To think women would be happier in their own skin if they weren't continually told how crap that skin was

[CaraBosse1]

Same applies to body, hair etc

I know everyone on MN claims to look at least 10 years younger so I am that rare beast who thinks I probably look my age - 54. And that wouldn't be a problem if we weren't continually given the message that lines and wrinkles are A Bad Thing. No they're not- some if us will get them even if we avoud the sun , follow a skin care regime, don't smoke and drink plenty of fucking water.

It's a natural part of ageing for some of us. But I think the pressure is worse nowadays because of Botox, fillers, whatever being - if the media is to be believed, commonplace. I just don't want to be made to feel shit about myself.

End of rant for now

Yeah, don’t worry, this:
‘I know everyone on MN claims to look at least 10 years younger’
is a load of shite.

The vast majority of people look roughly the age they are. Which would make sense, logically.

Hear hear. I have just once in my life (at a school fund raising event) had a facial. The beautician spent 20 minutes smearing an assortment of chemicals on my face, stripping my skin of every known natural substance and replacing them with goodness knows what. And then proudly announced that my skin was in a "beautiful, natural state". Madness.

My skin is my skin. I quite like being middle aged. The pressure is off and I can look how I want.

Everyone on MN does not claim they look ten years older than they are. Hyperbole does not help the case you make about the pressure on women to look young.

No-one can make you feel shit about yourself, or feel anything actually - you own your feelings.

YANBU.

The cosmetics industry has to create a need in order to produce and sell products to fill it. If we were all happy and comfortable in our skin we wouldn't be spending billions on skincare, makeup, expensive shampoo, razors and wax, would we?

It's transparent and it works.

Oh I don't know, I'm regularly told I look 10 years younger than my actual age, in fact a colleague of 2 years was shocked to find out my age last week, they thought I was 35 when I am in fact 45. It's probably because i have oily skin, I do suffer horrendously painful cystic acne though and would take wrinkles over that any day. Other than the breakouts though I'm very happy in my own skin. I feel sorry for young women today with the pressure to look permanently photo shopped. I had a rare night out in town recently and it was like a sea of fake eyelashes/hair/lips/tan. Felt like i was on the set of towie.

echt’s post followed by NoMore’s

I rest my case. For every thread about how old people look, you’ll get 20 ‘I look SO young, everyone thinks I was a teenage mum and professionally I don’t get taken seriously, it’s SO ANNOYING’ to one ‘I think I look about my age’.

Doesn’t seem likely.

most of this shit is self inflicted

i look about my age because thats how old i am

i have no idea about how old celebrity X is or what work she's had done because i dont read any of that crap or watch that crap tv. but then some seem to watch /read it so that they can judge someone they dont know and then this gives them paranoia that everybody is judging them too, when realistically noone gives a toss

I used to work with a 19 year old who got up at 6.00am every morning because her make-up took her 2 hours to put on. We worked in a call centre ffs! Non of the customers could see her 😕

I actually felt a bit sad that she was under so much pressure she felt the need to give over so much of her time to apply her 'mask'

I don't use skincare products. I think they're a load of bollox. I think I'd look the same with them.

Meh, I often get told I look younger than I am. I'm 29 and often get told I look like I'm 21/22.

When I applied for my current job (I was 27) my boss said if he hadn't seen my CV he would have thought I was 19.

I also never use skincare products - I just wash my face in the shower and that's it. I don't use creams or moisturisers or toners and I'm not convinced they really make a difference.

Agerbilatemycardigan Perhaps she enjoyed it? Not everyone wears makeup for someone else's benefit. A lot of us enjoy it because it's a chance to be creative and spend some time on ourselves de stressing and pampering. I often wear full makeup for a day in the office when I'll be alone, it's nothing to do with whether others will see or approve.

I do use skincare products btw, they're essential for me to keep my skin nice. Without them it gets dry and tight and I get mild spots. I also find the right products makes my skin very smooth and clear and a great base for makeup.

But I disagree you need to spend a lot, my holy grail products are neutrogrena facial scrub in the morning followed by Superdrug hydrating night serum, evening it's no 7 hot cloth cleanser and same serum again, and a cheap boots eye cream. Total: around £20. I've tried expensive stuff and nothing works as well.

But 80% is genetics, lifestyle (drinking, smoking, sun exposure), diet and water intake, skincare can help the last 20% of the picture but doesn't work miracles if you're not taking care from the inside!

Same stickytoffeevodka, I'm 29 and usually get '21-23', get IDed a lot still. I thought I'd look like a proper grown up by this age but apparently not! Not making it up either, what would I have to gain by pretending this is the case? PP seem a bit snide about posters who complain or state this buf it does happen. And I've seen loads post they look their age or older!

Plenty of skincare products work extremely well, plenty don't.

I'm happy in my skin now, but it took years to find a combination of products to stop my skin breaking out all the time.

I use a 'fancy' face wash and exfoliator and a £5 moisturiser. When I deviate from these products my spots start appearing. Adult acne is awful and can make you feel utterly hideous.

I'm 39 and expect I look it which doesn't bother me at all. I being happy with how you look is more important than how old you look.

All a massive con IMO. I use no face products whatsoever. Wash face in shower, that’s it. No makeup, no products, nothing. I don’t have nice skin or really bad skin, it’s just ordinary. Products, aside from those used medicinally, as all completely pointless and massively expensive. I don’t give a shit if I look my age or even older. Why would I?

I went to Africa and realised after a few days how I wasn't bombarded with images of how I should look, even when out shopping. It was brilliant. I tried on a pair of jeans in the Levi shop and moaned that I looked fat in them. The young male shop assistant told me off

Meh, I often get told I look younger than I am. I'm 29 and often get told I look like I'm 21/22.
Yeah I was like that. .until I turned 39 and then all the years I hadn't been showing whomped all over my face!
Although, it was usually men who told me they thought I was 19..hmm
You're not wrong OP. It particularly pisses me off when female celebs are described as looking great if they look younger than they are. If they are 60 and look 60 it's like they have failed in some important way!

I have no doubt it'll catch up with me one day!

But I don't see why some people get so offended when others say they look younger than they are. It's the truth - some people will look younger, some older and the rest around the right age.

That's just how life works isn't it?

I don't think they get offended. More irritated. It's the whole "oh it's so embarrassing I look like a teenager " tinkly laugh shtick.

Alan Sugar was always saying he wanted a slice of the skincare business _ it's the massive profit margin that appealed! Anything advertised widely has to have a big profit margin. I don't want to pay for that tbh.

Eating plenty of veg keeps my skin looking better. By the end of the fortnight I ran out of carrots etc my skin looked grey.

I don’t think skincare is a con by the way. I used to wash my face in the shower and my skin was fine, but a bit dry sometimes, the odd spots and no real glow.

I started using cleanser, toner and moisturiser about a month or two ago and my skin is smooth and looks better than I’ve ever seen it.

I’m 30 and always tired (6 month old bad sleeper) yet I look better than I did a year ago (when I exercised regularly, cooked from scratch every day, drank less coffee).

(But no, I don’t regularly comments with people asking me where my mum is or confusing me with a teenager. And I still get ID’d for alcohol).

It's not a con, and there are ingredients that can make a difference. But it's hugely profitable and potentially a money sink, particularly for women.

Also btw the getting IDed thing is because the UK is an insanely draconian place when it comes to getting IDed. "Challenge 25", wtf is that about? The age is 18 so why are you IDing people you think look 23?

Go to Italy and nobody will be IDing you.

I often say people look young when what I mean is they look fresh faced. Its very very rare that someone who is 45 ACTUALLY looks like they are 35. They just look like a freshfaced 45.

Theres too much pressure on women. You're allowed to age. Who really cares.

I think the rise of getting subtle work done is worrying. Same with how commonplace getting nosr or boob jobs is these days.

People are free to do what they want with their bodies obviously. But when its "normal" women getting work done rather than it just being something crazy that celebs do, it changes the standards of beauty for everyday working people and i dont think thats healthy.

I have found skincare and makeup very useful at times when I was a bit ill. It helped me fake it til I made it!