Treat yourself to one of Molton Browns gorgeous hand wash and hand lotion duo's to leave by the sink. Not only do they clean and soften beautifully but the fantastic aromas will make sure you use the product. If you cuticles are a little rough, rubbing in a soothing cream any time you have a spare few minutes will really benefit them, toe-nails as well as fingers. Again L'Occitane do a wonderful tub of shea butter concentrated balms with various plant extracts to choose from and these little tins are excellent to keep beside the bed and even come in mini handbag size tins. Liz Earles Superbalm Concentrate is also a great product to keep nails and cuticles in good shape but doe have quite a sharp 'aromatherapy' herbal smell. When you have your nails in shape invest in really good nail products as those with cheaper ingredients can really strip the nails. Try OPI's fabulous range of colours and their varnish remover is less harsh than supermarket brands. If your nails are less than perfect or you are desperately trying to grown them, keep to very light shades which are very forgiving and always make nails appear cared - for. I love Christian Dior's 007 white crystal shade which is neutral and quite feminine. If you fancy really dark colours you will have to give yourself a little more time and never skip the base-coat as coloured varnish always strains the nail if used regularly, and finish with a really tough top coat - Seche Vite is far and away the best on the market and dries the quickest too, or wear it alone to give a highly polished shine to the nails.

                                                                      

Which Philip Kingsley product would suit my hair?

At this time of year I often get asked to recommend products for dry, itch scalps. Spring seems to be a particularly bad time for scalps it seems, I think months of cold weather accompanied by centrally heated rooms not only dries out the skin on our faces but also the scalp. Using a good moisturizing shampoo and conditioner can often alleviate a dry scalp but for a really itchy scalp I find that Philip Kingsley's range especially formulated for this problem has great results. The shampoo and conditioners may well do the job alone but for a particularly dry scalp the tonic, which can be applied at any time is a real bonus. Philip Kingsley has 45 years experience as a trichologist and his range includes treatments for various problems and are suitable for most hair types including colour - treated. (For a list of products click here).

                                                                      

I have to confess to being a little lazy when it comes to exercise routines - my excuse being that I run a large house and garden and get all the exercise I need chasing round after a busy family. But I have very kindly been bought one of those huge exercise balls for my birthday and as I was completely exhausted after just pumping it up, I think I had better start using it. All you experts out there will doubtless know its benefits but as yet I haven't bounced about on it - I'm waiting for a quiet moment when the house is deserted, just in case I do roll off and make a fool of myself!