Spot on

MANY people try to look after their skin using the appropriate cleanser, toner and moisturiser for their skin type. But what if you want to treat one small patch of skin which has different concerns to the rest of your face?

Instead of buying a whole new line of products simply to treat one concern, risking both a large bill and products which may be too harsh for the rest of your face, why not consider a targeted treatment?

On-the-spot treatments can help with a variety of skincare concerns, from acne to pigmentation or puffiness.

Hyperpigmentation- a common by product of UV exposure or ageing – can become more noticeable as the sun becomes stronger in the summer months. If you have a small patch of pigmentation you wish to treat, try a targeted treatment such as Paula’s Choice C25 Super Booster (€60, www.paulaschoice-eu.com).  This product contains 25 per cent ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to break down brown spots, at the same time as improving skin tone and smoothing fine lines and wrinkles.

Alternatively, try Clinique’s Fresh Pressed 7-Day System with Pure Vitamin C (€29.45, www.lookfantastic.com), which offers a targeted, seven-day programme to tackle pigmentation. Whichever treatment you use, finish with an SPF of at least factor 30 to prevent further brown spots.

Most people suffer from the occasional blemish, even long after the tricky teen years.  Instead of using harsh face washes or scrubs to treat the issue, on-the-spot products promise to dry out the blemish as well as reduce inflammation. Try Boscia’s Charcoal Spot Corrector (€19.90, www.sephora.es), which contains charcoal and salicylic acid work overtime to remove and reduce pore-clogging oils while sloughing off dead skin cells and reducing redness.

Finally, to combat puffiness on any part of the face, try using a targeted under eye patch such as Patchology’s FlashPatch (from €11.95 for five, www.sephora.es). These half-moon shaped gel patches contain caffeine to de-puff and can be placed in the fridge 10 minutes before use before being place under eyes, on cheeks or on the jawline.