Feeling the jitters from too much caffeine? Quitting overnight is often too much, so we like this advice from Liz Earle: ‘I redress the balance by swapping rocket-fuel espressos for a gentler cup of decaf or weak tea. I don’t go col turkey and give up caffeine altogether, as I find the withdrawal headaches are too debilitating and don’t respond to painkillers (not good for the system, in any case). My less draconian detox regime involves cutting down on coffee and strong tea by one dup a day, until I’m down to one small mug at breakfast. Only then, ater a week or so of gradual withdrawal, will I give it up altogether.’

Almond oil makes a brilliant quick, natural, affordable body treat. We don’t often advise applying products to damp skin, but it’s a good trick with oils. Use straight from the bottle onto a body that’s fresh from the shower or bathing.

If the weather heats up and you become overheated with it, try cooling yogic pranayama breathing techniques, which are done by inhaling through the mouth and exhaling through the nose. Sitali is a great pranayama technique: start by sitting in a comfortable position (a chair is fine), then make an ‘O’ shape with your mouth and curl the tongue lengthwise. Then (as B.K.S. Iyengar instructs in his book Light on Pranayama), ‘draw in air as if drinking with a straw and fill the lungs completely.’ Withdraw the tongue, close the mouth and hold the breath for 5 seconds. (You can build up to 10 seconds.) Repeat this cycle for five to 10 minutes and then rest In Savasana (corpse pose), with your palms facing upwards beside your body and your extended legs slightly apart.

It’s very easy for legs to become dry and papery-looking, so moisturise your legs every morning when you get up, and every evening before bedtime. Legs skin is tougher and thicker than anywhere else on your body, yet have very few sebaceous glands. This will help revive any tan (fake or actual), too.

Mostly it’s good to toss a product when it changes colour. The exception is something with chamomile in it, which can be bright blue when you buy it but aces to a dull grey-green, in UV light. Avoid that by keeping in a bathroom cabinet.

Slipped up with your self-tanner? That’s where tinted moisturisers come in handy as quick fix: apply them to the white ‘stripes and your tan will be instantly evened out. Better still, mix half-and-half with self-tanner and blend, very carefully, into the paler areas. You can use a synthetic foundation brush to apply this mix, for greater accuracy.

When you head back to the gym, it will be easy to feel disorientated. Avoid gripping the treadmill’s rails – something which can happen if you go too fast. Walking requires your top and bottom half to move in sync, and if your torso is stiff, you’re more likely to pick up an injury. So: dial down the speed a tad.

From our superpedicurist friend Bastien Gonzalez: ‘Healthy nails have a pink colour, which is a sign of good bloody circulation, and the cuticle should be present, not dry or damaged. Use a glass file instead of clippers to avoid cutting too deep – I recommend keeping one millimetre of the white part of the nail. Polish is like make-up – it should be removed regularly, preferably after three to four days.’

Time to up your vitamin C – not just as a supplement (we take a minimum of 2g daily), but in your skincare. According to Dr. Tom Mammone, ‘Add vitamin C to your skincare regimen day and night to get glowing faster.’ Not that most of us have ‘big events’ coming up, but whenever you do, adding vitamin C to your skincare ritual in the countdown is a great way to brighten skin.

If you’re feeling anxious (um, who isn’t?), it’s time to look even more closely at caffeine intake. Reducing your caffeine consumption helps prevent energy yo-yo-ing throughout the day, but often what feels like fluttery anxiety can be triggered by an excess of caffeine. Perhaps hold off drinking your first tea or coffee in the morning till you have eaten.

We’re tipping hairdressers and therapists super-generously at the moment (around 20-25% as opposed to the normal 10-15%), to make up for months without tips. Even where hairdressers (and ultimately therapists) have been furloughed, what they’ve received doesn’t take into account tips, which make up a large part of income. So: if you can afford to, why not be generous?

Suffering from bunions? Operations for these, like so many, are massively delayed. Journalist Anna Murphy, however, had great results from Yogatoes, a more bulky version of the kind of separators you wear while having a pedicure. ‘Over time – I built up from about 15 minutes a day to an hour or so – I they start to reshape your feet. A second, similar option is Correct Toes from the Emperor’s New Shoes. These stretch the toes less, because they are more slimline, but you can walk around in them – either barefoot, or in generously dimensioned footwear like slippers or Birkenstocks – which means you can wear them all day, when you are at home.’ And we are.

When the temperature rises and it’s hot at night (but not humid), we like to place a shallow bowl of ice in front of a fan and enjoy the breeze. As the ice melts, then evaporates, the air will cool you off. (And yes, Dyson fans really are the quietest on the planet, if you generally find a fan at night too noisy.)

It’s summer, and we all need less make-up. So try this: to brighten tired eyes, put a hint of blush on the apple of the cheek and then use the blush as eyeshadow in the crease above the eye. A peachy-rose colour looks best.’

Love this philosophy we heard lately: spend money on two things where comfort is key and you’ll be glad you did: sheets and shoes.

From that ultimate pro, Kate Moss… ‘Haristylists Sam McKnight and Guido Palau showed me the best trick for volume. I just tease and pinch the crown of my head using my fingers and a brush, to give my hair lift. I also learned to dry my hair almost completely and then tuck it behind my ears. Then when it’s dry, it gives me a little bit of a wave. It’s so easy.’

Is there anyone out there who isn’t struggling with negative and overwhelming thoughts at the moment? Dr. Kristin Neff, author of The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, recommends: ‘We recognise touch as care, so when you’re struggling with negative thoughts, simply laying your hand onto bare skin over your chest helps to ground you.’

If you’ve taken up running and you’re looking for a comfortable shoe, choose a design that’s been around for a while rather than a super-high-fashion innovation. Many gimmicky shoes are designed for trendiness, not practicality or performance, and will probably disappear from the market within a year because they fall apart, hurt your feet or don’t do a good job. Go for a classic that has stood (or rather, run) the test of time.

Still no prospect of a manicure? To tidy raggedy cuticles without professional help, rub a little toothpaste on each nail (after removing polish). It contains sodium to soften and exfoliate cuticles. Then drop a tablet of Alka Seltzer in hot water and soak your hands for a few minutes. Scrub off any remaining cuticle skin with a soft toothbrush, and moisturise lavishly.

Basil beats bugs! Since we’re all socialising outdoors at the moment, insects can be a problem. Rubbing basil on your skin keeps bugs that bite – especially mosquitoes – at bay. It’s a trick that has been used in India and Africa for centuries, according to Rodale’s The Green Pharmacy.