We’re all about waste not, want not. Always worth a reminder, then, that the inside of an avocado skin makes for a brilliant arm and elbow moisturiser. Smoosh it round your elbows and forearms, then massage in. It completely disappears without a hint of a green tinge (and is just so satisfying to do!)
Calluses – thickened skin on the soles – can be a problem as we age, exacerbated by not being able to get to a chiropodist right now. Buff with a foot file nightly then moisturise your soles – and a cushioning insole in harder shoes can help, while you wait for your next pro appointment.
If you’re sleep-anxious, remove all clock faces from view. Staring at a clock at night has been scientifically shown to make sleep progressively worse.
Slicked on a gloss and don’t like the feel? To remove an extra-sticky gloss, swipe lips with a damp washcloth dipped in olive oil. (Also brilliant for eradicating dark lipstick, BTW.)
If you’ve bought a mascara and your eye make-up remover isn’t even beginning to take it off, try removing it with a warm, wet washcloth. It may be what’s known as a ‘tubular’ mascara: a technology which originated in Japan, but which forms polymer tubes around each lash. They certainly stay put for longer, but these tubular mascaras only dissolve with warm water.
Might sound counterintuitive, but if you suffer from greasy hair that’s dry at the ends, you need an oil massage. (Stay with us, here.) Blend 10 drops of lavender or tea tree essential oil (or a mix of the two) with an ounce of jojoba or sweet almond oil and use as a pre-shampoo treatment, massaging into scalp for five minutes.
Concealer that’s too pale can turn pigment under the eyes a corpse-like shade of grey, making eyes look older than they are. Another concealer no-no: applying concealer too close to the lash-line; stay ¾ of an inch away from lashes to avoid making eyes look smaller.
Always run top coat along the free edge of your nails after applying nail varnish. This will create a bond on the tip to prevent chipping.
From the eternally inspiring Sue Harmsworth, founder of ESPA, who’s in her 70s: ‘I don’t think of my age. Instead I focus on goals and moving forward, and exercise is part of that – strength work and stretching to maintain my muscle mass, bone density and posture.’
Sick and tired of paying a fortune for expensive cleaning materials? You can turn to good old sodium bicarbonate for many household tasks; a solution of two tablespoons to a pint/500ml water makes a good, non-abrasive cleaner (and an excellent deodorising fridge cleaner). For a blocked sink, pour a teacup of bicarb down the plughole and the same amount of vinegar; let it stand and fizz for 10 minutes.
If you have acne, avoid deep conditioning your fringe or any hair that touches your face.
If you’re trying to tackle sleep problems, aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, no matter what. It’s very difficult for the body to adjust to irregular sleep patterns, often caused by sleeping late at weekends. It’s better to ‘pay off your sleep debts’ with a nap on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon than to sleep late.
Swimming offers a great workout – but a strong chemical smell can mean that the pool or spa isn’t well-maintained. That aroma is a by-product of human body secretions mixing with the chlorine. A properly cared-for spa should have no smell, and the tiles on the side of a Jacuzzi or plunge pool shouldn’t feel slick.
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.’
One make-up casualty when wearing specs is that frames tend to rub away foundation. When you go to the Ladies, take off your glasses and do a quick blend of foundation on the sides of the nose, where the glasses touch, and the cheekbones if yours rest there. If you like to take your glasses off for an evening out, you might want to touch up the area beforehand.
Even if you don’t think you need it, choose a ridge-filler as your nail base coat, advises super-manicurist Deborah Lippmann. ‘I always use it for photographs to fill in micro-ridges.’
Always apply concealer on the sides of the nose, between the eyes, as well as to cover dark circles. ‘A lot of women forget to do that,’ notes Bobbi Brown. Also: as we age, some of us acquire blue ‘dot-like’ shadows at the sides of the eye; look out for those and add a touch of concealer, to make them vanish. A tiny brush helps with precision.
OK, so how does Elle Macpherson stay looking quite so fabulous? This probably helps. ‘When I wake up, I think about what my body really needs, whether it’s a swim in the ocean, beach walk, yoga with friends, a bike ride or a boxing class. Mixing it up is fun and helps me stay motivated.’
Your granny was right: apple cider vinegar rinses really are a natural, inexpensive way to increase shine. Mix one tablespoon with 200ml of water and pour over shampooed hair, then rinse with water.
Be aware that whitening toothpastes can sometimes trigger dermatitis, so best to stop using it if small red spots appear around your mouth.