. Known as ‘dermoporosis’, this reduction has a drying effect, making the skin more fragile and less resistant to environmental toxins, bacteria and chemicals. Lancôme’s Platinium Hydroxy (a)-Calcium, $280, is the first product to address this issue. The calcium it contains has an affinity with the skin cells, making it easier to absorb and it also has an SPF 15.

L’Oréal Paris
Lancôme’s big sister company, L’Oréal Paris, is responsible for some pretty amazing discoveries of its own. The company works on the premise that collagen is an important factor in the skin, responsible for firmness and thickness. The arrival of menopause slows down the natural production process and therefore skin starts to deteriorate. L’Oréal has two complementary solutions to this problem on the market - Age Perfect Day, $25.95, is boosted with collagen to help stimulate the natural production of collagen while ReNoviste Anti-Ageing Glycolic Peel Kit, $39.95, contains acid that permeates the skin, stimulates fibroblasts and adds to the collagen producing effects.

Clinique
Over at Clinique, the key product in the company’s arsenal of 60-plus products is the Repairwear Intensive Night Cream Very Dry Skin Formula, $75. This product is a night cream that works to rejuvenate the skin while you sleep. Yeast extract helps to reactivate the skin’s natural metabolic process, birch extract helps skin increase its lipid production while phytosphingosine, linoleic acid, wheat germ and barley extracts work together to help prevent dehydration. Clinique communications manager Danielle Lill says, “Age is just a number! Through these products we strive to help customers look the age they feel, not the age they are.”

Estée Lauder
Estée Lauder believes the lack of elasticity in aging skin is due to the skin’s energy loss. In an effort to counter this, the company has developed Resiliance Lift Extreme Ultra Firming Creme, $95, to help women over 40 fight the “three pillars of ageing.” Also known as environmental ageing, hormonal ageing and chronological ageing, all of these factors slow down the energy recovery process. Ingredients such as creatine, yeast extract and 5’AMP help to improve the skin’s ability to lift and maintain firmness, as well as to respond and recover more easily from free radical damage. 

Clarins
The focus at Clarins is on the most susceptible area to signs of ageing – the eyes. Total Eye Concentrate, $89 lifts skin with two revolutionary ingredients – dermaxyl and pueraria lobata. Dermaxyl’s fibres are compatible with the skin - similar to a fragment of elastin – and it works to help support the skin fibres where wrinkles are most pronounced. Meanwhile, pueraria lobata helps skin regain its natural ability to retain moisture.

Who is she?
Women in their sixties are in the prime of their lives and although they accept the passing years, they refuse to succumb to old age. They have reached a new phase in life, which they embrace. With more time up their sleeves, they look forward to travel, indulging in their passions and taking good care of themselves. Statistically they will live longer than their parents, are generally more active, have better eating habits and really care about their appearance. Due to their high disposable income, they’re more likely to flaunt an expensive haircut, and to carry a designer ‘it’ bag than a blue rinse and raggedy old string shopper. They want to feel desirable and even have the ability to make younger women jealous.

Words: Erin Whitty