I have never used anything on my face till a year or so ago. I am 46, have the odd wrinkle. Every morning I splash my face and under chin and jaw line with freezing cold water which tones by bringing the blood to the skin surface.

At bedtime I use distilled Witch Hazel, Hamamelis Water, B.P.C. 100%, which is approx £2 for 200ml from a pharmacy, on a cotton wool pad to cleanse any makeup from my face until the cotton pad is clean. Distilled witch hazel is a natural astringent and skin cleanser, also good for cuts, minor scalds and bruises. It has really tightened my open pores and leaves my skin feeling cool, fresh and wonderfully soft.

I sometimes get oily patches round my nose, the awful T-zone area, and I use what my Italian grandmother (aged 72) who had lovely rosy clear skin used to use at nighttime, plain old fashioned talcum powder. I use Johnson's baby powder -- just dab it over oily parts of skin at nighttime and it absorbs the oil and leaves skin clear the following morning. My 15-year old son who now has typical teenage spots now uses this and his skin has improved considerably.

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