Ask The Expert

Do You Look Your Age?

Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought, “Wow, I look old today”? You’re not alone. Research suggests that four out of five women do not look their actual age. But what facial features make you look older than you actually are? We sit down with Eve Mereville, one of the researchers behind Oriflame’s AGE REFLECT study to find out what age really looks like.

First things first: what is the AGE REFLECTTM study?
Since 2012 Oriflame has been conducting comprehensive research into how we perceive age via the ageing journey of our skin. We studied the skin of over 1000 women, spanning geographies, cultures, ethnicities and age groups. From Crow’s feet to wrinkles, to redness, we looked at 23 skin features to determine which of them really influenced the age we look.

And, why did Oriflame decide to conduct research into how we perceive age?
Four out of five women do not look their actual age. Age perception is such a fascinating topic! But it’s also a relatively new science for the beauty industry.
By understanding what drives age perception, we’ve been able to create anti-ageing skin care solutions that target the signs that really matter.


"By understanding what drives age perception, we’ve been able to create anti-ageing skin care solutions that target the signs that really matter."


What were the key findings of the study?
The study revealed 23 principal signs of skin ageing, of which 12 have the biggest impact on how old you look. Interestingly, the importance of these 12 signs differed amongst different ethnicities. For example, skin tone is considered particularly ageing amongst Asian women, with skin dullness and hyperpigmentation having the biggest influence on age perception.

Although uneven skin tone was ageing amongst Caucasian women, wrinkles – particularly around the eye and forehead area - have the biggest impact on age perception. Sagging skin was also found to affect perceived age amongst this group of women, who tend to experience sagging around the mouth and jawline earlier than other ethnicities. 


"Different women manifest different skin concerns at different ages, so suggesting products based on a age is not a sophisticated approach to skincare."

So what happens now? Will Oriflame create new skin care products around the study?
AGE REFLECTTM has given Oriflame a holistic view on age perception, highlighting the major signs of ageing and giving us a wealth of knowledge on which to base and target our technologies.


The 12 signs Of Age Perception 

  1. 1. Localised Redness
  2. 2. Darker Skin Tone
  3. 3. Uneven Skin Tone
  4. 4. Lack of Radiance
  5. 5. Large Pores
  6. 6. Under-eye Wrinkles
  7. 7. Rough Skin
  8. 8. Crow’s Feet
  9. 9. Furrow Lines 
  10. 10. Upper Lip Wrinkles
  11. 11. Forehead Wrinkles 
  12. 12. Nasolabial Sagging or Smile Lines

Words by: Photographs by: Shutterstock

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