Vichy Laboratories has over 19 years of dedicated scientific research and development into menopause diagnosis and education to help people feel better equipped and speak openly about their experiences (it also has a dedicated skincare range specifically formulated for the three stages of the menopause, the Neovadiol collection). The range was created in response to the changes the skin goes through during the various stages of the menopause to ensure people are given the products needed to help them to look and feel their best. Which is why we're partnering with Vichy to help break the menopause taboo. Here, we speak to women at all stages of midlife about why the best is yet to come and why life really does start at 40. What’s it really like to get older? Georgie Abay explores life past 40, how to embrace getting older and why the best is yet to come.

“It’s a commonly-held belief that we become invisible as we age, but what became apparent to me through interviewing dozens of women – both well-known and not-so-well-known – was that visibility is a state of mind, and a reflection of the confidence we feel within. It comes from a sense of personal power or agency,” says Kelly Doust, the author of The Power Age A Celebration of Life’s Second Act. 

“I’ve met women who command a room just by entering it, age irrelevant. It’s all about whether you feel worthy of commanding attention. If you feel people are treating you differently, it’s probably because you’re suffering a crisis of confidence,” explains Doust. 

If you’re suffering from a lack of confidence, you’re far from alone. We live in a youth-obsessed culture – and it’s about time we started celebrating life after 40 and beyond (because frankly, over the years it has dawned on me that ageing is an enormous privilege and not everyone gets to do it). The power age, explains Doust, refers to that time in our lives when, as women, we can fully step into our own power and be who we were always meant to be and this happens usually from forty or fifty years of age onwards. “It happens earlier for some, but midlife is a particularly potent time for identifying ourselves; we’ve been through enough ups and downs to develop resilience, strength and the ability to focus upon what really matters. It’s also a time when we’re more experienced in our careers, savvier at life, and better at knowing what works for us and what doesn’t. It’s a great time to embrace the lives we’ve created for a whole new stage – or to change everything up,” she says. 

Dr Shahzadi Harper runs the Harper Clinic in London, and specialises in menopause. "We all grow up thinking negatively about ageing and when we go into midlife – we often see it as end of life because of how society has portrayed midlife for women. Ageing doesn’t have to be negative and about giving up, it can be aspirational. And that’s how I help women to accept it, you can still achieve a lot. You just need to look at it slightly differently. You can still be aspirational and you don’t have to accept being old but you can accept ageing positively. It’s about changing your mindset and seeing it in a positive light – that’s how I help my clients," she says.

And she walks her talk. So far, the forties have been the most exciting decade of her life. She created her clinic. She found her voice. "I realised I am good at what I do. I feel the sexiest I have ever felt in my life. I have confidence in myself as a woman – it's the first time I’ve got that," she says.

Saska Graville, the co-founder of MPowered Women - a UK-based community of doctors, wellbeing experts and brilliant women to power you through menopause - also believes we’re moving away from the invisibility of older women. “I think this is changing,” she says. “At MPowered, we want to reinvent midlife for this generation, and the next. We celebrate midlife as a brilliant age to be a woman - you just have a few health challenges that you need to educate yourself about. I have experienced anxiety, but I haven't experienced invisibility. In fact, I feel more sure of myself and my place in the world than I did at a younger age. Each woman will find her own path to feeling her best self, but for me it's a combination of HRT, regular exercise, drinking less alcohol and keeping myself engaged with work that stimulates and excites me. I'm 54 now but I'm still learning and challenging myself.”

For Australian creative Nadine Bush, turning 50 was lifechanging. “Two years ago, I joined a modelling agency and they found me work pretty much straight away. I’d always been self-conscious about being photographed, but turning 50 was like having a light switched on inside me and I no longer care what other people think of me,” she says. Nadine follows the Japanese philosophy of Wabi Sabi. “This is a concept or an aesthetic that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the cycle of growth and decay. If a teacup becomes cracked through daily use, that crack is looked at as a thing of beauty, this crack might even be filled in with gold to highlight the imperfection. I like this way of looking at life,” she says. 

“There's a confidence that comes with midlife,” agrees Graville. “You know yourself well and you know what you want (and don't want). You know what your values are by this age. It's also a relief to shake off some of the insecurities that I had when I was younger - although I haven't quite managed to get rid of all of them! I still feel ambitious for my life, I'm not done yet. There are adventures still to be had!”. Like Bush, Graville also loved turning 50 and saw it as a significant turning point in her life. “I had parties in London and Sydney, I was determined to really celebrate it. By this age, we've all had a few friends who didn't make it this far, so 50 feels like a privilege.” Through MPowered Women, she talks about the ‘Midlife Reset’ that happens around 50. “It's a brilliant opportunity to look at what your life has been so far, and what you want it to be for the next phase. Most of us are still (hopefully) going to be around for a long time, and there might be changes that we want to make in our work/life/relationships etc. Now is the time! I love that about midlife, there are so many possibilities,” she says.  

American actress Sharon Stone shows us that ageing is not only a privilege, but that self-care as we age is non-negotiable. In other words, we need to take care of our skin properly as we get older. Genetics might be at play, sure, but Stone is case in point that caring for your skin is part of ageing with confidence – like anything in life, the more we put in, the more we get back (you can read more about caring for menopausal skin below). “I never guessed I’d be happy turning 60. Let’s be real, it’s old. But it’s the greatest achievement for me because there was a time, I was sure if I’d make 50,” she says. Two decades ago, Stone had a brain bleed and stroke which lasted nine days. She was given a 5% chance of survival. “It wasn’t diet or lifestyle. Sometimes the brain malfunctions and mine malfunctioned in a big way,” she says. 

It’s a sentiment that Michelle Obama echoes: “Becoming who we are is an ongoing process, and thank God – because where’s the fun in waking up one day and deciding there’s nowhere left to go?”. 

While researching her book, Doust found that women in their 50s and 60s are substantially happier than they’ve been for some time. “We know happiness and satisfaction dips in our 40s when career and family tend to take centre stage and leave us feeling stretched too thin, but it peaks again in our 50s,” she says. “This period of life can be a wonderful time to take stock, appreciate all you have and make tweaks so that your life reflects what you imagine. With self-acceptance – learning to like or even love yourself – this can be a better time than any other that’s come before.” And why stop at 50? Last year, actor Judi Dench fronted the cover of British Vogue – at 85 she made history as Vogue’s oldest cover star ever. 

 The point is, the best is, truly, yet to come. We don’t have a minute to of this precious life to waste. And it’s never too late to change direction or try something new. “A great life is always there for the taking,” says Doust. “Stop caring so much about what other people think. Value and back yourself. Be bold. Boomer women have rewritten the script on ageing and are doing so better than any generation that has ever come before, so take heart from that and follow your own path.” 

And when in doubt, there’s always Oprah to turn to (64 but who’s counting the years?). “The way I see it, every year can be a brand new journey. Think about it: You get one chance to be 25, 38, 44, 61 and every age before and between. Why wouldn’t you want to experience all the wonder in each step on your path?”.  And if Oprah doesn’t convince you, Jane Fonda will. “I love age. It was Picasso who said that it takes a long time to become young. I like being over the hill because I’ve discovered there’s a whole new landscape.” 

Looks like it’s time to get celebrating. Or pivoting. There’s always time for a new chapter, no matter what age you are. Bring on 40.

Caring for your skin during menopause

As we age – and especially as we enter menopause - it’s important we adjust our skincare regime accordingly. Skin dramatically effects self-confidence and when you’re battling adult acne at 40+ (you can thank a drop in estrogen levels for this), it’s hard to feel good about yourself. According to Vichy Laboratories, during perimenopause, you may experience breakouts and acne for the same reason you do during your teenage years. Hello hormones. Changes to your hormone levels and your body producing too much androgen (male sex hormones such as testosterone), can impact your skin’s natural defences and skin that was previously balanced can become oily and prone to acne.

There’s also the fact that as hormone levels plummet, your skin can become dry, sallow, and thin (dry skin is in fact, one of the most common menopause skin problems reported by post-menopausal women). Vichy Laboratories says that as your oestrogen levels are also linked to skin-smoothing collagen production, declining levels during and post menopause (by as much as 30 per cent during the first five years) can have a big impact on your skin. You may notice that your skin loses its firmness during menopause and fine lines and wrinkles become permanent.  

So what to do about all of this? How do we amp up our confidence? It’s simple. We take care of our skin. Enter Vichy Neovadiol - a powerful range of products formulated specifically for women during the menopause period and created to meet the unique needs of your skin during this time. In other words, designed to make you feel good during one of the most transformative periods of your life. 

You’ll love Vichy Neovadiol Day Compensating Complex cream – it’s the 1st Vichy anti-aging day cream with a breakthrough Compensating Complex to treat 4 fundamental signs of menopause on skin: loss of density, loss of structure, sagging, and dryness. Vichy Neovadiol Phytosculpt Neck and Face Contour Cream is a firming balm for menopausal skin. Targeting the visible signs of ageing, it visibly reinforces, tightens and redefines neck and face contours. And finally, Vichy Neovadiol Compensating Complex Night Cream is enriched with Pro-Xylane, Glycerine, Hedione and Hyaluronic Acid to help the product leave the skin feeling more elastic and firmer. 

To see the full Vichy Neovadiol range – you can thank us later - click here.

In partnership with Vichy Laboratories

L-R: Vichy Neovadiol Compensating Complex Day Cream for Dry Skin, Vichy Neovadiol Phytosculpt Neck and Face Contour Cream, Vichy Neovadiol Compensating Complex Night Cream