Disclaimer: any views or advice in this weblog should not be taken as a substitute for medical advice or treatment, especially if you know you have a specific health complaint.

The beauty industry has a lot to answer for. Taking a short-cut through my local Boots store yesterday morning, I was struck by the thousands of so-called beauty products on offer.

We women (and increasingly men, too) spend more and more of our hard-earned cash on lotions, potions, creams and cosmetics that all promise us younger-looking, softer, smoother or more vibrant skin and hair, brighter eyes, a healthier glow and rosier cheeks. Adverts for beauty products have become ever more fantastic – pentapeptides and active fruit nanosomes, anyone?

Stop and think, though, and it’s glaringly obvious that radiance comes from within. The cells we see on the surface of our faces and bodies were formed inside our bodies, using the water we drink, the food we eat and the air we breathe, so it’s the inside of our bodies that we need to focus on.

Our individual constitution, our body’s ability to clear toxins, and our inner chemistry all contribute to our outer appearance of vitality, yet we’re forever chasing the latest anti-ageing cream or serum, hoping for a quick external fix to the ill-effects of stress, late nights, and unhealthy eating or lifestyle choices.

The jury’s out on whether the scores of chemicals the average woman applies to the outside of her body every day (in shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, fake tanners, moisturisers, hair products and make-up) adversely affect internal chemistry, but it seems wise to limit the number of cosmetic products we use, and choose the ones we do use with care.

My mother always refused to buy in to the beauty myth, so I grew up used to her dressing table being always devoid of beauty products (except lipstick), but I often wondered how she managed without moisturiser. For years, no matter what make-up remover or cleanser I used, I’d end up with a dry, tight or irritated and flaky skin on my face if I didn’t slather it in moisturiser twice a day.

Since then I’ve learnt to add superfoods like cold water fish oils (omega 3 oils), flaxseed oil, a host of muticoloured fruit and vegetables, lean protein, complex carbs and lecithin into my diet. I use a homotoxicological detox kit twice a year to boost my whole system from the inside out, and occasionally take short courses of Ayurvedic or Western herbs for my digestive, urinary and lymphatic ‘waste disposal’ systems. I try to drink enough (but not too much) filtered water, and aim to get to bed by 10.30pm as often as possible (still working on that one!).

Giving my body a beauty boost from the inside out, and avoiding conventional face and body cleansers in favour of a pared-down German plant-based range, has made me feel, and look, so much healthier and more vibrant, and the wrinkles aren’t too bad, either. Focus on beauty from the inside, and you may find that you’ll soon be boycotting the beauty counters, too.

For more information about using homeopathic, homotoxicological and natural remedies for anti-ageing and beauty, go to www.phoenixhomeopathy.com