Beauty Clinic: I'm a sensitive-skinned rosacea sufferer

Q. I have sensitive skin with rosacea and constant need for hydration and would like to know which is the best facial serum for me to use. (Anti-ageing ingredients would be a bonus.) A. Rosacea is a topic that we cover in some depth in our best-selling books The Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible and The Ultimate Natural Beauty Bible, so you may want to look at the nutritional advice and other recommendations in those.

Our dedicated teams of testers – who all put themselves forward because they have redness or mild rosacea - have trialled Redness Treatments. And, to their and our surprise, some did well. (But do remember that inflammatory conditions are notoriously individual, so what works for some people may not work for everyone.)

The top-scoring serum was Darphin Intral Redness Relief Soothing Serum, £53 for 30 ml, which was created by this French brand to help strengthen skin while diminishing the appearance of redness. Calming botanicals in the product include chamomile, grape extract, resveratrol (a potent anti-ageing antioxidant), hawthorn and peony extracts, in a gentle, soft pink serum.

One tester commented that ‘after two minutes, my very red sensitive cheeks with thread veins felt soothed and smoothed; moisturiser glided on; skin more even and hydrated and I didn't have to use so much make-up to cover. Colleagues and family noticed the improvement, which is lovely’ and another said ‘finally found something that’s gentle and effective, will be investing in the accompanying products. Very, very pleased’.

A group of redness-prone sisters told us that Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil, £16.50 for 20 ml from Amazon, was their go-to product and others love Trilogy Very Gentle Calming Serum, £25.65 for 30 ml.

Finally, please can we remind you to make sure you use effective sun protection as UV rays are one of the biggest problems for people with your type of skin. The natural skincare range Green People offers Scent Free Sun Lotion SPF25 for Sensitive Skin, £18.95 for 200 ml.