Cussons Care - August 6

* I am a 14-year-old girl with a fair complexion... but everytime I go out in the sun I get tanned. I tried using sunscreen and it made me a lot fairer but everytime I use it I get these boils on my hands and boils on the area on which I put the sunscreen. My mom says I'm getting the boils because my body can't sweat properly because of the sunscreen and everytime I stop using the sunscreen in two or three days all the boils go... what should I do? I want to stay fair but I don't want to get the boils anymore.
N.F.

Dr David Russell: Your mother is right – your condtion is a result of your body not being able to sweat properly. It would appear that you have a condition called prickly heat or Miliaria Rubra. This skin disorder produces an irritating skin rash as the result of obstructed sweat glands. It is caused by hot humid weather and over-activity during hot weather. Cool baths and showers will help as will anti-itch medicines such as Benadryl. To avoid a recurrence of this condition you should avoid exposure to strong sulight and decrease your activity during hot weather. You can also use body powders that contain corn starch which will help to absorb perspiration.

* My daughter is just eight years old but when she perspires she has underarm odour. I'm afraid to use deodorants on her because this might have side-effects as she is still young. Please advise.
Elvie
Our diet makes the body smell most. Curry, fish, garlic and onion in the diet can give the body a particular smell as they stay in the body's secretions for hours after eating. Could this be the cause? The sweat glands that produce substances that break down when left on the skin producing body odour do not develop until puberty. Even children who are not too fond of washing do not smell of body odour. If the smell is definitely one of body odour it could suggest that your daughter could have a disorder of her sweat glands and you should check this out with your own doctor.

* My problem is that I have dark circles round my eyes. I use glasses to hide them. I am really worried about them. Please suggest some eye cream which can be used to reduce them
Shafqat, Dubai
In a healthy person dark circles are the result of the thinness of the skin under the eyes, which allows the dark, venous blood to show through. In most cases this condition is inherited. There are many products in the market which claim to reduce dark circles which you can try. Estee Lauder has a product called "Uncircle". Avon also has a product for dark circles called "Lighten Up".

* My skin is very oily and I have fine wrinkles around my neck and mouth. What can I do to tighten my face, so that I will look better? What cream should I use? As part of my job I stand for long hours and my feet are sore, hot and painful.
Sally
There are some excellent creams in the market these days which will help minimise the appearance of wrinkles. These creams contain Retinol which have proved to be effective. ROC has a retinol cream which is both effective and affordable.
Jobs that involve long periods of standing do make the legs feel heavy and sore. Try to remove the hard skin on your feet regularly, so that you do not get a build up which can cause pain. Each night try to elevate your feet and legs for 30 minutes which will help to reduce any puffiness of swelling. During the day make sure that you are wearing comfortable shoes that fit you properly and use a refreshing cooling foot spray whenever your feet are feeling hot and tired. Dr Scholl has a good range of foot sprays.

* I am concerned about using cosmetic products that contain animal products. What are the benefits of these products?
Anonymous
Most hygiene and cosmetic products contain animal ingredients. These products are safe as they have have been tested over many years. For some people there is an ethical issue of the use of animal ingredients. Cruelty-free cosmetics, or those that say they are not tested on animals does not mean that they contain no animal ingredients. Look for products explicitly labelled as containing no animal ingredients. The Body Shop has a policy of not testing on animals and should be able to show you a product information sheet so that you can check the ingredients on anything you may want to buy.