Spot-on advice for mature problem skins
Maleka Dattu is an old friend of Beauty Bible - formerly a beauty industry 'insider', who's taken the leap to start her own lovely skincare company. And although Merumaya - her signature line - is ideal for any skintype, it owes much of its effectiveness to the skin challenges Maleka has suffered herself. You thought that spots disappear, when teenage years are over...? For women like Maleka, that's so not the cse. As she explains, 'I am 50 and have had spots in varying degrees since I was 13. I had numerous medications and skincare regimes and hoped that I would grow out of it. 20s, 30s and 40s - and they still kept coming, so concealing them became part of my life. The worst bits were the tell-tale signs a crater was growing: the pain when I laughed or talked, the red lump and - after I had thown every acne treatment on it, squeezed the life out of it - the way it sucked up the concealer, leaving a wart-like crusty mess where the spot had been...'
Maleka recalls what she describes as 'The cringe-worthy moments: the first time you were make-up-free with a new partner, facing a journalist or customer when you were representing a skincare brand and being self-conscious were some of the hideous moments. So I tended to make jokes like: "This is Charlie" (while pointing to spot). People try to disguise the problem and often make it worse: growing a fringe, letting hair fall into the sides of the face, keeping your hand over your chin etc.'
'I know only too well how devastating it is to experience this for the first time in your thirties or forties having never suffered before. 
All of this is at a time when you are using richer, more active anti-ageing products and they can sometimes make the spots worse. Two opposing skin needs; one face. This is what inspired me to create an anti-ageing skincare range that would not exacerbate adult blemish prone skins.'
And triumphantly, Maleka reveals, 'For the first time in decades I am not using topical antibiotics - so here are some of the things that have worked for me...'
1 If you wear face make-up, double cleanse with a gentle cleanser in the evening. If you have ever used a toner that has come away brown, or seen make-up streaks on your towel, you know you have not cleaned your skin properly. The first cleanse removes make up - and the second cleans the skin underneath. Try it, and you will see. 2 Use cleansing cloths and a gentle cleansing brush for a) a thorough cleanse that goes right up to the hairline without ruining your blow-dry, and b) a truly 'facial-quality' cleanse that will help keep skin clog-free and spot-free, by gently exfoliating. 3 Exfoliate two to three times a week with a peel-type product rather than an scrub. Little and often is the key here and fit it into your morning or evening routine so that it becomes a regular part of your skincare regime rather than a special part. So: I wake, brush teeth, my skin is already clean - so I apply my peel (which contains both glycolic acid and enzyme technology), go downstairs take my medication and warm the baby's milk, give the bottle to the baby, return to bathroom and remove peel. This is just four to give minutes, two to three times per week. That way I am only removing the dead skin cells rather than healthy ones, because I am not trying to fit three weeks' worth of peeling into one session. (You know you've done it - or scrubbed almost down to bone!). 4 Use a serum that contains robust anti-ageing ingredients that are sympathetic to problem-prone skin. Like my Merumaya Iconic Youth Serum, which has a lower weight sodium hyularonic acid that is great for hydration. It also activates beta defensins in the skin to help prevent microbial invasion that causes spots. You may or may not feel the need for moisturiser afterwards. 5 Take note of your skin. It can change from day to day never mind just season to season and no-one knows it better than you. Sometimes I use moisturiser and sometimes not, for example. 6 Be a little heavier handed with the spot treatment at night when you are not wearing make-up. 7 See a dermatologist and talk about the benefits of laser and other treatments that might suit your personal skin condition. 8 Give your skin a holiday. Literally. I always found that when I had a sunny holiday by the sea, my skin would clear up totally. Use good sun protection while in the sun and dip in the sea often (or at least splash your face often). I actually used to bring home some seawater in a bottle - trickier now with airport security, so the alternative is to mix sea salt with hot water and dab over the spots at night. Worth a try. 9 Although I am not a doctor - so this isn't a 'prescription' - I used to take omega oils, zinc and other 'good oil' supplements, such as starflower oil. Actually, I am about to start testing my own Merumaya supplement, which is incredibly exciting. 10 Don't let your skin challenges hold you back from living your life to the full. We all have something in our lives that is not perfect. But being miserable only makes it worse...