My sister (on the left) is 67 and I'm 62. The only products we use are made by A.S Apothecary. We have very few wrinkles and even less sagging skin, I have a couple of sun spots from years living in the Levant. We both have incredibly healthy, strong skin.
We have a really simple routine - Cleansing Balm, Isle Mist and either Wild Beauty Balm or Unblushing cream in the day and Timeless Beauty Serum at night. I also use the Cleansing Multi Mask perhaps once or twice a week. We wash our bodies and hair with our Shampoo & Body Soaps. That's it. We have been using our products for years - since before the launch of A.S Apothecary. I also make my own perfume, just for me for now. She does the same.
I was reading about a beauty brand called Eucerin, that has been forced to remove a billboard advertisement by the Advertising Standards Agency for making misleading claims. The ad stated that the serum (£49) made you look 5 years younger. There was no independent evidence for this and it was based on what a selection of testers said about themselves.
It made me really cross, so I had a little look at it. First red flag, there's no full ingredient list anywhere on the website. If a brand doesn't publish the full ingredient list, I would never buy the product. It suggests that there is a load of stuff in it that I definitely wouldn't want to put on my skin. This could be the fillers they've used, the preservatives they've chosen, the 'parfum' which is brand-speak for phthalates and synthetic fragrance oils.
Second red flag the key ingredient that they do mention in the headlines for the serum is Thiamidol which acts by blocking the enzyme responsible for producing melanin in the skin. This is useful in cases of hyperpigmentation for a very short time but melanin is actually very important. Melanin creates a natural barrier that absorbs UV rays and it acts to protect skin cells. By inhibiting its production the skin is left defenceless against UV which in turn leads to damaged skin.
As a maker, I am truly depressed by the direction of travel of the majority of beauty brands, by the false or exaggerated claims, the absolute nonsense of the marketing stories and the poor quality of the ingredients. In regard to claims, this serum is a case in point, but it is only a drop in the ocean. Many products give rapid results which are not sustainable because the very ingredients that appear to solve the initial problem create a whole raft of new ones. There is no balance.
The products that we make are beautiful, you won't see an overnight miracle, nor should you. The skin takes time to rebalance itself after years of harsh products. The trick is to create a routine that encourages your skin to help itself, that doesn't disrupt the natural biome, that hydrates and really deeply nourishes, that supports skin structure as you age and that gives it a beautifully healthy glow. What your skin needs is excellent, vital, fresh, organic ingredients, mindful making and small batches so nothing is sold old. These are the keynotes of really good skincare that will see you into your older years looking really good.
Don't chop and change every few weeks, just keep on going and your skin will thank you. Especially around peri-menopause and menopause and for all those glorious years beyond, avoid harsh products and quick fixes, they will not serve you well.
Create a simple routine that works for you and turn it into an opportunity for a few minutes of self care twice a day. Cleanser, Mist, Cream, Balm or Serum.
We have oil cleansers, balm cleansers and the multi-mask which also makes a beautiful cleanser. We have the Rose Mist, the Isle Mist and the Geranium & Witchazel. We have the Unblushing Cream, the Face Cream #3, the Blemish Resolve Cream and the Wild Beauty Balm. For Serums that really make a huge difference we have the Serum #3 and the Timeless Beauty Serum. Every one is so carefully developed and every one feels vital on the skin. All are made by hand, in tiny batches.
I loathe the whole anti-ageing trope that makes women feel rubbish about themselves and undergo ever more invasive procedures. A quick glance at the Met Gala was evidence of how bizarre older women look when artificially filled and plumped, stretched and stapled, botoxed and browned.
There is something quite wonderful about having a face you have lived in, that reflects the love and laughter, grief and heartbreak that a lifetime brings. I look at my face and love the way it is - I'm not young and I don't care. I've lived a life and it shows - hurray!
Anti-ageing need not be the goal, instead, make the skin you have the best it can be. Herbs. flowers, roots, berries, leaves, seaweed and resins in the right hands are more than enough for incredibly lovely skin.
3 comments
I haven’t tried your products yet but do use very natural products and have found the last 10yrs (now 60) I absolutely cannot deal with conventional creams as I feel suffocated and get hot flushes (still!) and hope to try your wonderful products in tge near future. Could I ask how you personally protect your skin from the sun?
I have been using your products for the last 6 months, …I can honestly say the natural ingredients you use are priceless…I have a brighter looking and healthier skin .. keep doing what you’re doing girls , you are very unique in such a fake market!!. Xx
Thank you for this. It can be exhausting being bombarded with the images of women of my age (almost 60) trying to look, or being encouraged to look like women of my daughters’ age (both late 20s). I love the skin I’m in. And yes there are ALL the usual signs of aging, but my goodness we should be celebrating that we have made it to this age! The daily onslaught of such imagery is incredibly undermining of ones sense of health and happiness, and has the undeniable capability of swamping those core values to replace them with a feeling of looking ‘unacceptable’ and too lived in. It’s a travesty that so many skin care brands are allowed to breed off this and that advertising agencies weaponise this uncertainty to sell sell sell. Thank goodness there are folk like you! Anna x