How to GLOW after 50
I DON’T sunbathe, so use fake tan to get a glow. The problem is that after a while, it darkens the age spots on my face. Can you help?
Denny, 66, by email
This is a common problem and reinforces the fact that products that worked in your youth have to be adapted as you get older.
According to celebrity facialist Nichola Joss, there are two ways to tackle fake tan and age spots. First, you need a foundation brush for precise application and blending.
‘Prepare the skin the night before by gently exfoliating. But don’t use a scrub, which can be too harsh for delicate mature skin,’ she says.
‘instead, use a cream, such as the sanctuary Leave- On Exfoliating Cream, £16 (Boots), which is grainfree and contains a blend of five botanical fruit acids to increase the turnover of skin cells.’
For a subtle effect, she recommends mixing a pea- sized amount of st Tropez instant Tan (£10) into your normal daily f ace cream and working this into the face using a foundation brush.
Alternatively, for a tan that doesn’t wash off, try a facial self-tanner, such as st Tropez Gradual Tan Plus AntiAgeing Face Lotion (£22). As before, apply to the face using a foundation brush, but there is no need to mix it with moisturiser as this is a subtle tan that can be built up over a few days.
Nichola suggests dabbing a small amount of balm (such as Vaseline) over dark spots beforehand to stop the tan from developing on the darker areas of the face and then gently blending the colour into the skin using the brush.
‘After first use, skin will have a subtle glow and you can then apply daily if necessary to achieve the desired colour,’ she says.
The new Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster, £18 ( clarins. co.uk) gives a subtle radiance.
This is a self-tanner that you can mix with your daily moisturiser or serum. Though it has a much higher concentration than most other self-tanning products, it adds more of a glow than a change in tone.
The self-tanning expert James harknett is impressed by this. ‘Mix it carefully and paint the cream on to your face evenly, working it into the hairline, down the neck and on the top of the decolletage,’ he says.
A heavy fake tan can highlight larger areas of pigmentation — so it might be best to avoid it altogether and stick to bronzer.
The Laura Mercier Bronzing Pressed Powder, £26 (spaceNK), has a matte finish and does not make you orange. Brush it on lightly and it easily blends in with the pigmentation. i’ m also impressed with the seventeen instant Glow Tan Cream Bronzer, £4.99 (Boots), which is a matte cream to powder that can be built up and is flattering for more mature complexions.