Why it's time to retire the term 'anti-ageing'

As conversations on diversity and inclusion take centre stage, women are trying to redefine what it means to be their best selves

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If there's one term the beauty industry needs to retire, it is "anti-ageing". Having worked in media for three decades, I, too, have been guilty of popularising it. Beauty brands have long embraced this term because it plays on women's insecurities around ageing, reinforcing the outdated idea that youth equals beauty. Interestingly, the same argument is never applied to men, who are often celebrated for growing wiser and developing more character as they age. For decades, no one questioned its use.

What are you really saying when you use the term "anti-ageing"? Does it mean you're against the process of ageing, the very act of living and breathing? As more conversations on diversity and inclusion take centre stage, there has been a shift in how people perceive age. The fact is, we are living longer and healthier lives, which has led the wellness industry to push another buzzword-longevity. But often, this is just a politically correct way of saying "anti-ageing".

Women today no longer want to be put inside rigid brackets. They don't see age as something to be ashamed of; they simply want to be the best versions of themselves.

STRENGTH FIRST

Fitness expert Sumaya Dalmia, 47, has observed this shift first hand. "It's no longer about reversing the clock but about ageing well. Your biological age can be far younger than your chronological age if you take care of yourself through nutrition, sleep, and exercise," she says.