Healthy aging and longevity took center stage at the recent Openstreams Global Beauty Industry Summit, held for the first time at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City last month. Organized by the nonprofit arm of the beauty industry data insight platform BEAUTYSTREAMS, the event brought together thought leaders, innovators, and professionals from the beauty sector to explore how the industry can reshape perceptions of aging and better serve older consumers.
“The Aging Forum” summit emphasized the global challenge of an aging population. As noted on the Openstreams website, “The World Health Organization estimates that those aged 60 and above will reach 2.1 billion by 2050, emphasizing the need for strategic solutions to support an aging world.”
The one-day event featured roundtable discussions whose panelists included Dr. Nadine Pernodet, Senior Vice President, Global Skin Innovation & Technologies, R&D of The Estée Lauder Companies, Dr. Qian Zheng, SVP Global Regenerative Beauty Domain & Advanced Research North America of L’Oréal, and Nicola Palmarini, Director of the UK National Innovation Centre for Ageing.
We interviewed Michael Nolte, Senior Vice President and Creative Director at BEAUTYSTREAMS, for his insights into the forum’s primary objective, challenging misconceptions about aging, including exploring outdated stereotypes and biases that persist in beauty marketing and representation.
“Symbolically, it was very important to us that the summit took place at the United Nations because it is a place of borderless exchange” Nolte told CosmeticsDesign.
This sentiment was echoed by Lan Vu, Founder and CEO of the Openstreams Foundation and BEAUTYSTREAMS, who shared that “the Openstreams Global Beauty Industry Summit is an unparalleled initiative which brings together diverse perspectives, encouraging a comprehensive understanding of industry challenges, particularly around aging, which affects consumers and businesses alike… the summit’s inclusive platform ensures that views from different regions contribute to shaping the industry’s future, leading to more comprehensive and effective solutions.”
According to Nolte, one of the summit’s key takeaways was the need for beauty brands to address a more comprehensive range of consumer expectations to surpass youth-centric beauty standards and embrace authentic, multi-generational narratives. When asked about common misconceptions surrounding aging that the summit sought to address, he explained that “what came through strongly is that chronological aging is almost not so relevant to talk about now, but biological aging is…you could be 30 on your ID but have the health of a 45 year old, or you could be 60 be somebody who could climb Mt. Everest,” referencing a study that determined between 70-80% of health is dependent on epigenetics, and not genes.
As detailed on the Openstreams event page, “progress has been made around multi-generational representation and attitudes, but the biases persist, particularly in beauty,” another sentiment echoed by Nolte. “There are social injustices,” he shared, explaining that while consumers can live in the same city and environment, depending on wealth and education, an individual could live 20 years longer or shorter.
Looking ahead, the Openstreams Foundation will publish a complimentary official report summarizing the summit’s key findings at the end of this month. As detailed on the organization’s website, “the report will highlight main findings and perspectives from this landmark event, including exclusive insights and proprietary data from a global consumer survey.”
The publication is expected to provide actionable steps for industry professionals to implement age-inclusive practices and better meet the needs of aging consumers worldwide. Those interested in learning more can pre-reserve a copy here.
