Women come into their prime in 40s: Charlize Theron

Academy Award wining actress Charlize Theron says women come into their prime when they reach fourty, but society believes differently and treats them like dead flower.

Theron says that women in their forties are in

"their prime" and cosmetic industry should focus more on them rather then considering girls half her age, reports eonline.com.

Talking to WWD, the 39-year-old star said: "It's ironic that we've built the beauty world around 20-year-olds, when they have no f*****g concept about wisdom, what life is about, having a few relationships below (their) belt and feeling hardships, to grow into (their) skin and feel confident within (themselves) and to feel the value of who (they) are, not because of a man or because of something like that. And I think that's such a beautiful thing."

"And that's why I think people say women come into their prime in their 40s. And then for some reason our society just wants to go ... it's like a dead flower. It's like we wilt for some reason. And men are like fine wines -- the older they get, the better they get.

"It's such a misconception, and it's such a lost opportunity because that's when I think women are really in the true moment of their sensuality. I think that women find their strength and power in their sexuality, in their sensuality within, (through) getting older and being secure within that," she added.

Theron has a long-standing working relationship with high fashion design house and beauty manufacturer, Christian Dior, during which she's had to gain weight or drastically alter her hair for film roles.

However, unlike other members of the beauty industry, the actress revealed that the designers have embraced her changing looks.

"I can say this now, since I'm almost 40 and I've worked with a lot of design houses and a lot of people within that world. There are very, very few brands that will be brave enough to really, completely take a step back and not to try and control what is considered beautiful," she said.

"There's always been a celebration of what is that moment, whoever I am at that moment in my life. [It] is a very real way of looking at beauty," added Theron.