How many different beauty products do you use every day? Chances are you probably use more than you used in the past. With a seemingly neverending supply of new lotions and potions on the market that are designed to make you look younger, bronzer, and healthier, it’s difficult to know where to start. They’ve thought of something for everyone. And don’t we just love it – who wouldn’t want beautiful clear skin, sleek hair and perfect makeup? But do these products really help us to achieve that or do we just want it so much we’re convincing ourselves that we can’t live without them? I recently discovered that the moisturiser I had been using was not improving the condition of my skin, in fact it could have been making it worse. I was so used to applying it a couple of times a day that when I didn’t use it, my hands quickly became drier than ever. Some skinproducts almost work too well – to the extent that your skin becomes ‘addicted’ and unable to cope without them. It’s the same with hair styling – the more products you use, the more you’ll find you need. Styling tools and hairdryers can dry your hair out, leaving it brittle and frizzy. The answer to this, as usual, is product – there is a massive variety of different styling gels to keep damaged hair in check. They leave your hair looking shiny and sleek even when after heat-styling, problem solved. But nine times out of ten you’ll find these products merely disguise the problem without actually helping repair the damage. You keep using it because your hair looks good, but the longer you leave it the worse your hair condition will become. So how do you know which products are really worth your money? Well, for a start, less is more. Choose products that will really last and work for your skin, like Body Shop body butter or Clarins HydraQuench cream. These may cost more than regular moisturisers, but it’s really worth it in the long run as they do help fix dry skin, and one tub will usually last much longer too. As for hair, the best way to recovery is to wear it naturally for a while, and use products designed to help dry hair to recover. If you love the straight look too much to let it go, invest in some GHD straighteners – again they cost a bit more but they’re designed well and are much kinder to hair than many other brands. As well as styling tools, GHD also offer a great range of shampoo and styling products specifically developed to protect heat-styled hair.