On a skincare routine for unbalanced skin...

Q. Hi Alison, I've just turned 40 and my skin is awful. I have blackheads on my T-zone but my skin can be dry and oily at the same time. Can you recommend anything? Thank you, Sam.

A. If your skin is out of control and out of balance, I would recommend NV Perricone or Alpha-H skincare ranges.

Alpha-H
You can try the Balancing Cleanser and Balancing Moisturiser to begin with and introduce their signature product Liquid Gold to your routine three times a week in the evening. Start off with these products, and then you can introduce the anti-ageing moisturiser which is enriched with glycolic acid - ideal for using as a night time treatment.

NV Perricone
With this high-end range, your key products will be the Nutritive Cleanser, Face Firming Activator and Face Finishing Moisturiser. These three products are incredible for helping to balance out your skin.

These are not complicated routines but you should see great results.

Why I love Elemis...

Elemis is simply a really enjoyable range to use. I get a lot of clients that have become despondent with skincare, or find certain brands are too heavy or oily, and I get them using Elemis.

Their products are really fresh and lightweight in texture and when I talk about the plant extract ingredients, you can actually smell them!

The Lime Blossom Cleanser and Lavender Toner for combination skins, which works particularly well on my skin, actually balances the skin while you're cleaning it. And that's what is so clever - when cleansing and toning your skin it gets to work straight away!

For problem skin, scarring and fine lines...

Q: I'm 39 years old with combination skin. I still suffer from acne all over my chin and on my forehead. They usually hurt, are big and there's also scarring.

Due to my age, I also see sagging and lines around my eyes. Could you please recommend a course of action so that I look better on my 40th birthday?

Alison: Our Alpha-H range addresses a lot of the issues that you are suffering with, as well as helping to tackle signs of ageing.

What you may be finding difficult is that spot-care ranges are too drying and make your wrinkles look worse, and 'anti-ageing' ranges make your skin look too puffy or oily. However, Alpha-H looks at both these issues together.

View our Alpha-H range.

For oily, dry and blemished skin...

Q: I'm Asian, age 26. Since the age of 15 I have had acne problems. When I came to this country 11 years ago I tried everything but nothing worked permanently. My skin has gone back to being oily, dry and blemished. Although my skin is not dark, it's not clear.

I don't have big spots which I used to when I was 18 but now I have acne on my chin, forehead and especially on my jaw line. They are very painful. Please can you recommend any good product which really works?

Alison: Firstly, this may be something worth mentioning to your doctor in case they can give you some medical advice to help.

You've mentioned using skincare designed to target spots that give great results at first and then later on these seem to worsen. This may be because you've stopped using these products or aren't using them as much, perhaps. Plus, they can dry the skin out or be too harsh after a while. So instead you need to make sure you're using some hydrating formulas to help prevent your skin from drying out.

If you haven't got a routine at home, try Alpha-H Liquid Harmony and the Alpha-H Liquid Gold. Liquid Gold will help to clean out the pores and the blackheads - you only need to use it three nights a week and then you can lessen off to once a week once you start seeing results.

The Liquid Harmony can be used on a daily basis when you feel the spots are coming back - so you can stop using Liquid Gold and switch to this instead. I'd also suggest using the Alpha-H Balancing Moisturiser under a cleanser from the Alpha-H range.

For spots, whiteheads and sensitive skin...

Q: My 12 year old son has been getting spots and white heads on his face, particularly his nose, for a few months now. I've read your advice to others and decided to try him on the Australian skinwash twice a day.

After 3 days his skin was completely clear and looking great. However, after a week he started to get very dry, sore red patches on his cheeks so stopped using it. Is it worth trying him on my cleanse and polish or should I steer clear?

Alison: He seems to be suffering from the result of washing his face twice a day with an anti-bacterial formula without following with a moisturiser. So if he still wants to continue with the ABC, he just needs to follow with a moisturiser and hopefully he should continue to get great results.

He could try a gel moisturiser, such as SBC Collagen Gel, or the liquid gel texture of Alpha-H Balancing Moisturiser.

If he wants to swap his cleanser, he could try the Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser followed by the Balancing Moisturiser. He could also slot in Cleanse & Polish if he wants to, maybe in the evening if he has time, and he could still use the ABC Skinwash in the morning. The bottom line is that he definitely needs to follow with some kind of skin-softening agent, whether he borrows something you already use or experiments with something else.

On a complete skincare routine for mature skin...

Q: I'm 56 and have basically never used anything other than soap and water to clean my face. I do use a night cream but that's all. I have combination skin and just a couple of very fine lines around my eyes.  I'm confused as to what would be the best beauty routine for me though.

I don't wear any make up other than mascara and lipstick but do wear a 50+ sun block when I go on holiday as I have a couple of blotches which were due to a lot of sun bathing when I was a teenager. Can you help with a good beauty routine for me please?

Alison: Obviously you've been conscious of SPF factors in recent years which is fantastic. On a daily basis and through the winter you could use Ultrasun SPF 30 Day Cream. This should help to prevent future damage and is great especially for more mature skin. UltraSun also have an SPF50 if you want a higher SPF - and all their range offers all-day protection.

There are an awful lot of ranges to choose from, but when you haven't used anything before it's best not to jump into anything too complicated. Start off with Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, Superskin Moisturiser and Superskin Concentrate.

This would be best to start you off on, particularly because of your age group. Start off on this simple routine and if you want to go on further and get more results on lines or your eyes, then I can suggest other products and ranges for you. See how you get on, and how you enjoy the Liz Earle products too.

For unbalanced skin with breakouts, dry patches and oiliness...

Q: I'm 24-years-old and for the past 5 years have had nothing but problems with my skin since having my 3 children. I have no idea what skin type I am, so I never know where to start. I have really dehydrated skin with fine lines on my forehead and cheeks and I suffer with oiliness.

But I also have dry patches around my nose, I suffer with breakouts and have some scarring. It's just so dull and horrid. I've started using Elemis which I'm noticing a difference with, but would really like to know exactly what products I should be using on my confused skin.

Alison: To me, your skin's crying out for our new Judith Williams Phytomineral range, and we have a fantastic Skin Essentials Collection, which sold out during our premiere show, that I want to recommend to you. This set is economical - the day and night cream is a big 150ml size which is three times bigger than most that we sell - and is all about giving your skin a fruit cocktail!

As you've said you have three children and you're only 24 so you must be quite exhausted! Running around after little kids is very tiring. You've described to me a stressed and exhausted skin type, which is why it's coming up unbalanced and why you're having difficulties with it.

For teenage skin suffering from acne...

Q: I get all my skincare advice from watching your shows and vary between Decleor, Elemis and Gatineau. My daughter will be 13 this month and she has acne all over her face, in a V down her front and down her back to her waist line. I bought her Cleanse and Polish and now she has really clean acne!

I took her to the Doctors and he prescribed a gel that she has to put on every night which is helping to clear up her spots but now she is getting dry flaky skin on her face. Could you let me know what would be the best thing to do for her as she is at that age!

Alison: She can stick with her Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, which will be cleaning her skin without drying it out and so it's excellent that she gets on well with that.

As a face and body wash in the shower I'd like her to use the Australian Body Care Skinwash because of its anti-septic qualities. When it foams up, it will go down her back and keep that clean as well.

For dark under-eye circles and breakouts that lead to scarring...

Q: I'm 29, will be turning 30 this year and I really want to sort out my skin. I have dry cheeks with an oily T-zone and on the hairline area, along with black and white heads on my nose. I'm Asian so the spots I get leave scars on my face and I have dark circles despite drinking so much water and sleeping well. Please advise on a skincare line for my face to bring freshness and to calm down my breakouts.

Alison: I would recommend the Elemis Tri-Enzyme range. So, each morning use the Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash, followed by Decleor Aromessence Neroli Face Oil and Decleor Hydra Floral Moisturiser.

In the evening use the Decleor Balancing Cleanser, followed by the Tri Enzyme Wash and the Decleor Balancing Toner, then use Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Serum, as it doesn't remove make-up, and finish with the Decleor Hydra Floral Moisturiser.

For the dark circles around your eyes, I'd recommend, morning and night, applying the Alpha-H Absolute Eye Complex, as this is really good on Asian skin tones.

For instant confidence, as it can make a dramatic difference when you conceal dark circles, I’d recommend Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer which comes in six shades - you'd be about Medium Dark or Medium Natural. Either use this or the Prescriptives Traceless Skin Responsive Tint - on number four or five levels. It does depend if you want a lighter or full cover finish - if you like wearing make-up, I'd try the Bobbi Brown one, and if you don't then pick the Prescriptives concealer.

For fine lines appearing on the face and neck...

Q: I'm fast approaching becoming 30 and am worried about fine lines appearing. What products would you recommend me using for my face and neck area? I have combination skin, which is in a reasonable condition.

Alison: At this age, you're right to start thinking more about ageing and wrinkles, as this will become more of a predominant problem area for you. The first and the most important product that you need to add to your routine is suncare. Simply adding an SPF to your routine could help to prevent you from having to buy so many products to tackle ageing in the future.

I'd recommend using products with an SPF and applying one every single day. Ultra Sun suncare is non-oily, non-greasy, easily absorbed and also contains ingredients to help reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Don't think of sun cream as just sun cream as you can use it every day on your face, neck, décolleté and back of the hands.