Moisturisers

I need help with wrinkles and eyes – I have sensitive skin.

If you have sensitive skin, the key thing is to keep it hydrated (with a gentle, un-fragranced hydrating serum and a moisturiser on top of that) and protected from UV light with an (un-fragranced) sunscreen, that will help get your skin feeling more comfortable. Taking lots of omega-3 supplements can really help with skin hydration, too. These are my current favourites....

Please could you recommend a good daytime moisturiser for sensitive and wrinkled skin?

Here's a great one that will definitely help.

I’m 38 and still get acne on my cheeks but skin also dry and sensitive skin, and I can see the ageing… I use ZO end to end but not sure it’s the answer, plus it’s very £££. I looked at your Acne Fixers Bundle but how do I also tackle...

Dry and sensitive skin suggests that your skin barrier isn't in great shape. Work on this by focussing on gentle, hydrating products – a hyaluronic acid serum, sealed in with a moisturiser and, in the morning, topped with sunscreen. Once your skin is feeling stronger and more comfortable, start using a product with retinol or another retinoid (start slowly, with tiny amounts and twice a week at first) to help with acne management. Taking lots of omega-3 supplements can really help with skin hydration and skin quality, too. These are my current favourites....

Please advise on a suitable day moisturiser. I am 62 with sensitive, slightly rosacea skin. I prefer something light but nourishing with no fragrance and a satin finish. Thank you.…

After following your guide I’m looking to book an appointment with Emma Deacon in Birmingham. I’m very nervous as it will be my first time having treatment. Can you advise which treatment works best on a crepey neck?

It's really daunting going for treatment but honestly, you'll be fine. I'd ask Emma once she's had a chance to have a look at your neck as she will know what might work best for you, and she may well suggest a few rounds of injectable moisturiser jabs. Read up about potential treatments for crepey necks and make a list of all the questions you want to ask before you go. In the meantime, use the same skincare on your neck as you do on your face, perhaps a vitamin C serum plus a hydrating serum or moisturiser in the mornings, with a retinoid at night, and make sure you're using SPF50 every day, from your hairline down your neck to your chest,...

What is the best treatment for the décolletage area, please? Creases are starting to appear.

Laser or radiofrequency microneedling would both be great choices, to refresh and remodel the skin – possibly followed by hydrating, skin-conditioning injectable moisturiser treatments. While you're deciding, and going forward, use the same skincare on your chest as you do on your face, perhaps a vitamin C serum plus a hydrating serum or moisturiser in the mornings, with a retinoid at night, and make sure you're using SPF50 every day, from your hairline down your neck to your chest....

Hope you can answer me, I have very dehydrated skin so am thinking of Profhilo injections. Some websites say that it is only suitable for the lower face and the forehead area won't be affected. Others say it will work for the entire face?

Hi, Profhilo and all the other injectable moisturisers are great for dry skin, and they work wherever they're injected – though if your skin is really dry, you may need more treatment than average in order to see results. The injection protocol that is taught for Profhilo only involves injections in the mid and lower face, but most expert practitioners now take a more creative approach and place the product where they feel it is most needed, which can include the forehead and the area beside the eyes. If your skin is really dry, it's also worth packing in the hydration in your skincare, with a gentle cleanser, a hydrating serum and a...

Is it ok to use a face oil or other cream on top of retinol? Thank you.

Hi, yes, it absolutely is. Just let the retinol (or any other retinoid that you're using) sink in, then apply the cream or oil on top. The retinol will go about its work in your skin and the cream/ oil will keep your skin feeling comfortable, which is helpful if the retinol is making your skin feel a tad dry.

Good morning Alice, I have just discovered you and your fantastic website through Instagram! I was wondering what you think of Institute Esthederm SPF? It doesn’t tell you what protection it is. I can be sensitive since menopause. THANK YOU.

Hi, it's a great brand though, yes, it is really confusing because they describe their approach to sun protection in such a very different way to everyone else. Just pick one of the products that describes itself as High Protection or Very High Protection and you'll be fine. Also, if your skin is sensitive since menopause, that may be because it is drier, and the skin barrier isn't as good as it used to be, so give it a hand by using a hyaluronic acid serum after cleansing, then a moisturiser (preferably one with ceramides which are good at holding moisture in the skin and allowing it to rebuild that barrier) before you put your sunscreen on...

What is your recommendation for a face cream for dry skin?

If you want just one thing, I'd suggest the Profhilo moisturiser which is light but powerful. But I feel compelled to add that there's a good deal going on with dry skin. It's not holding onto moisture like it should, which means your skin barrier isn't in great shape. So... cleanse your face gently, with warm water rather than hot, so you don't strip any more moisture out of the skin. I love cleansing oils for drier skin. Then use a hyaluronic acid serum like the Medik8 Hydr8 B5, which will help your skin hang onto moisture. Seal that in with a moisturiser like the Profhilo one. And when all that has settled, add sunscreen on top, as the...

Is there a product you recommend for enlarged pores, and can you put too many different products on your face, as there’s so many different lotions and potions I wondered if your skin can stop absorbing products?

I'm going to split that into three – a) salicylic acid e.g. Alpha H Clear Skin Tonic is great for enlarged pores, as it will penetrate the pores and help clear them out from the inside. B) Yes, you can use too many products , which is a waste of money and risks stripping/ irritating/ clogging your skin, depending on what you're throwing at it and in what order. C) Your skin can only absorb so much product. It's not that it goes on strike and stops absorbing skincare, but if you keep piling stuff on top of other stuff, how is the stuff on top going to get through the rest of it and into the skin? Choose a few key products and use them...

After toxin and filler, my forehead is still a bit textured and rough. Would a laser treatment be the solution for smooth skin? If yes, which one?

Yes, possibly. Does your practitioner offer laser? If not, take a look at our practitioner finder to find someone in your area (for me, it's all about the person using the device, even more so than the device they're using). Or it might be that a couple of rounds of an injectable moisturiser treatment like Belotero Revive or Volite might do the job as these hydrate the skin, encourage the skin to remodel itself and make it smoother/ stronger/ tighter. Also, make sure you're using good quality skincare. I'd suggest vitamin C serum, moisturiser and sunscreen in the mornings and some sort of retinoid in the evenings  – see the shop on the...

I’m breastfeeding, but I have crepey skin on my neck that just seems to be getting worse. What tweakments would you recommend?

Stick with good skincare for the time being (vitamin C serum in the morning, plus hydrating serum or moisturiser, plus sunscreen) then try, with caution, a glycolic acid product like Alpha H Liquid Gold in the evenings once or twice a week (it's great on your face, too. Neck skin is always a bit more sensitive than the skin on our faces, which is why I say try it with caution). Once you're no longer breastfeeding, treatments like laser, broadband light and injectable moisturiser/ skinbooster treatments are great for the neck, but leave those for the time being. And also go easy on yourself, it's exhausting looking after a baby, and fatigue...

I'm 51 with very dry skin/sun damage (Queensland, Australia) with no skincare routine or tweakments. I don't know where to start! Skin treatment? With menopause I just look so tired!

Ah, sympathies. I'd start with your doctor, to consider hormone replacement, as this has such a huge and fundamental effect on everything from brain and heart health, to our skin (more oestrogen means more collagen in the skin, which means stronger, firmer, better hydrated skin that doesn't look so old and tired). Then skincare! Take a look at the skincare advice on our downloadable factsheet about dry, rough skin, which you can grab on this page.  If you want more detail, I've written a whole book called Start with Skincare which you can find on Amazon. In terms of products, start with a gentle cleanser, a vitamin C serum, a moisturiser...

I’m getting married next year and want to get my skin in the best shape possible but don’t really know where to start. Could you recommend anyone in particular who could help with a number of things (scarring, red around nose, congestion, etc.)...

Wow, congratulations! Start with your skincare – I'd suggest a gentle cleanser, a vitamin C serum, a moisturiser, and a sunscreen for the day, and for the evening, something with retinol or retinal (a bit stronger) in it, plus the moisturiser. Take a look at this collection to see the sort of products I prefer, and how I'd suggest using them. Then find a great practitioner – you can put your postcode into our practitioner finder – and book a consultation to see what they suggest to treat your other concerns....

Please can you recommend the best at-home treatments for a sun-damaged neck? Would at-home micro needling make a difference?

Start with good, active skincare – a vitamin C serum, a moisturiser and a sunscreen in the morning, and a retinoid in the evening – and see what difference that makes. I'm not keen on home microneedling because most skincare products are not designed to be bombed deep into the skin through needled holes, and also most of us are not very careful about needling all areas of the skin equally, and gently. I'd prefer you stuck with skincare and when your skin is acclimatised to the retinol or retinoid that you're using, moving up to a stronger product, to keep stimulating your skin to renew itself....

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