Does your skin hurt? These beauty products will help with inflammation

The latest buzz in beauty? “Inflammaging.” Coined by the scientific researcher Professor Claudio Franceschi in 2000, the term relates to the low-grade chronic inflammation that leads to accelerated ageing and disease. Stressors that trigger inflammation include smoking, eating sugary or processed food, and environmental factors such as UV radiation and pollution (so summer can be especially damaging). Stress manifests through the skin as psoriasis, acne, eczema, rosacea; it can also contribute to the leathery texture that skin takes on after prolonged exposure to pollutants. The key to combating it is proactive protection. Helena Rubinstein Powercell Youth Grafter Night Serum is an overnight skin rehab. The brand uses biotech samphire stem cells to supercharge skin cell regeneration, making it great for over-travelled, sun-exposed skin. Apply to neck and décolletage for targeted relief.

As inflammatory stress prompts your body to redirect resources to vital organs, the skin can become dehydrated. Boost hydration topically by applying a hyaluronic acid-based moisturiser such as Orveda The Bio-Tech Emulsion Sheer. It’s a fermented broth of marine enzymes, prebiotics and hyaluronic acid. Don’t worry, it smells less like kombucha than the green scent of galbanum, which is gorgeously calming.

An inner glow depends on the health of the gut and the strength of the immune system

Leathery skin – alongside sagging jowls and hollow cheeks – is a sign of depleted collagen and elastin, so use products that stimulate the production of new collagen fibres. Look for amino acids, specifically glycine, proline and hydroxyproline. I recommend Elemis Ultra Smart Pro-Collagen Day Cream; more than just a wrinkle smoother, it protects against atmospheric pollution and micro-dust. It’s especially good for thinning skin.

If you find your skin is not healing as quickly as it used to, it needs a deep cure. Augustinus Bader The Skin Infusion is a four-week programme to strengthen a compromised skin barrier. Use it as a “reset” up to four times a year. For a more dramatic reboot, head to the gut-first clinic Mayrlife in Altaussee, Austria. “An inner glow depends on the health of the gut and the strength of the immune system,” says Dr Maximilian Schubert, the clinic’s medical lead. The seven-night Mayrlife Anti-Inflammation Programme starts from £5,079.

Elemis Ultra Smart Pro-Collagen Day Cream, £195 for 50ml

Helena Rubinstein Powercell Skin Rehab Youth Grafter Regenerating Night Serum, £202 for 50ml

Confusingly, not all inflammation is bad. Controlled, specifically targeted micro-injury to the uppermost epidermal tissue is the basis for treatments including microdermabrasion, light peels, radiofrequency, IPL or laser, and the results can be anti-ageing. You often hear the phrase “break it down, build it back up”, and the Halo Laser at Dr Maryam Zamani Clinic triggers the body’s inflammatory healing response. The result is the remodelling of the collagen and elastin fibres, improving the appearance of lines, wrinkles, sun damage and redness. I had my “hidden pigmentation” (visible on the infra-red imager Visia) treated there; it took between five and seven days to shed and reveal brighter, tighter skin.

Lastly, to further curb inflammaging, eat a vegetable-rich diet that avoids sugar and ultra-processed foods; set a rule of no screen time 30 minutes before bed; control your stress by going on walks and meditating; and apply SPF daily, even in winter. Studies show vitamin C’s antioxidant properties are amplified when combined with SPF, so I’d recommend Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV Brightening Fluid Invisible SPF50+.