Lesley’s beauty A-Z: O

Harley Street Skin Clinic’s Lesley Reynolds continues the her 26-part series taking through the natural skin care ingredients from A-Z, this week,

ORCHID A long-standing beauty staple in Asia, with regenerative and protective properties, the orchid plant is now the must-have new ingredient, suiting all skin types, helping to restore radiance while reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

TRY: Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil, £35. Its potent blend helps to prevent moisture loss and the formation of fine lines. Use on its own or mix a few drops into your foundation for a dewy glow.

OLIVE OIL This is essentially the liquid fat obtained from olives and it’s been used as a remedy since Egyptian and Ancient Greek periods. Rich in fatty acids and antioxidants, aside from being a nourishing liquid, it’s antiinflammatory and helps protect against pollution damage. Great for dry, mature and sensitive skin types, but avoid if you’re oily.

TRY: DHC Deep Cleansing

Oil, £12.40 (feelunique. com), is infused with antioxidant-rich olive oil to deep-cleanse. Skin is left feeling nourished with a radiant glow.

DIY: Sort The Face Shine. Mash a banana up. Add 10 drops lemon juice and 1tsp olive oil to create a paste. Apply the mask to your face. Let sit for 15 mins and rinse. Bananas help absorb excess oil, lemons will help cleanse pores and the olive oil will hydrate.

OATS A breakfast staple, oats have brilliant skin benefits, too. The key actives avenanthramides have antiirritant and anti-inflammatory effects, calming any redness or irritation on the skin’s surface. Oats also have a high lipid content, making them supermoisturising and the go-to topical ingredient for those with eczema, dermatitis-prone skin and itchy skin.

Oatmeal,

£4.99, delivers a rapid moisture boost on the face or body.

DIY: Oat Soak & Scrub. Mix 1 cup (200g) brown sugar with 1 cup (100g) oats and 1 cup (250ml) olive oil, then gently apply on dry skin from the feet upwards. Stand over a towel to catch the remains. Rinse in the shower. Your skin will be like butter.

WARNING. Anyone can be allergic to almost anything, so check out any unfamiliar substances before you use them! To do this, just place a small amount on the skin of your inner arm, cover and leave for 24 hours. If the patch shows any reaction, such as redness or obvious irritation... that ingredient just isn’t for you. Use mixtures immediately or within 24 hours if kept in fridge.

TOP TIP Crush an aspirin into 2tbsp olive oil and then massage into your roots to treat a flaky, itchy scalp.

TRY: Aveeno Cream with Natural Collodial