Beauty: Acne

Women who need to tackle spots also want lovely, pampering skincare. Photograph: Rui Faria

I've never suffered from spots but having seen how upsetting they are for so many of the women who tweet and message me, I was determined to find treatments that worked. So I sent products to acne sufferers (from mild to severe) and asked them to report back.
What I noticed was this: very few got a glowing review, largely because women who need to tackle spots also want lovely, pampering skincare. Many (cheaper) acne products force you to choose between the two. The rare winners are below, but I must single out one. When No! No! tried to big up their pricey, thermal spot-zapping device, I rolled my eyes. But this produced the most spectacular results. The tester had the most enormous, painful, oozing boil on her chin – the kind that can't be covered and renders you housebound and wailing for a week. Twenty-four hours later, the redness had gone and the pimple was about a fifth of its size. I couldn't believe the photos. I'm not suggesting this is an affordable option for everyone, but if you're a sufferer for whom spots cause daily anxiety, and you've already seen your GP, this may be the best investment of your life.
Next week, I'll show you how to conceal existing blemishes with make-up.