Short answer, before the detail: there is good reason to think oestrogen matters to skin, but there is no reliable evidence that putting oestrogen cream on your face improves it, the strongest supporting study was carried out on skin unlike facial skin, there is an unresolved safety question about the lining of the womb, and no product is licensed for this use in the UK. We are a medically led aesthetics practice in Cardiff, and our prescribers could write this prescription.

Glycolic from one brand, salicylic from another, a lactic acid product for weekends — layering acids yourself is one of the most common skincare routines, and one of the easiest to get wrong. With Obagi's new multi-acid peel pads just launched in the UK, here is what each acid actually does, where DIY layering goes wrong, and who should leave acids alone altogether.

Most patients with deeper skin tones who come to us about pigmentation have been told they need a stronger peel. Most of them don't — and some will be made worse by one. What the pigmentation actually is, why we take blood before we take a photograph, and what genuinely works instead.