THE ROUTINE
Time was, you needed a whole skincare programme based on a single brand, or your face would probably fall apart. While the truth is that you don’t, it can make life a lot easier, particularly with the more complex, dermatologist-inspired lines. Book in for a consultation: the new Dr Colbert centre, located within Harrods’ Wellness Clinic, has a state-of-the-art machine that split san image of your face up and maps it to analyse bone structure, subcutaneous fat, muscle strength and skin integrity, then prescribes you a simple, or more elaborate routine. Skinceuticals’ national head of education and training Linda Blahr recommen dsa 45-minute session, in which your ski nis scanned and you answer lifestyle questions to determine which external influences, such as pollution, stress or diet, are affecting your skin. Don’t be daunted by the huge ranges available at many of the department-store brands – most have come to accept that as much as they’d like to sell you a 21-step routine, you’re only going to come back to them if they give you something easy to use that works. Kiehl’s, for example, sells a staggering 171 different skincare products, but its minimum regime recommendation can be as straightforward as cleansing, toning and moisturising, while Estée Lauder regularly offers simple routines with just two products. Equally, the relief I felt at a recent meeting with Dr Barbara Sturm, who suggested I use just three of her products, yet which were tailormade to suit my darker skin (her cleanser and hyaluronic acid) and help control redness on my cheeks (her Calming Serum is superb), was palpable. As easy as one-two-three apparently.