As the owner of an organic beauty brand, it isn’t surprising that I believe ageing should happen naturally.

Not because I judge women who have interventions; far from it. Getting older is not easy.

We value youth and a very specific (and transient) type of beauty so highly, that it’s incredibly hard when we no longer look 21.

But I'd like us to reclaim the notion that beauty only looks one way.

I was out for lunch with a friend the other day. She laughed and I was struck by her laughter lines (less flattering known as ‘crow’s feet’). I was struck by how lovely they are; these testaments to a life lived with joy and fun and how sad it would be to totally erase them, adding as they do to the character of her face.

From the outset, our mission has been to support our skin as it ages, nurturing, nourishing and replenishing the ingredients we most need. Now Odylique is officially going ‘age positive’, and we are determined to embrace the potential and privilege in age (after all Margaret was almost in her 60s before Essential Care - as Odylique was originally known - was even launched).

For healthy ageing and the care of mature skin, the quality of what we put onto, as well as into, our body is very important.

I'd like us to reclaim the notion that beauty only looks one way.

Odylique products contain no synthetic additives and rely entirely on a synergy of pure, natural cold-pressed plant oils and herbs whose high levels of vitamins and other vital nutrients are in a bio-available form that the skin can readily absorb and utilise.

These include vitamins A, C and E to stimulate healthy cell renewal and give vital antioxidant protection against wrinkles, age spots and other skin ageing effects of the sun and pollution, whilst other phytonutrients support cell regeneration and collagen formation for smoother, firmer skin.

We’re not the first brand to launch an anti anti-ageing campaign; many of us in the skincare industry, especially independent beauty brands, are aware of the power of organic and natural skincare to support as opposed to erase age.

But we’ve always consciously avoided tropes like ‘anti-ageing’ on the website and will continue to do so in our content moving forwards. As 40+ women ourselves, we don’t shame others for wanting to look younger, but we also believe that it’s going to take a revolution to ensure that future generations don’t feel the same pressure.

It helps that successful women across the globe are being recognised as talented and beautiful despite (indeed, because) of their age.

In 2019, People Magazine announced Julia Roberts, 49 as their 2017 ‘World’s Most Beautiful Woman’, nearly three decades after she first appeared on the list in her early twenties.

Julia puts her ageless beauty down to her happy home life, not a cream or pill – saying that being settled and comfortable has helped her age gracefully.

I LOVED this brilliant article in Russh magazine, with famous creatives celebrating what they love about getting older.

Inspiring creators like Caroline Hirons, who launched her book ‘Skincare’ at 50 years old is a phenomenon and a woman I follow closely.

Caroline built a devoted social media following, despite the sea of 20-year-olds around her, and is trusted by women of all ages for honest, no-nonsense advice. She’s a matriarch and an expert with decades of experience.

A brilliant example of what older women can achieve when they embrace themselves and their skills without fear.

Jo Fairley and Sarah Stacey are firm friends of our brand and also experts in the industry, founding The Beauty Bible later in life and writing for so many well-regarded outlets I’ve lost count.

Jo is a fan of the ‘slow’ ageing movement, which allows us to stop and enjoy our lives without the pressure to look perfect, focussing instead on wellbeing, health and nutrition

I’m not so keen to try and emulate women like JLo. She’s gorgeous, but I just can’t get on board with the midlife movement trying to build the same pressure to look perfect after 40 that we’ve faced our whole lives.

I believe it’s about understanding our skin, educating ourselves about what we need and which ingredients will really help and valuing the experiences that define our faces as we age.

After all,  a great moisturiser will do wonders. But self confidence and a smile will always do more.