Discover a better way to age at ZØYA
ZOYA Means “Love” or “Life”. It’s Associated With Vitality, Energy and Enthusiasm.
Lifespan v Health span
Lifespan is a measure of the number of years you live, from birth to death. Health span refers to the quality of those years. Health span focuses on your years of disease-free living.
The second half of your life can be filled with new experiences, new adventures and new friendships. Increasing your health span is central to living your best life for as long as possible.
According to the World Health Organisation, health span is typically 9-10 years shorter than lifespan, meaning you may spend your final decade in poor health and dealing with the side-effects of being on several different prescription medications.
But you have the power to change this.
Lifestyle rather than genetics is the biggest determinant of your health span. Taking good care of your skin can form part of a bigger lifestyle plan to age well and make the most of every year of your life.
The ZØYA Way
Our philosophy is pro-longevity. Not anti-aging.
What’s the difference?
Pro-longevity targets the root causes of aging, at the cellular level.
Our focus at ZØYA is on preventing future skin damage, while supporting the body’s natural repair mechanisms to correct existing skin damage.
All of our treatments for the face, neck and hands work on the molecular level of your skin to change how it ages. We’re not trying to stop aging as we recognise it’s a natural part of the lifecycle of every living organism.
Instead we focus on cellular repair and rejuvenation to improve how your skin ages.
Anti-aging focuses on the visible signs of aging: the marks of time that you can see when you look in the mirror.
It’s about appearing to look younger than your years. It has negative connotations, suggesting that youthfulness and self-worth are closely intertwined. It takes an oppositional stance against the natural process of aging.
Hi, I’m Miriam.
I’m the founder of ZØYA Skin Longevity. I never gave much thought to aging until I began to experience stiffness creeping into my joints and noticed the lines around my eyes and mouth were getting more and more pronounced.
As most women of my age and older will tell you: menopause is no joke. It’s tough on just about everything: From dry, dull skin to falling hair, splitting nails, aching joints, disrupted sleep, loss of libido and overnight weight gain….
I began to do some research on healthy aging and the lifestyle habits of people who stay fit and active well into their 80s. I was curious to discover what they do differently that allows them to age better.
During my research I discovered that on average people spend the last decade of their lives dealing with chronic disease. In some places (such as the US), the period spent in decline is even longer than 10 years. Clearly diet and lifestyle feeds into this.
Miriam interviewed by Jennifer Rock AKA
The Skin Nerd, September 2024
Learning about this healthspan-lifespan gap really woke me up.
I realised that I needed to start taking an active role in my aging, from more consistent skincare to lifting weights and managing stress better.
If we want to continue doing what we love for longer, free of age-related disease, we need to DO something to support healthy aging.
The explosion of interest in longevity
I’ve two sons, both in their 20s now. The older one has been living in Dubai for over five years and on my regular trips over to see him I’ve noticed longevity clinics are as ubiquitous there as nail bars are in Ireland!
On my most recent trip I booked myself into a longevity retreat on the Gulf Coast, about an hour’s drive from downtown Dubai. They offer skin rejuvenation programs, detox programs, mind-body programs and more. I did the detox program with a strong focus on liver detox (IV drips, infra-red saunas and spirulina lemonade featured large).
Their focus is on preventing the onset of age-related decline and chronic disease and I noticed that most people there were under 45 and appeared to be in good health.
The future of healthcare is preventative and pro-longevity, a paradigm shift away from waiting to get sick and then managing the symptoms of disease with drugs.
Miriam with the founder and formulating chemist of Australia’s #1 cosmecutical skincare brand asap, Carley Stewart
When I returned home I continued my research into skin longevity, particularly on cellular repair and slowing down biological aging.
From this ZOYA was born with a mission to bring you the best of skin rejuvenation, without the use of Botox, fillers or injectables of any kind.
However, I’m not new to working in the skin industry.
Previously I had a small skin clinic dealing with a variety of skin concerns from acne to rosacea to aging.
I’m not a beauty therapist and I’ve minimal interest in beauty trends and makeup.
Prior to studying skin, I trained in nutrition, yoga and Pilates. I set up a reformer pilates and barre studio and still have a clinical reformer in my living room (that needs to be used more).
And before that again, I worked in Corporate Finance for over a decade. I studied Commerce at UCD and then qualified as an accountant and worked for two of the “Big Four” accountancy firms. A long and varied career for sure!
Now in my 50s, I feel very privileged to be able to make a living doing what I love: working in the area of skin longevity and helping people feel more confident about their appearance, whatever their age.