There’s a moment, somewhere in your late 30s, when botox stops being a hypothetical. It’s no longer something you idly discuss over wine with friends, theorizing about “one day.” Instead, it becomes a very real choice, like switching to oat milk or investing in a good mattress. You start noticing it—on colleagues, on friends, on strangers whose faces seem to float in a certain way. It’s everywhere.
And yet, here I am at 40, still botox and filler free. Not because I’m against it. Not because I think aging “naturally” is some moral high ground. But because, quite honestly, I don’t feel the need—at least, not yet.
There’s an unspoken assumption in beauty culture that opting out of botox or filler means you’ve taken a stance. But I haven’t. I don’t subscribe to the idea that wrinkles are radical acts of defiance, nor do I believe in erasing every sign of time from my face. I live in the in-between, the gray space where you can appreciate smooth foreheads but also see beauty in the softness of an expressive face.
For me, skincare has always been about preservation rather than correction. I built Essentialist on this philosophy—creating products that support the skin’s natural resilience. The ingredients we've carefully selected, alongside diet, exercise, and rest, have given my skin what it needs to age well, to maintain glow, elasticity, and strength without intervention.
What I'm getting is is that the ‘When’ matters more than the ‘If’. I’m not here to say I’ll never get botox or fillers. I might, but I want to be intentional about it. I want to be in a place where it feels like a choice, not a reflex. Too often, we rush into aesthetic tweaks out of fear—fear of looking “tired,” fear of not keeping up, fear of missing some invisible deadline where it’s too late, and suddenly, all bets are off.
I refuse to be rushed. Aging, after all, is not a crisis. It’s a process—one that I’m moving through on my own terms. Maybe I’ll wake up one day and decide it’s time. Maybe I won’t. Either way, I want to make that call from a place of confidence, not anxiety.
What I do know is this: I want to look like me, just well-rested, well-nourished, and well-loved. Skincare, to me, is not about waging war on time but about honoring the skin I’m in. So, for now, I’ll keep layering my serums, indulging in facial massage, and savoring the rituals that make me feel beautiful. And If one day, botox or fillers becomes part of that ritual? So be it. But not because I felt pressured. Not because I was afraid. Only because it felt right. For now, I’ll enjoy the luxury of “not yet.”
