This month I had the good fortune of reaching my 47th year. The past year has brought so many changes, and pleasant things. It has been an interesting year (to say the least), for which I will be forever grateful. I truly believe that it’s a precursor of the things to come. 

Less than a year ago the Beauty Disruptor was born, which placed my life on a whole other trajectory. The creation of the Beauty Disruptor has given me a platform to express my ideas and exert my place as a Gen  X woman in modern society, as well as connect with other women such as myself.

After years of working in the beauty industry, I came to the realization that women over 40 were being phased out, and increasingly marginalised. But I digress…Right before my birthday I started to think about my life as a 40+ woman, the ability to maintain my youthfulness in a society that continues to push aside older women, and navigate in a world that glorifies youth over wisdom.

I’m often asked me how I do it, and what is it exactly that keeps me so young. To be quite honest, it’s a cocktail of things that work together simultaneously like a well oiled machine.  A combination of mindset, healthy lifestyle, clean diet, and a good skincare routine. Oh yeah, and I can’t forget genetics…but that’s a whole other story.  
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I’ve learned a lot of things over the years.  Overall I’ve realised that it’s important to keep oneself happy.  Happiness is the key to prolonging longevity.  I’d like to share some of my thoughts, little rituals and behaviours that have helped me retain my youthfulness for all of these years.  

• Feel the spirit of youthfulness. Youthfulness is a feeling and an attitude. Even though I’m 47, I’ve always believed in my heart that I am 21. I often find me referring to myself as a girl, and you can’t tell me otherwise.  Youth is a feeling.  Affirm “I am youth.”
• Know no bounds. Many people believe that they are limited because of their age.  I’ve always had an "I can do anything" attitude, pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, and evolving always. One’s age shouldn’t be a deterrent to trying new things.  On the contrary, wisdom and experience in life should give one courage to seize fresh opportunities.  Say to yourself, “I am limitless.” 
• Never say never. We never know what’s around corner. Sometimes limiting thoughts and beliefs hinder our own growth. Always allow yourself room to grow and evolve.
• Keep an open minded. It’s important to stay abreast of the times. Abandoning outdated thoughts and ideas will keep you young, and in synch with changing tides. 
• Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. Believe it or not, I love to poke fun at myself. Life’s not that serious! Laughing and joking at one’s own expense is liberating and a definite stress reliever.  
• Dance. I love to dance! I feel happy when I dance. It releases so much pent up energy, and is a good way to get in touch with your soul. Dancing helps to unblock the sacral chakra. Feel the rhythm of the music expressed through yourself by the power of dance.
• Protect your energy. There are a lot of energy vampires out there just waiting to suck the life out you. Remember that your energy is sacred. Do not allow people to project their negativity onto you or penetrate your aura. Not everyone should have access to you. If you practice this, you’ll lead a more peace filled life with less drama and headaches.  Say to yourself, “My energy is sacred.”
• Give up the need to control. The younger version of myself always felt the need to micromanage every aspect her life.  I was always meddling with my life in the hopes of gaining more control, to make things go the way I wanted when I wanted. Thank God for the wisdom that comes with aging! I’ve now relinquished control, and now flow freely with life.  I don’t care as much about the outcome of situations, because I know that the universe will always work things out in my favour. I’ve realized that life is a journey to be enjoyed, and allow myself to be guided by the process. 
• Celebrate yourself. What a blessing it is to be alive, and have the ability to express yourself through divine feminine energy.  I love being a woman! As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to love myself more and celebrate all the qualities I’ve been blessed with. Celebrating oneself is what keeps you alive, feeling vibrant, and connected to this earth.  We each have unique qualities and abilities that deserve to be celebrated.  There are many ways to celebrate oneself.  The key is to do things that uplift you and make you feel good. 
• Allow yourself some grace. We can often be our own worst critic. As human beings, we naturally have a tendency to browbeat ourselves.  This is damaging to the human psyche, and can cause all types of emotional damage. Along my journey I’ve realised that there is no such thing as perfection, so stop seeking it.  Yes, I have goals and aspirations; But Rome wasn’t built in a day.  So I need to work consistently on my goal rather than pushing myself to reach unrealistic deadlines. The validation that we seek exists within, and it’s perfectly normal to be proud of yourself and your accomplishments regardless of how small they may be. Once I stopped beating myself up, I became happier. The imaginary weight that was on my shoulders miraculously lifted.  Giving yourself grace is an act of kindness. It’s funny because we’re often kind to others and not to ourselves. It may take some getting used to, and and a bit of reconditioning.  At first, it might seem weird. But don’t be afraid, go ahead and give yourself the grace you deserve.

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Visible signs of aging can first present themselves in a myriad of ways.  Laxity, moisture loss, changes in texture, and dark spots are all signs that age is setting in. As we age, the skin losses elasticity and dermal water content. This tends to affect menopausal women in particular. Scientific evidence suggests that estrogen deficiencies during and following menopause contribute to visible signs of aging in skin. 

Not to worry.  Aging is a fact of life that happens to all of us.  Though we cannot physically stop the clock from ticking, we can determine how well we age.  There’s no secret that anti-aging creams play a role in helping the skin stay supple and youthful looking.  The market is flooded with all types of anti-aging products from anti-aging  serums,  to wrinkle creams, and  other purported  miracle cures.  

We may not stay young forever, but at least we can age gracefully. ​In the spirit of embracing age, the Beauty Disruptor has compiled a list of the  top 10  anti wrinkle creams.  
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This wrinkle cream is great for those who want to fight premature signs of aging, first signs of aging, and repair sun damage. The Protini Polypeptide Cream works to strengthen the skin barrier, by restoring your skin back to its original state.  This wonder cream combines pymy waterlily, signal peptides, amino acids and growth factors to help improve the skin's texture, tone and firmness.  

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This doctor-developed skincare brand is completely backed by science.  Dr. Barbara Sturm Super Anti-aging Face Cream really works.  It contains purslane, meadow knotweed extract, plankton biopolymers, teprenone (an anti-aging molecule), and hyaluronic acid.  This is one of the best anti-aging creams to reinforce the skin barrier, increase firmness, protect against free radicals, and brighten the skin.  It can be used on both dry and sensitive skin.

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An award-winning anti-aging cream that has been clinically proven to increase hydration, while making the skin supple and brighter. This anti-aging cream for dry skin boosts hydration by up to 248% in 1 hour. Carefully formulated with marine plant extracts, this wrinkle cream really delivers.

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One of the best drugstore anti-aging creams that delivers results.  This retinol anti aging cream is affordable, and definitely won't hurt your pockets. If getting rid of  deep wrinkles is your main concern, then you should try this. Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair is formulated with retinol, glucose complex and hyaluronic acid. It promises to smooth the skin, reduce the appearance of fines and wrinkles. 
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Caudalie, the French masters of vinotherapy have created one of the best natural anti-aging creams on the market. Suitable for vegans and "clean beauty" fanatics, this wrinkle cream is made from 97% natural ingredients. Formulated with vineferine, hyaluronic acid, and TET8 patented technology, this rich cream targets the 8 signs of aging. Premier Cru Anti-Aging Cream smooths the appearance of deep wrinkles, diminishes fine lines, improves elasticity, increases hydration, brightens, and also plumps the skin.  This cream is hands down one of the best anti-aging cream for women in their 40s and 50s.

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An anti-wrinkle cream formulated specifically for those with mature skin. SkinCeuticals A.G.E Interrupter Corrective Wrinkle Cream contains an anti-aging complex that has been proven to stop wrinkles dead in their tracks.  Formulated with 30% Proxylane patented technology, 4% blueberry extract, and 0.2% phytosphingosine, this anti-wrinkle cream increases hydration caused by water loss, delivers vital nutrients to the skin, protects the skin barrier, increases firmness, and diminishes the appearance of wrinkles. 
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Drunk Elephant has formulated an anti-aging cream that specifically addresses irregularity in texture, skin tone, and damage caused by photoaging. A-Passioni Retinol Cream contains 1.0% vegan retinol, peptides, and a host of other superfood-rich ingredients making it a wonderful all-purpose cream to take care of any concern for aging skin. 

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Clarins Extra-Firming Nuit Dry Skin is a rich, luxurious cream packed with all-natural plant extracts to revive dry skin. Extra-Firming Nuit is formulated with desert date, acerola, kangaroo flower, mitracarpus, oat, and hydrated silica of moonstone extract. This wrinkle cream visibly firms, tightens, evens skin tone, and decreases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

Repair fine lines and wrinkles with this anti-aging cream created by this doctor-developed skincare brand. Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic+Retinol Anti-Aging Moisturizer contains retinol, ferulic acid, bakuchiol, and rambutan. This rich cream is packed full with antioxidants to help restore the skin's moisture barrier, increase firmness, plump the skin, and diminish fine lines and wrinkles.
   

Fresh has created one of the best anti-aging creams for night.  The Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Night Cream is a lightweight antioxidant rich cream that helps minimize the early signs of aging.  This anti-aging cream detoxifies the skin while you sleep, giving you are more rested look and youthful glow. Lotus Youth Preserve is an excellent option for people who are experiencing the first signs of aging, and want to add a night cream to their regimen. This is one of the best anti-aging creams for people in their 30s.

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