Gwyneth Paltrow: ‘Aging is a wonderful part of life—we become more ourselves’
Whenever Gwyneth Paltrow speaks up about her beauty regimen, it always starts a conversation.
“Dealing with aging is a multi-layered experience. I take good care of my skin, hydrate and exercise, but sometimes a girl needs a little extra help,” writes the beauty and wellness entrepreneur/Oscar-winning actress on her Instagram, referring to Xeomin, a brand of anti-wrinkle injections by Merz Aesthetics.
“I was already a customer. I have been using their products for years; I really was a fan, so when they approached me, oh my goodness, it was an easy alignment,” Gwyneth shares over a video call to members of the Southeast Asian press as, literally, the face of Merz's Confidence To Be campaign, launched alongside the new My Serendipity Journey Exclusively Me campaign.
She describes Xeomin as “a purified version of an anti-wrinkle injection. I really love the results.” She later added in an interview with Bazaar that a “teeny drop” of Xeomin makes her look “less pissed off.”
There are so many women that I admire who age with a lot of grace and comfort with themselves. That’s something that I hope for myself — to feel more beautiful by feeling more myself,
We are living in a more liberal world, but there are still naysayers that decry the very act of even getting anything done.
That specific intersection of feminism, East-meets-West wellness philosophies and a well-researched, natural approach that she has advocated through her lifestyle brand Goop since first launching it as a newsletter in 2008 is still not one without detractors.
She has tried everything from vampire facials to creating her line of clean beauty products. Louder are those who laud the confession: “Thank God somebody said it first!”
“I want to help release that stigma, if I could,” she explains. Gwyneth is normalizing conversations about beauty through her platform, fostering a sense of community. Today, more women are comfortable sharing the beauty and health tips that they love — and that there’s no shame in taking care of yourself.
One stigma she is passionate about dispelling is that a woman is less beautiful as she ages. “There are so many women that I admire who age with a lot of grace and comfort with themselves. That’s something that I hope for myself — to feel more beautiful by feeling more myself,” she says.
Gwyneth turns 49 in September. “Being past 40 helps for self-confidence. When I was younger, I was a lot less confident, but with age comes wisdom. Aging is a wonderful part of life — we become more ourselves.”
Her own tips are holistic in nature. “Love is a very important ingredient in beauty and self-care. Fresh food is very good for the body and skin. Taking walks. I’ve really loved all my extra family time,” she shares. “I believe in getting help here and there on top of skincare, water, sweating, exfoliating, and speaking positively to yourself.”
She adds: “We shine when we’re approaching the world from a very honest place. You have to listen to your own inner voice. You just have to be your own best friend and champion. You are on this earth for a purpose.”
This self-love matches Merz’s goals. “We hope to normalize the conversation of treatments by encouraging people to celebrate their individuality, while also empowering them to enhance their unique features using hyper-personalized treatments,” says Merz Aesthetics Philippines GM Jorge Libanan about the campaign.
It also features stars for every country in the region. Locally, we have actress and author Bela Padilla and the only man in the SEA campaign, actor Tony Labrusca.
It’s reasonable to expect that COVID-era sequestration would eradicate the attention that we pay to our looks, but dermatologists like Dr. Gaile-Robredo Vitas of DermHQ & BeautiqueMD observe the opposite.
“When we used to have meetings face to face, we didn’t really see how we look when we talk, how we react, hence, less chances of noticing our flaws and criticizing ourselves. Seeing ourselves on computer screens makes us self-conscious with how we look and how others see us — from large pores and pigmentation to loss of volume or a less defined jawline — due to having regular meetings and conferences online.”
As soon as clinics have reopened, Dr. Gaile shares, “I have several patients who used to just come in for regular facials pre-pandemic who are now wanting additional, non-invasive treatments such as lasers, microfocused ultrasound, soft tissue fillers and botulinum toxin injections. So far, botulinum toxin injection still ranks as my most-requested procedure.” Merz’s portfolio also includes Belotero fillers to add volume and Ultherapy to tighten skin.
Why beauty is still very much a relevant topic as we try to adapt and live on with the pandemic is clear. With treatments, with skincare, with workouts and eating right, we reclaim control — of ourselves and our lives. “Confidence is a matter of constantly reminding myself to connect to my authentic self,” says Gwyneth. It’s bringing back that confidence to face the present.
Banner photo caption: Gwyneth Paltrow: ““Confidence is a matter of constantly reminding myself to connect to my authentic self.”