Beauty Clinic: Help for a 43-year-old face
Q. I am 43 and finding my skin is full of fine lines. I also have broken capillaries and some redness over the last year. It’s quite sensitive too. Can you suggest any treatments or products that I could use to help my skin look a little younger? A. Well, the very first thing at this time of year with skin like yours (and everyone’s actually) is good sun protection. So you don't have to remember to top up all the time, we suggest applying Ultrasun Face 30 Anti-Ageing Formula, which gives you complete UVA/UVB protection for eight hours. It contains boron nitride to reduce fine lines, and you shouldn't need to use a moisturiser too. It is especially suitable for sensitive skins, and is also water-resistant, should you feel like a dip!
It’s worth noting that some, possibly most of the daily moisturisers and foundations that include an SPF (the sort you might incorporate in a skincare regime), may not have quite sufficient UVA protection. So while they are helpful, you do really need the proper stuff, which complies with EU recommendations and comes with the icon UVA in a circle on the label. Look out for this. (Wearing a hat in the sun also helps: heat can expand capillaries. Ditto, do avoid too-hot water on the face.)
Since you also say you think you are peri-menopausal, we suggest taking a good Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acid supplement, which will help your skin, hormones (and indeed everything – essential fats are just that, and the only way to get them is from your diet). Jo now swears by Power of Krill: krill oil is better absorbed than fish oil so you need much less, and it ticks all the above boxes.
Don't forget to keep hydrated: consultant gynaecologist Michael Dooley says it is one of the most common problems he sees, and affects everything in your body and brain, including your skin. So sip cool or room temperature water through the day, not too much with meals (or you wash away the nutrients). Flavour still water with lemon or lime – Sarah loves half a lime in hot water first thing, with a teaspoon of honey, a tip from Ayurvedic doctor Thomas Mueller.
You mention that you are using Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, one of our favourite cleansers. We suggest carrying on with that and perhaps adding in one or more products from her Superskin range, which is especially formulated for drier, sensitive, more mature skins. We both love all-natural Superskin Concentrate at night, a heavenly-smelling blend of pure plant oils (you just need three or four drops for your whole face), which really delivers in terms of smoothness, softness and glow – and also balances your skin, which is just what you need now.
Finally, do continue using the BareMinerals range of make-up if it suits you: it’s great and also provides a natural barrier against pollutants of all kinds, as well as the sun. And it's brilliant for covering up redness...
• Ultrasun Face 30 Anti-Ageing Formula/£19.95 for 50 ml at www.victoriahealth.com - buy here
• Power of Krill/£24.95 for 60 softgels at www.victoriahealth.com - buy here
• Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish/£13.25 for 100 ml at www.uk.lizearle.com - buy here
• Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate/£40.50 for 28 ml www.uk.lizearle.com - buy here