Your perfect skincare regime is out there - it may take you years to find it!

We ladies live in eternal hope of finding the magic moisturiser and serum that will help us roll back the years or give us the radiance we feel our skin doesn't have.

We spend a small fortune on buying products based on largely spurious claims about ingredients and glossy adverts.

What we really need is quantitative data based on real women's experiences. Many of the big companies quote research in their adverts, but one them was fined recently for testing on a small group of its own employees. It's not what I would call "quantative." Magazines are equally to blame. In articles on skincare, they tend to feature only the latest products based on press releases or those with the biggest advertising budgets.

A couple of weeks ago, with my moisturiser jar nearly empty, I was at a loss to know where to turn for objective advice. So when Sarah Vine mentioned in the Times magazine that she had heard increased word-of-mouth reports about the Andrew Weil for Origins range, my ears pricked up. She mentioned that she was hearing how it was calming and reduced redness.

The more mature the skin, the more inclined we become to redness. My skin has never been sensitive but lately I find some creams uncomfortable, particularly if they are full of chemicals. All the cheaper L'Oreal, Garnier and Olay products make my skin itchy. So I bought the Origins Magic Mushroom serum and cream from Boots, and I must say, I am very impressed!

I can genuinely say that the products feel delightful on the skin; the redness around my nose has gone, and my skin is more radiant and softer. I am very pleased. For once, something works - and believe me, I have tried many different products from the likes of Lancome, Estee Lauder, Eve Lom, Decleor, Clinique and Creme de la Mer.