For a reaction from using a product...

I'm 32 and had my first baby last year. I've always had sensitive skin and I've just used a product that has reacted badly to my skin. It's now left dry, sore, itchy and red.

I've bought the Liz Earle Superskin Moisturiser. It helps but hasn't cured it. I've been to the doctors and have been prescribed anti-histamines but they haven't been able to clear it. Normally I like Prescriptives Superline Preventor but I can't use it at the moment because of this problem.

Alison: You should be able to use anything you previously used once your skin has cleared up. To help clear your skin up, you need to use the most simplistic routine. Your skin is now reacting to products that it didn't even react to before, because it's hypersensitised. I'd recommend combining your doctor's advice with the following beauty advice.

I'm going to recommend you use only two products in your routine until your skin has cleared up and these should be products that you know aren't irritating your skin. So use one cleaning product and one moisturising product. If there's something in your routine that doesn't irritate your skin on application, then you can still use this as one of your two products.

If you haven't got anything in your routine that's giving you a soothed feeling when applied then I recommend you firstly use L'Occitane 100% Shea Butter Moisturiser. If you warm it up in the palms of your hands then you can even use this as a cleanser, wiped gently off with a very soft flannel or cloth (nothing too rough). Then warm it back up and put it on as a moisturiser, leaving it to soak in to soften your skin.

For a red, spotty and inflamed nose...

I have a problem with my nose. It has become really red since the menopause and at times gets spotty and feels inflamed. I don't drink or smoke. Is their anything you can suggest?

Alison: There's something called rosacea, which it may or not be, but your doctor could diagnose this for you. So it may be worth making an appointment just to make sure, and if it is rosacea then they'll be able to give you further advice on this.

However, it's also quite common to get a red-coloured rash on the nose area around the age of the menopause. It's very important to:

• Avoid the sun (especially sunbathing), as any form of heat will make it worse
• Avoid using scrubs and exfoliators, as any form of irritation will make it worse
• Use a strong all-day sun block for protection and to help prevent the area from becoming inflamed

If your skin is generally irritated and sensitive at this time, then it might be worth making your routine incredibly simple. Liz Earle Superskin Moisturiser springs to my mind immediately, and has in fact been raved about by a famous journalist recently for this very problem. It contains very pure, naturally active ingredients and is ideal for sensitive skin.

So, make sure you use an SPF all day and keep this area out of the sun too. Cover it over with a product that you're less likely to have an allergy to, such as bareMinerals SPF15 Foundation. It's made without any colours, preservatives or parabens. This product should also give you skin confidence without it looking too made up.

For prickly heat...

Can you offer any advice on how to stop or treat prickly heat? I always get it on my arms and it gets incredibly painful. I'm off to Cyprus and would love to get something sorted out for it now before I go.

Alison: Firstly, your doctor should be able to give you some advice for prickly heat and any anti-histamines that you can take to help.

However, you can also help by preparing the skin. A Tan Accelerator would be a great help before you go away, as whether you want a tan or not, it prepares the skin to be tougher against the sun.

Step two would be to use a gel-based SPF factor such as all-day Ultrasun SPF20. If you want to use a re-application sun cream then make sure its gel based and that you re-apply every 20 - 40 minutes.

Try to keep your skin from sweating too much as well - you could take the ABC Skinwash with you on holiday and shower with it after sunbathing. This will help to keep the skin cool and clean. General tips are keeping cool at night and not overheating (check that your room has air conditioning in advance) and SBC Aloe Vera Gel would be my absolute must for you to take with you - just apply it any time you get an itch for instant soothing relief.

My husband also suffers from prickly heat and finds this routine really helps.

For helping to prevent and soothe prickly heat...

Can you offer any advice on how to stop or treat prickly heat? I always get it on my arms and it gets incredibly painful. I'm off to Cyprus in August and would love to get something sorted out for it now before I go.

Alison: Firstly, your doctor should be able to give you some advice for prickly heat and can offer you anti-histamines that you can take to help. However, you can also help by preparing the skin. A tan accelerator would be a great help before you go away, as whether you want a tan or not, it prepares the skin to be tougher against the sun.

Step two would be to use a gel-based SPF factor such as all-day Ultrasun SPF20. If you want to use a re-application sun cream then make sure it's gel based and that you re-apply it every 20 - 40 minutes.

For dry, red and scaly skin around the nose...

I would like to ask for your help. I have dry, red, scaly skin around my nose. I buy a lot of products from QVC but nothing seems to have worked.  Could you please help?

Alison: Firstly, you may not be seeing a result if you follow a complicated routine or have tried a lot of different beauty products. So, I recommend going for the opposite and using a very simple routine.

Use L'Occitane 100% Shea Butter to clean the area and keep it hydrated. If your skin is dry because of an allergy or skin irritation, then this product should answer all your concerns. Any skin can react to the application of too many ingredients.

However, if your skin is flaky and eczema-like, you should follow a routine for sensitive skin. Cleanse and tone the area with Elemis S.O.S Cream at night and Daily Redness Relief in the morning. If you don't suffer from an infection and your skin needs conditioning, then this is a better routine for you. However, if your skin is angry, go for the L'Occitane Shea Butter. Simple!

For a dry, itchy and flaky scalp...

I have just started getting a very dry, flaky and itchy scalp, and also a lot of redness around the hairline. I tried Philip Kingsley products but to no avail. I'm wondering if I have developed psoriasis - is there any help out there for me?

Alison: If you are worried about having developed psoriasis then you definitely need a doctor's diagnosis, and a doctor should be able to diagnose it in a second as it has very distinctive symptoms. Unfortunately psoriasis is not something that comes and goes - once it's been diagnosed, you will always have it and it will flare up at stressful times.

However, if it's a cosmetic problem then I have a couple of tricks that may be able to help. If you aren't getting rid of the dry flakiness on the scalp area, you can get a build-up of oil and bacteria. Bacteria can get trapped between loose flakes, which can cause a skin infection.

On the best products for sensitive skin with mild rosacea...

Can you tell me the best brand/products for my dry, hyper sensitive skin. I also have mild rosacea and persistent redness but the bumps on my face are not infected.

Alison: Specifically for redness you want the Elemis Daily Redness Relief. This is a great product for helping to calm down redness and is often used in salons to help with rosacea. So, any red or swollen areas will really benefit from this cream.

For your sensitive skin I'd recommend the Elemis Sensitive Skin Wash or Elemis Cleanser & Toner - whichever you prefer to use to clean your face on a daily basis.

In your situation, make-up is really good as a protective layer as your skin will flare up from weather and hot and cold environments. Just as clothes protect us from the elements, so can make-up help your skin. I'd recommend using make-up that's suited to sensitive skin, such as Bare Escentuals Mineral Foundation and Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil.

Plus, what would make a perfect combination with the Elemis Daily Redness Relief is the Elemis SOS Cream. This has a lovely balm texture which you can use at night to soothe and comfort your skin. You can use these products both morning and night, and it depends on how your skin feels as to whether you prefer to use a lighter texture for redness or a richer texture to soothe it.

On a full skincare routine for ageing eyes, dry skin and broken capillaries…

I am 28 and starting to get fine lines around the eye area. What products would you recommend to help nip any further ageing in the bud?!

Also, I work in a factory environment and my skin has started getting very dry and dull, especially on the forehead - I have combination skin and use gentle exfoliators, like Liz Earle, but have ruddiness in my cheeks with a few broken capillaries. Can you recommend a skin care routine which would help my dry skin, make my complexion brighter and help with the fine lines around the eyes and on the forehead?

Alison: I'd like to keep you with Liz Earle as you seem to have no problems with it and Cleanse and Polish is a great product for you to use. Also the Gentle Exfoliator is excellent for you because it's one of the gentler ones, is easy to use and shouldn't bring your skin up red. I would also have recommended it for you in particular as you suffer from high colour.

Use Cleanse and Polish at nightime. Once or twice a week only and no more, use the Gentle Exfoliator. Then in the mornings, add Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash to your routine. Follow with the Skin Tonic am and pm. Moisturiser-wise, I'd suggest the Elemis Maximum Moisture Day Cream which you can use am and pm. You aren't really old enough yet to need the night cream as well.

If you feel that your skin is extra dull, then you can also give yourself a course of the Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Serum on a daily basis. Because of your age, you should expect a great result from the Tri-Enzyme products.

For your fine lines around the eyes, I would suggest trying the Philosophy Hope in a Tube Eye & Lip Cream morning and night. It comes in quite a big size so it will last and it should give you great, quick results.

For pimply red marks on the arms...

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.

For broken red spider veins around the nose...

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.