For age spots on the hands...

Q: Is there anything you can suggest to help age spots on my hands? The rest of me looks quite youthful, but my hands look old. I'm 53, thank you.

Alison: Firstly, wipe Alpha-H Liquid Gold on the back of the hands every single night. Follow with the Clientele Estro-lift Hand Therapy contained in the Clientele Estro-Lift Complete Beauty Collection and apply that two or three nights a week. This product is great used as a mask under skincare gloves and you should use it as well as your hand moisturiser.

In the daytime, put UltraSun SPF28 on the back of the hands before putting on anything else, for all-day SPF protection. You should leave this for five or 10 minutes to set into the skin and after that you can continue applying your hand creams and moisturisers throughout the day. Try to keep the UltraSun on the back of your hands- so when you wash them, try to just wash your palms with soap leaving the backs with the SPF on them. Having SPF protection on your hands will help to stop your age spots from darkening in the sun. Also don't forget if you're out and about during the day and want to disguise your age spots, try a coat of self-tan.

On an alternative moisturiser to the discontinued Decleor Vitaroma Lift Total...

Q: Would you please recommend a moisturiser for my face? I have always used Decleor Vitaroma Lift Total which worked well and I liked the feel of it but I don't think you sell that anymore? I have just turned 60, and am outdoors a lot (with horses!). I have good skin, not too lined.

Alison: They have actually changed the formula of the Decleor Vitaroma Lift Total and it's now the Decleor Experience De L'age Face Cream. However, this is a completely different product - new and improved but with a different texture to the Vitaroma. Decleor basically discovered some new ingredients and so had to re-formulate this fantastic anti-ageing moisturiser. Vitaroma had a gel cream texture and the Experience De L'Age is a cream instead. So the Vitaroma is now no longer made but the Experience is the new improved version that you can use morning and night.

For pigmented skin with a lumpy texture...

Q: I recently had my 61st birthday and have become very aware of my neck area. From my ears down to the base of the throat I have pigmented skin, reddish/brown in colour. The skin itself is lumpy and is covered in what looks like spots or blocked pores, but they are hard not conventional type spots. I also have this to a lesser degree on my cheek bones and the top of my nose has very open pores and a reddish look. Any advice you can give would be appreciated.

Alison: Normally lumps like this can be described in one of two ways, the first of which is cosmetic and caused by fatty acids that get trapped under the surface of the skin. It's unusual on the neck area but quite common the cheeks and they tend to be caused by dehydration. So you should try a rehydrating skin routine and I recommend Decleor for this. Use the Decleor Cleanse & Tone Duo, the Decleor Aromessence Neroli Face Oil and the Decleor Hydra Floral Anti-Pollution Cream to begin with. They may not be the best solution long term for the neck area but if you use them on the face and the neck then you should begin to see results. Then on a weekly basis, I'd like you to use the Gatineau Firming Throat Gel which is great on the neck area and also for your age group.

That routine should work well if the lumps are cosmetic. Bear in mind that if your skin is not responding to this routine, the lumps could need to be checked out by a doctor.

For blackheads and open pores...

Q: What do you suggest for blackheads and open pores? I'm 56yrs and can be prone to small spots. I've tried all sorts of masks and for a few hours skin looks clean and pores reduced but the next day I'm back to square one. I'd say I have combination skin, somedays it feels greasy but I get dryness around my nose.

Alison: I think you should try a classic Alpha-H system: use Alpha-H Liquid Gold three times a week. Wipe over the skin at nightime and don't use it during the day. You also need an SPF, either one you have at home or you can use the Alpha-H Daily Moisturiser with SPF30. With this, you can also use the Alpha-H Rejuvenating Cream at nightime, which is perfect for your age group, featuring great anti-ageing benefits.

The Liquid Gold is superb, especially when you feel you really shouldn't be suffering from open pores or blockages but they still keep coming. It will help to clean them out and when it starts to work, you should use it less. Try it three times a week, twice over the skin initially and then when the blackheads diminish, maybe use it once a week. If you use it too much, the oil glands will over-produce so it will give fantastic results to begin with and then the opposite will happen.

For dry and swollen eyes...

Q: My mum is 50 and she is struggling to find an eye product that works. Her eyes look very dry but also swollen - both the eye lid as well as under the eye. What would you recommend she try?

Alison: I want to make sure that this swelling isn't caused by sensitivity. If so it could be because you're using an all-over cleanser or facial wash and not a specific eye product. If you wear eye make-up, then the Gatineau Floracil Eye Make-Up Remover works well. If not, then use the Liz Earle Eyebright. If you do have any medical concerns or are on any medication, then you may want to mention your swelling and sensitivity around the eye area to your doctor in case they are somehow linked.

For the dryness around the eye, try the Prescriptives Intensive Rebuilding Cleanser, which can be used on the eyes as well as the face. It's designed to replenish your skin's natural moisture levels.

For pimply red marks on the arms...

Q: I have pimply red marks, on my arms only, and have tried scrubs and body lotions. Skin does feel soft but the red marks never disappear, could you recommend something please.

Alison: I'm wondering if there are broken capillaries in there or if they are red from dryness? You've said that you've tried scrubs and body lotions and they haven't gone down. Sometimes what happens is that the pimply red marks are on the back of your arms and you actually end up missing them out. You may have been using a highly mineral oil-based lotion which wouldn't help with that as such. I recommend the Liz Earle Nourishing Botanical Body Cream. It needs a twice-a-day application to get on top of the problem and try to get it right round the back of your arms. When you have a problem, you need to use products that little bit more to really help them out. Then your maintenance will be once a day.

Also remember self-tan as it will help to disguise it. If this doesn't work though it may be worth checking with a doctor that you aren't suffering from some sort of skin irritation. You could try changing things like your washing powder, as this can be a common irritation area, or fabric softener on clothes that are quite tight around this area of the arm.

Charlie Brook reveals his desert island beauty products

Hi everyone, Charlie here,

Looking after my skin is very important to me as I spend a lot of time either outdoors or with a camera on me! So beauty products are essential in my day-to-day routine. They've been hard to pick but, after much deliberating, here are my desert island beauty products...

L'Occitane handcream

I love this handy handcream duo! I need to take care of my hands for when I'm presenting jewellery on QVC. Plus, I spend a lot of time outdoors, play tennis and like to go swimming, which can all really dry out your hands. This hand cream revives and moisturises my skin brilliantly.

For lines and wrinkles around the eyes...

Q: I turned 45 this year and look pretty good for my age - according to everyone, I'm often mistaken for my daughter's sister. However I have discovered I have lines and wrinkles around my eyes - crows feet- and am not sure which is the best product for me to use. I have fairly dry skin, would the Decleor Experience De L'Age cream be beneficial or can you recommend something else?

Alison: The Decleor Experience de L'Age is a good choice, but underneath this I'd recommend using the Decleor eye serum. It will give you a quick result - just alternate using it for a month on, month off. The pump it comes in actually provides 6 months supply. This serum helps with dehydration lines around the eye area and is great to use as a boost, like when you're on holiday and there's lots of air conditioning, or after you've had a cold or been tired. Then apply the Experience de L'Age every morning and evening.

For broken red spider veins around the nose...

Q: I wonder if you can give me some advice please? I have broken red spider veins around my nose. What can I use to fade them?

Alison: Unfortunately, you can't completely get rid of broken red spider veins through beauty products. You can have it treated through a type of electrolysis or laser in a salon so a consultation could help to tell you whether you'd be able to get rid of them completely.

With skincare products, you could try the Elemis Daily Redness Relief. It doesn't have to be used all over the face and can just be applied to the area affected by the redness. What's crucial is not to make these broken capillaries worse. So avoid exfoliation - don't use dermabrasion or harsh scrubs. If you want to remove dead skin cells, try doing this enzymatically - perhaps with the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Face Peel as this doesn't contain a grain.

Make sure also that you have an SPF on this area at all times as this will act as a physical barrier to the sun. If the skin gets hot the consequence will be redness as the capillaries will fill up, stretch and not deflate. This will be the same if the skin gets hot from cooking or even being out in the wind. The UltraSun range is good for everyday use. Follow with the Daily Redness Relief morning and night.