The Better Blog

We've all heard about the ageism and visibility gap that plagues women after 40. These biases are based on a variety of myths that boil down to women being "past their prime" once they hit that magic age of 40. 

But we know that life doesn't stop at 40 for women. As we shared on our Instagram recently, "Age is just the number of years the world has been enjoying you!" Placing rigid restrictions based on age simply makes no logical sense. Every day women over 40 are reinventing themselves, changing the world and proving that age is nothing more than the number of candles on a birthday cake. 

Read on to learn more about 7 biases that women over 40 beat every day and how to love yourself at any age!

We all know that we should use a conditioner every time we wash our hair, especially as we age and our tresses tend to become drier. But just like shampoos, conditioners are not one-size-fits-all. Tailoring your conditioner to your unique hair texture and needs is important to help fix your hair concerns and have you on the road to your best hair yet! 

Whether you're looking for a volumizing conditioner, a conditioner for damaged hair or the best conditioner for curly hair, we've got you! Read on to learn more about the best type of conditioner for your individual hair issues!

We’ve all gone through a phase of thinking we desperately need bangs. While cutting bangs on a whim is rarely a good idea (especially short, blunt bangs), if you have bangs on the brain, consider some of the latest hairstyles with bangs. Long, layered bangs are extremely popular these days, and for good reason. 

These hairstyles with bangs require much less commitment than a short bang does for a few reasons. One, your bangs are longer so the cut isn’t as dramatic. And two, if it turns out these latest hairstyles with bangs aren’t for you, it’ll take less time to grow your hair back out into how you had it before. 

Now when you’re thinking about the latest hairstyles with bangs, you must, of course, look to Hollywood, as the stars are the best inspiration for your next trip to the hair salon. Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry have dabbled in long layered bangs, opting for hairstyles that allow them to sweep their long bangs away from their face when desired. Cynthia Nixon has a piecey, side-swept bang on her pixie cut, and her And Just Like That character has a similar but different side-swept bang, too! Priyanka Chopra also has long bangs that she pulls out from time to time, giving a slight frame to her face. And while her bangs are on the short side of long, you can’t talk about the latest hairstyles with bangs without mentioning Zooey Deschanel. She’s made thick layered bangs part of her signature look. 

For a few trendy takes on the latest hairstyles with bangs, check out Better Not Younger’s ideas ahead. And because it’s not uncommon to experience some buyer’s remorse when trying out bangs, we’ll also get into how long it takes to grow your bangs back out and how to take care of your hair during the process!

Nearly two-thirds of the human body is water. Water plays a key role in digestion, energy levels, skin health and organ function. So it’s no surprise that dehydration taxes our kidneys and liver and can make our skin look dry, dull and uneven. Being dehydrated can even cause symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Water also plays a major role in our hair health. This is why dehydration can make our hair become brittle and prone to breakage, and dehydration can even impact hair loss. 

Read on to learn more about the link between dehydration and hair loss and how to identify dehydration symptoms in your hair!

You might not know what "bubble hair" is, but if you've used heat stylers on damp or wet hair, chances are that you've dealt with the fallout from it. And if you’ve been inconsistent with using a heat protectant before blow-drying, curling or flat-ironing your locks, then you probably have some heat damage, especially at the ends of your hair. But this damage might not technically qualify as bubble hair. So how can you tell the difference? 

Keep reading to learn all about the signs and consequences of bubble hair for your delicate, aging tresses. We discuss whether heat damage causes hair loss and how a heat-damaged hair treatment plan that includes routine trims at the salon and the use of a heat protectant for wet hair are essential in healing your tresses and kicking brittle, damaged hair to the curb!

With aging comes change, but it also brings benefits—like wisdom, confidence and above all, gratitude. It is these gifts of time that inspired Sonsoles Gonzalez to develop Better Not Younger three years ago—and she harnesses these blessings each and every day as she builds a hair-care brand that’s breaking biases around aging and what it means to be a woman in her 40s, 50s and 60s+.

Through Better Not Younger, Sonsoles and her team are pushing boundaries, championing age inclusion and diversity, empowering women and above all, normalizing conversations around menopause and female hair loss.

So who better to chat with than the founder and CEO herself! Better Not Younger has been on an extraordinary journey these past three years—and she’ll be the first to tell you that she owes it all to the amazing community of women who have inspired and supported the brand along the way.

Better Not Younger has made great strides in the clean hair-care movement through the development of plant-based hair products and sulfate-free hair care designed specifically for women over 40. With a mission to enhance—not conceal!—aging hair, Better Not Younger gives women access to high-quality clean hair products that are cruelty-free and designed to improve hair, scalp and inner health.

Keep reading as Sonsoles talks about her secrets to #AgingGratefully, becoming an entrepreneur and building a business in her 50s, and how she believes that it is absolutely possible to look better without looking younger. 

If you're looking for silky, frizz-free hair that lasts through washes, the Brazilian Blowout and other similar keratin treatments are the gold standard—after all, they’ve been go-to treatments many women have turned to since the early 2000s. But as with any permanent or semi-permanent hair treatment that involves chemicals, it's important to research before jumping in headfirst. 

We've heard women asking if the Brazilian Blowout has an age limit or if they can pull off a Brazilian Blowout after menopause. Are Brazilian Blowouts safe for fine, thin hair? For gray hair? 

We are here to tell you that whether you're 40, 50 or 60 years old, there is no Brazilian Blowout or keratin treatment age limit. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are all safe for the delicate disposition of aging hair and its long-term health.

If you’re curious about what these treatments entail, or are confused about their differences (we wouldn't blame you, the names are often used interchangeably!), we have everything you need to know about the Brazilian Blowout vs other keratin treatments for your delicate, aging tress

Without even thinking about it, you might be damaging your hair every single day. That’s a bummer, right? But your go-to hairstyles might not be doing your hair any favors, especially if you’re not using easy protective hairstyles that will keep your strands strong and healthy. 

While some hairstyles may seem obvious as far as damage is concerned, others may not. Pulling your hair into a tight bun will obviously cause some breakage, but does wearing headbands cause hair loss? (More on this later!)

There are many ways you can help your hair stay strong but there are also ways you can stop damage in its tracks and bring your hair back to its healthy state. Even if you’ve been wearing harsh hairstyles for years, you can backtrack by opting for hairstyles for damaged hair or easy protective hairstyles that will show your locks some love. 

Keep reading to find out which everyday hairstyles could be wreaking havoc on your hair so you can switch over to hairstyles for damaged hair that are more protective. 

If you routinely heat style your hair, you probably know that you should use products to protect your hair. There are tons of options on the market, so how do you know what to look for in a quality heat protectant? And why, exactly, do we need to use a heat protectant every time we apply heat to our hair? 

A lot of the reason has to do with the characteristics of aging tresses. As our estrogen levels decrease over time, our scalp produces less sebum, which is the oil that keeps our hair hydrated and strong. This reduced sebum production is why our hair becomes drier and more brittle as we age. We also lose shine and start to see dullness on aging hair. That’s why nourishing ingredients like argan and avocado oils as well as vitamin E in a heat protectant is so important. 

As we age, faithfully using a moisturizing heat protectant spray to protect hair from heat styling is critical. A good heat protectant prevents damage to brittle locks. (Think of it as a sunscreen for your hair!) Better Not Younger's No Remorse Heat Protectant & Taming Spray is a light-weight, hydrating option infused with plant oils and vitamin E to coat strands and create a physical barrier between your hair and the heating element.

Most of us know that there's a correct order to apply our makeup and skincare products. Primer goes underneath our foundation. Sunscreen follows serums and moisturizers to ensure an uninterrupted layer of protection for our skin from harmful UV rays. But many of us are less clear on the ideal order of our hair-care products. 

Should we be using our heat protectant before or after mousse? Does leave-in conditioner or heat protectant come first? Does everyone need a hair oil, hair serum or hair cream? And what about scalp treatments—where do they fit in? Help! 

Don't worry. We’ve compiled a guide to understanding your scalp-care and hair-care products and their ideal order of application. Read on to learn more about different scalp and hair products and their uses in your hair-care routine!

For many of us, the thick, full brows that have been on trend for the past few years are wonderful. During the pandemic, we got to slow down our waxing and plucking routines and give our natural brow follicles a break. 

But for those of us who spent the ‘80s and ‘90s plucking our bold eyebrows into oblivion, this new eyebrow trend hasn't been easy. If you're dealing with lazy brow follicles from years of overplucking, there's good news! You don't have to accept living with sparse, thin brows. Today's eyebrow products provide both color-tinting and brow serums to visibly thicken and define brows with color while you wait for new growth. 

We've got the scoop on how you can grow full, big brows, along with the latest eyebrow trends for full, natural brows to help you give your look a polished update!