Over the last five to 10 years women have looked better than ever, according to 66% of U.S. respondents to an Olay (New York) survey. The biggest influences? Genetics, lifestyle and skin quality.
Previously: Marketing Moves for Age Demographics
"[T]he majority of women surveyed indicated that the best compliment they could receive is 'I would have never guessed your age,'" according to Olay.
As chronological age's importance in age perception fades, skin appearance and other factors have become an area of focus.
Further reading: For the Ages: Ingredients Targeted to Different Generations
Yet the pressure remains higher on women than men. According to Olay, 90% of women in the United States agreed that society scrutinizes women's age changes more than it does men. But they overwhelmingly report that society's perceptions of female age is improving and that self-confidence at any age is easier than ever.
Olay's research is more than skin deep, focusing on surveys of genomics and skin aging, featuring 300 women of four ethnicities across six decades of life. In cooperation with 23andMe, the research found "aging tipping points" for various stages of life and discovered the qualities of those identified as "exceptional skin agers" who, due to a combination of lifestyle and genetics, have skin that looks younger than their chronological age.
“This ground-breaking work will continue to drive innovation for years to come,” says Dr. Frauke Neuser, principal Olay scientist, “and opens the door to developing skincare products that can address different genetic aging patterns.”
Watch a video on the Olay skin aging project here.
