Dear John,
As an avid reader of your page, I wonder if you can help me with my skin woes. I'm in my early 20s and have suffered from bad skin for years. While I don't get raised spots as often as I used to, I still suffer from blackheads, open pores and oily skin - mainly on my T-zone. The oiliness means my foundation (L'Oreal Perfect Match) doesn't last the day and I doubt the regular blotting with powder does my skin any good. My skin care routine is as follows. Morning: Garnier Pure facial scrub followed by Garnier Pure Shine Control moisturiser. Evening: Garnier Clean and Soft cleansing milk, Garnier Pure facial scrub, followed by Neutrogena Visibly Clear Triple Action Lotion and then Nivea Night Cream. I'm willing to invest money in a good range of products, but I don't know where to start. I'd really appreciate your thoughts on how I can improve my skin care routine, and any suggestions for foundations that stay matte would also be great... I know I'm asking for a lot!
Thanks in advance,
Jessica

Jessica,
It is entirely possible that you are doing too much to prevent and are exacerbating the problem. Normal skin gets a bit shiny in the middle partway through the day. You don't want to stop the oil as it is the natural preservative to the skin. And if you are over-stripping it, when the oil is produced, the pores are too immobile and you get blackheads and breakouts. Simplifying to a deep, decongestant cleanser instead of a surface stripping one would be a step in the right direction. Something like Eve Lom would be a thought. More costly, but then you can cut back everything else. Bliss also have a couple of great pore cleansing products like the Steep Clean Mattifying Toner Pads that are multi-purpose. Love these!

A powder foundation or a mineral powder foundation may be an answer to your staying-power queries. Plus they could be used to touch up throughout the day as and when you get some shine. And Clinique Stay Matte, Lauder Doublewear Light, or Max Factor Facefinity could all offer you a longer lasting matte finish in a more traditional foundation. A really matte talc based powder for touch-up will also provide a bit more security - Poudre LeClerc or Becca are both effective and offer excellent colour choice. A lot of recommendation in a short time, but I thought it better to give you a wide range of options to look at than a couple that don't answer the problem. Please do let me know if you need me to break this down any further, or you may want to consider booking an appointment with an independent skincare advisor that is not linked to a single range. That could end up being a better expenditure than testing around!
Best,
John

Dear John,
I'm a long time fan and find all your advice very useful.  I had to write to you as no one seems to have any answers. I cover my serious dark circles with Bobbi Brown's Corrector followed by Cle de Peau's stick concealer. Then I set it with a dusting of loose powder. I use either LM Brightening Powder or Bobbi Brown or Becca.

My problem is, now that I'm 43, the lines are super accentuated. I can't use less concealer as my circles are very dark. I can't skip the loose powder as the cover up will fade - I live in the tropics where it is 30 degrees C and average humidity is 85%.

John, are there concealers out there more suited to my needs?  Like one that is pigmented enough (so I don't have to use 2 products) and is lightweight and budge proof?  I also have some eye bags (I know that's a different problem), so I'm looking 10 years older than I need to. You can imagine my distress. Whenever I go to the beach/pool, I look terrible, again due to the dark circles which I am unable to cover successfully. With the sunscreen and water, the concealers just slip/wash right off. What can I do about this? I have clear skin and don't wear much make-up on a daily basis. My knowledge of products out there is very limited. Anything you can recommend / advice will be much appreciated. By the way, I am Chinese with normal/dryish skin.
Gratefully,
Simone

Simone,
I find this one of the easiest I have had to answer in this batch! The product I would definitely look at is Lauder Maximum Cover. It is what I myself use and I can't recommend it highly enough. It is a feather-weight silicone foundation/concealer. The product is waterproof, so the swimming and humidity things are covered. You have way too many products on and, to be truthful, the extra weight and layering will be making things slide around and look made-up. A thin layer of Maximum Cover really does the trick and stays put no matter what! Plus the shades are quite yellowy, so they should match your complexion perfectly. There is an SPF12 built in...so that is covered too. I am only going to recommend this one product to you as I really feel it is the answer to all of the above. Good luck and you should find this really easy to locate wherever you are.
Best,
John

Hi John,
I'm 31 and suffer from Rosecea. I recently found out that I am pregnant so have come off the medication I was using (Lymecycline, and I've also used Metrogel). Though it hasn't flared up again hugely, my skin tends to be quite red and when I get hot, it gets really red. My nose tends to be red all the time, and quite dry (a nice Rudolf the reindeer look!). As I can't use medication, I am controlling the condition by lifestyle (no alcohol helps!) but wanted to find out from you if I'm using good enough products to cover up or whether you can recommend anything different. In the morning I use Avene moisturiser followed by Clinique's anti redness daily block on the red areas, followed by Mac Face and Body Foundation and some Estee Lauder Doublewear Concealer on particular red bits. In the evening I use Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish with warm water and then use the moisturiser for dry skin. I think I have combination skin - my nose is very dry and the make-up doesn't really look very good, the rest of my skin is more balanced though depends on the time of the year. I use Liz Earle's exfoliating cream about once a week. Can you recommend anything different? Should I use a primer?
Many thanks,
Rhoda

Rhoda,
First...congratulations. Second...I think you are using great products all the way around. My only addition would be the new Clinique Anti-Redness Solution Powder, which would serve as your primer, soother, and an extra insurance against redness. It is a mineral powder that gets used under your normal foundation. Strange sounding - I know - but it really works. Is your moisturiser the Superskin? If not, give that a go as the basic moisturiser alongside the Clinique Anti Redness Daily Block for the red patches. Hope that makes sense and I really do mean that I think your routine sounds safe and sane!
Good luck,
John

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