As far back as I can remember, my mum always told me to use the best cosmetics money could buy and for her that was Vichy skin care. Into my thirties I was fortunate enough to be able to start using the wonderful creams they make and have continued since then.

At last they now make a brilliant cream called Liftactiv Ha which is basically the stuff our skin loses when we age that keeps our skin's elasticity. Little is known about hyaluronic acid but it is purified in the umbilical cord and was roughly discovered in the 1940s.It has recently been used as an injectable on the same lines as Botox and some plastic surgeons believe it is better than Botox.

I have been using this cream now for several months and the difference is worth it! My under eye bags have nearly dissappeared and the elasticity of my eyes and face has improved dramatically - so much so I have stopped using some of the other wrinkle creams and still my skin continues to improve.

They have an excellent acne cream called Normaderm which removes the purple red scarring left by acne and can be used successfully to remove the purple left by scarring on most wounds or burns - use in conjunction with Aloe Vera - excellent results!

I also take Efamol -skin (Evening Primrose)(menopause Efamol is also available) capsules as well as Maca and Silicea capsules which helps to keep my skin young and healthy as well. One amazing tip I can give you which I picked up over the years is to help reduce redness, eye bags and has the ability to shrink the skin slightly. In the Uk Boots chemists sell a haemorrhoid (piles) treatment called Germoloids (see link below - great site) which is available in ointment and cream form. I used the cream form as it is non-oily on my under-eye area and as it has a de-congesting action reduces the puffiness dramatically and cools the eye area as well. Obviously avoid getting it in the eye and use regularily with your normal cosmetics and the results are marked!

Germoloids used together with witch hazel is great for dealing with redness caused by tiny broken blood vessels but if your using it for facial redness be careful as some cosmetics are not compatible with witch hazel as I discovered with my Vichy creams (Burning) although Germoloids is fine.

If you have redness on say an arm you can soak a cottonwool pad with witch hazel and apply a fairly liberal amount of Germoloids covering with clingwrap and replacing this treatment every second day for approx three weeks and this will heal redness amazingly!

My favourite and I feel most effective face pack is egg white whipped until stiff and after application - left on the face for as long as possible - 2-3 hours is fine then rinsed off with luke warm water. For a special treat follow the egg white face pack with an application of snail gel(magic stuff!) concentrating on the under eye area and when dry apply your make up - a real beauty boost if you're going out on a special occasion! So good for the skin too! Sounds gory but this really works! I from time to time also give my face and body a treat of Sweet Almond oil (also great for the hair!). This oil is reputed to lessen redness caused by spider veins and gives the skin a lovely glow. Coconut oil, sweet almond oil and Neem oil - all excellent for hair.I use Inecto with Pantene hair products and Henna Plus - the do a brilliant boost for your hair called Hairwonder Serum - in little red capsules - once a month and your hair together with the occasional treat of Inecto coconut oil serum and hair mask does wonders! Add a couple of drops of Neem hair oil to your conditioner and leave on under a platic hair cap and towel after washing and you have a lovely treatment for difficult and dry curly hair.

Going into menopause has not been easy as many of you are aware and feeling fat and frumpy was definitely not on the agenda for me! I decided one day that I needed excercise - not because I was putting on weight due to the meno but just started feeling tired and really unfit. I invested in a "LegMagic" excercise machine as for me this seemed the most benign effortless and basic form of excercise ever invented! I've never been one for jogging or the gym and this idea seemed to suit me just fine! This little machine has now made me addicted to it. I noticed the difference after three days of doing just one minute per day. I decided not to follow the excercise program on the dvd as I've suffered a back injury way back and did not want to aggravate the problem.Well, just over a year later, my back problem has dissappeared and the "hit" I get just after excercise from adrenaline, helps deal with the muscular stress and headaches, menopause so gracefully gives us! I don't miss any excercises and if I am ill with flu or the like - which is rare - I make them up later when I'm feeling well again. I have designed my own upper body and facial (acupressure points) routine which has helped tighten up my underarm area, upper torso and boobs and breaks the monotony of now doing 5 minutes at a time. I have worked up to four sets of 5 minutes per day overperiod of a year and feel I can cope with this and to help with the odd hot flush have a fan on low setting whilst I do them. Keep a clock and list handy so you can maintain a record of how far you've come and you will feel you've achieved mountains as you tone and shape up as well as feeling so much fitter than ever before for so little physical input. (Oprah take note!) You will also get the chance of seeing your hips again accompanied by the re-appearance of your waist which I thought was never going to happen - what joy and I have even developed a six pack - actually it's a four pack - but who's counting!

Combine this excercise regime with a diet rich in fruit, veggies and all the good things for your health as well as Oolong tea (weight loss tea that doesn't upset your tummy and gives you energy) and you should be healthy and cope with your menopause much easier than you give yourself credit for!

Please note: I have included links to purchase the above mentioned cosmetic products below.

 Hair problems have hounded me most of my life. To start off with, I was blessed (cursed) with a  head of thick curly (extremely) hair. I have managed to get it to fall out on seversl occasions due to using the wrong hair dye (incompatible) stress and vitamin overdosage! Joy! I heard once on an Oprah show I think talk about not being able to colour and straighten hair as well - RUBBISH!! I use ceramic tongs and chemical free hair dye and have had no problems with hair fallout since I started this partnership. You must from time to time give your hair a rest from the cermics and also use a heat defence spray whilst using them.Tressemme make an excellent heat defence spray and use a good simple shampoo and conditioner like Pantene and Inecto.I recently started using Dr.Hauschka Neem oil for hair and my hair has thickened up and strengthened beautifully. I  apply Neem oil about 3 times a week and massage it well into the scalp . I use coconut oil and sweet almond oil on the rest of my hair when I notice it is getting a bit dry and Elvive anti-frizz serum when I'm using the tongs. To grow your hair really fast take Silicea tablets and your hair should really then be your crowning glory! If you, like me,  have the misfortune of hair fallout  Vichy do a program that will seriously help, but be patient, it takes about a year to regain your former glory - well worth the wait though.