Rebecca Gibney is encouraging women to embrace natural ageing, after she shared an unfiltered selfie and a message about the pressures of social media.
Gibney recently posted a bare-faced photo of herself on Instagram along with a thoughtful caption reflecting on what she sees online.
She said that after scrolling through social media and seeing “bad news, AI rubbish or perfect photoshopped lives”, she felt relieved when she came across posts from fellow actress Rachel Ward, who often shares more authentic and natural content.
Inspired by Ward, Gibney decided to share her own unfiltered image.
“I thought I might add my unfiltered sun damaged face and my funny old cowlick fringe and fine over processed hair to the mix,” Gibney wrote.
She reflected on the pressure of being in the entertainment industry and how people often change their appearance to keep up.
“I’m going to stop looking in the mirror and searching for what’s wrong with myself,” she said, jokingly adding that her eyesight isn’t great anymore so her reflection looks “ok from where I’m standing”.
“I will just try to spend each day being as kind as I can to those around me. To myself and the 10 year old girl that’s still as crazy and kooky as back then” she added
“I believe we are here to help each other through this crazy old life and to do it with kindness and compassion.”
She concluded the post with a message of hope – that if it helps even one person feel comfortable in their own skin, then “I’ve done my bit. Because that is the one thing I can control.”
Her post resonated with many women, with some sharing their own natural photos in response, including fellow Aussie actress Debra Lawrence.
“Following the post from the fabulous Rebecca Gibney, my 69 year old face au naturel,” she wrote.
“Changing the algorithm one pic at a time. Let’s do this ladies.”
Their posts were flooded with messages of support from other women who found the content “refreshing” and “authentic”.
“Thanks for showing life as it really is,” one follower wrote.
“Growing old is a privilege and I love my old lady face,” another commented.
Images: Instagram
