The importance of using skin products at night, how to avoid skin ageing and products to soothe and pamper

Life as a woman can be hectic and often we are just too busy to pamper ourselves, but believe me, it is vital to take care of yourself not only for the sake of your beauty, but also for your health, hygiene and self esteem.

If you spend some time every night taking care of your skin, the benefits outweigh the time you devote to this ritual.

Always remember that exposure to the sun, sweating and the exposure to other air pollutants during the day can damage the skin. At night, the skin is able to absorb the demand of skincare products without interference factors. The pores of the skin are in need of special creams and moisturisers to be rejuvenated and repaired.

Top tips

? Never ever go to bed with your make-up still on

? To achieve young, fresh-looking skin, use an eye cream and moisturiser before going to bed for the night

? Use a cuticle oil, CND Solar Oil £9.95 and a nourishing hand cream Decleor Aroma Confort Hydration £14.95 set to work to nourish and moisturise your nails and hands while sleeping

? Use a wide-tooth comb or Tangle Teaser on your hair to increase to the blood circulation of the scalp.

Make-up removal

After a long day at work, when you come home tired it might seem like a tedious task to take off that lipstick, lotion, powder, foundation, liquid eyeliner and eye shadow before you crawl into bed.

But forget any excuses and never go to bed wearing make up. It is the worst thing you can do to your skin.

The reasons:

? If make-up stays on the skin overnight it causes blemishes or acne

? Dirt and bacteria clog the pores and cause skin damage.

? Your skin will not be able to breathe well with make-up left on, it creates a barrier between the air and the skin, blocking the natural skin’s breathing.

? Skin ages faster.

In order to avoid skin ageing you can use a facial cleanser and if you invest in Shu Uemura Ultime Cleansing Oil £37.50, it will last you more than 12 weeks and is guaranteed to remove your make up effectively.

After that use a moisturiser such as Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins Skin Refining Oil £35, or an anti-ageing cream such as Decleor Night Essence £105, or Aromessence Iris Rejuvenating Night Balm, £37.50.

Did you know?

Sleeping on satin sheets or 300-thread count Egyptian Cotton and pillowcases helps avoid any extreme friction between the sheets, hair and skin, reducing the chance of hair breakage and skin folds that can cause wrinkles in the future.

Wear a lip balm at night, this protects your lips, keeps them soft and prevents cracked, sore lips.

Sarah loves …

Just launched is a new version of Liz Earle’s multi-award-winning Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser: the Jasmine & Osmanthus Limited Edition. Capturing the beauty of jasmine blossoms with the floral softness of sun-warmed osmanthus petals, the rich cream instantly removes daily grime and make-up, even stubborn mascara, to lift away dead skin cells, revealing a fresh, radiant complexion.

£20.75 for 100ml, available at lizearle.com

How do celebrities manage to look so good after long-haul flights while we end up er, not quite so radiant? While travelling first class may help, super-stylish model David Gandy has revealed he opts for a more modest approach: rosehip oil to hydrate his skin. Rosehip oil is now available from UK brand Phytacol, whose no-nonsense skin care products appeal to both sexes and are available in easy to use spray bottles in either an oil or lotion format. Visit www.phytacol.com where Phytalotion is £9.99 for a 60ml and Phytaoil £10.99.

The Jo Malone London Bath and Body Collection, launched in July, is perfect for prepping summer skin. We love the Lime Basil & Mandarin, Blackberry & Bay and Peony & Blush Suede Shower Oil, 250ml £32, a nourishing formula with sunflower seed, jojoba and coconut oil that envelopes the skin with silky softness