Why I started Better Not Younger

There has been such a great reaction from people about starting Better Not Younger. Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate such a response. One of the best outcomes has been that I’ve had friends get in touch that I hadn’t spoken to in years. That wasn’t something I ever considered happening and I feel enormously grateful.

Amongst all the catching up, there has been one consistent question: "Why?"

People have been asking about the brand and why I started it. So, I thought I would write about what led me here. In many ways, this has been and will continue to be an incredible journey.

I certainly never expected to be doing what I am doing now so I will try and document it here on this blog and hopefully it can inspire people to take a risk on something they believe in as well.

I have worked in beauty for decades. Pantene, Herbal Essences, L’Oreal Paris, Maybelline. I’ve led innovations, I traveled the world and I’ve loved every minute of it. I met great people and made lifelong friends.

After 25 years in the beauty industry in P&G and L’Oreal. In Spain, the US and Latin America, and with my family settled and my children no longer at home.

Anyone close to me would have said that I should stay in my comfortable well-paid job and close out my career.

Instead, I am becoming a fiftypreneur!

I’m doing things that I’ve never done before. I’m taking financial risks. I’m putting pressure on my home life and my relationships. I’m working day and night.

From the outside, I might sound like I am having a mid-life crisis - but I prefer to call it a mid-life renaissance! And I know it is the right thing to do because I haven’t been this excited about something for a long time.

Growing up in the beauty industry, you do start becoming much more aware of your age. Every target audience reads 15-44 and in the last few years, I realized how I was, for the most part, working on products and brands that didn’t reflect my values.

Once you peel back the layers, you start to see clearly the ageism that permeates the industry.

The myopic narrative about aging and beauty.

The obsession with youth and the damage that this does to women.

You also notice the effort that goes into creating products for younger women vs older women.

Trust me, to the R&D departments at the big brands, older women are an afterthought.

When I started struggling to find products that could work with my changing hair, the idea for Better Not Younger really came to fruition. I wanted to create a brand for women who believe that beauty is not defined by age. A brand that would address the changes that women’s hair face as they age.

All my years in the industry told me that the product has to be the best.

I’ve drawn on all my experience, all my contacts. I’ve taken the best of what the industry has, in order to try and counter the worst of it.

We’re on a mission to change the industry. It feels so good to be excited again!