Skincare expert reveals her top tips for perfect glowing skin

Skin problems such as dryness and spots result in an average of six ‘off-days’ a month - but the impact is more significant than not quite looking your best.

Worryingly, 61 per cent of women believed bad skin days had affected their mental wellbeing.

The poll of 2,000 women also revealed women spend more than £260 every year on skincare products for their face and body in order to look their best.

Skin expert Abigail James explains, “Adopting a holistic approach is essential if you want to establish healthy skin on your body, so it’s understandable that British women are vigilant about unnecessary chemicals in the personal care products they are using.

”With so many women admitting that bad skin knocks their confidence and disrupts their lives, finding an approach that achieves healthy skin is clearly important.

“A number of holistic lifestyle factors contribute to the health of our skin, such as the food we eat, how much sleep we get and the personal care products we use.”

The most common skin problems among those polled were dryness, spots and wrinkles, while 30 per cent had cellulite and stretch marks.

Not drinking enough water, exposure to sun or bad weather, and an unhealthy diet were the reasons given for bad skin days.

Women revealed, aside from their face, the areas they most worried about were their hands, their neck and their legs.

Around six in 10 admitted they were concerned by the chemicals which may be in their toiletries.

The research also found over half of women believed the neck and hands give away someone’s true age.

Say goodbye to unnecessary chemicals

Some fragrances and colours are skin irritants and have no actual benefits for the skin - they simply look and smell nice.

According to the research almost two thirds of British women are concerned about the chemicals in their personal care products. Avoid unnecessary chemical ingredients and look for shower gels and deodorants that are kinder to skin.

Avoid low fat diets

When it comes to holistic health, achieving a healthy balance is important. Choose healthy fats for healthy cell function – this can be added into your diet through foods such as avocadoes, fish, nuts and seeds and plant oils such as flax and hemp.

Another tip is to ditch the processed margarines. If you’re going to have butter then make it organic natural butter which has less synthetic ingredients.

Try light exercise

Getting up and moving daily will boost circulation, and getting your muscles moving will increase your levels of ‘happy’ hormones or endorphins and blood flow. This in turn will give your skin a lovely healthy glow.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a light stroll or training at the gym, as long as you’re moving your skin will feel the benefits.

Get an early night

Lack of sleep increases the visible appearance of ageing, such as dark circles caused by sluggish circulation.

With that in mind say goodbye to your phone or tablet at least an hour before going to bed and try to get a good night’s sleep – your skin will thank you for it.

Reduce sugar intake

A high intake of sugar can cause an inflammatory reaction within the skin resulting in a whole host of skin conditions, from acne and rosacea to premature ageing and dry skin.

A little treat every now and then won’t hurt, but try to keep an eye on your sugar levels if you’re looking to keep skin healthy.

Curb the caffeine

Too much coffee or caffeinated drinks can put extra stress on the liver and digestive system which impacts your body’s natural detoxification process.

This build-up of toxins can have a negative effect on the health of your skin causing issues such as dry skin, redness and sensitivity.

Skincare shouldn’t stop at your face

There can often be a temptation to focus on the health of the skin on our faces but we must remember that skin is the largest organ of your body – so we need to make sure we are giving it the care it deserves.

Our skin absorbs a percentage of the products we apply, so choose products that are gentle on skin with natural moisturisers.