Study: Anti-Aging Products and Self Esteem

While aging is inevitable because of the decreasing function of the body, like the skin. That is why a Portuguese study aimed to analyze the relationship between the use of anti-aging cosmetic products and multiple factors including:

• Sociodemographic variables,
• Appearance schemes,
• Psychological morbidity (anxiety and depression),
• Perfectionism, and
• Aging perception of aging with self-esteem.

In total, 260 women were included in the study, aged between 25 and 64 years. They must use anti-aging products and/or aesthetic treatments to be included in the analysis. The women were then assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Appearance Schemas Inventory—Revised, Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, Brief Aging Perceptions Questionnaire, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, according to the research article.

It was found that the use of cosmetics that firmed the skin of the face was positively correlated with greater self-esteem. A regression analysis determined that both psychological morbidity and perfectionism negatively affected self-esteem of the participants. Positive factors to self-esteem included marital status, professional status, and aging perceptions. The investigators did find a direct correlation between decreased self-esteem and the standard of beauty set by Western society.

To help with creating better self-esteem, the researchers propose created programs that focus on decreasing anxiety and depression and instead promoting adaptive patterns of perfectionism and addressing aging perceptions.

“Longitudinal studies might help explain the complex relationship between the use of anti-aging cosmetic products and psychological variables, particularly self-esteem in women,” the investigators concluded.

Reference

Evangelista M, Mota S, Almeida IF, Pereira MG. Usage patterns and self-esteem of female consumers of antiaging cosmetic products. Cosmetics. 2022;9(3):49. doi:10.3390/cosmetics9030049