9. Be warned that overindulgence in alcohol - another dehydrator - can coarsen your skin and give you thread veins, open pores and 'oyster eyes'.

10. A poor complexion may be a sign that your gut isn't happy: people with irritable-bowel syndrome, for example, often notice that their symptoms are reflected in their faces. If you suspect a link, as well as trying the above tips and keeping a note of everything that you consume for a few weeks to see whether any particular food irritates your digestive system and skin, taking an acidophilus probiotic supplement may both alleviate your digestive problems and give you a clearer skin.

Now for a few extra tips. Firstly, take regular cardiovascular exercise, be it running, cycling or swimming (remember to wash your skin with pure water after getting out of the pool to remove chlorine and other chemical residues), to pump a healthy supply of blood around your skin, and, secondly, wage war on spots by exposing your skin to the sun (but remember to protect it with sunscreen).

Finally, if you're keen to use natural remedies on your skin, two of my favourites are antibacterial tea-tree oil and healing calendula preparations, available from health-food stores. __________________________________________

RECIPE: Blackcurrant yoghurt shortcakes

Serves 2

Small tub fresh blackcurrants, stalks and tops removed
juice of 1 orange
caster sugar (optional)
6 heaped tablespoons full-cream, thick, natural yogurt
2 Duchy Original lemon shortcake biscuits

Place the blackcurrants in small saucepan with the orange juice. Bring the mixture to the boil and then immediately turn down the heat and simmer gently for about 5 minutes, or until the blackcurrants are soft. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the blackcurrants to a small bowl.

Allow the blackcurrant and orange juice to continue to simmer gently until it has thickened to a syrup-like consistency. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool a little before tasting it to see whether you need to add a little caster sugar (but don't make it too sweet because the tartness of the blackcurrants perfectly complements the sweetness of the shortcake biscuits). Leave the syrup to become completely cool before adding it to the blackcurrants and mixing it in lightly.

In another bowl, combine the yoghurt with a little of the blackcurrant mixture. Place a biscuit in a ramekin that is just large enough to allow the biscuit to lie flat and then add half of the yoghurt mixture, followed by half of the remaining blackcurrant topping. Repeat the procedure using a second ramekin and then serve immediately.

Breast cancer pill saves few lives, study finds

WASHINGTON - Tamoxifen, the pill that prevents breast cancer in high-risk women, does not appear in the long run to save many lives, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

Women at the highest risk of breast cancer do appear to live longer if they take tamoxifen, the researchers report in the latest issue of the journal Cancer.But for women at the low end of the high-risk group, the sometimes serious side effects of tamoxifen outweigh the benefits, Dr. Joy Melnikow of the University of California, Davis, and colleagues reported.Tamoxifen can cause blood clots and uterine cancer."We found that for women at the lower end of the high-risk range for developing breast cancer, there is a very small likelihood that taking tamoxifen will reduce mortality," Melnikow said in a statement.Melnikow and her colleagues calculated that tamoxifen can extend life expectancy only when a woman's five-year risk of developing breast cancer is 3 percent or higher. This is especially true for women who have not had a hysterectomy, and thus risk endometrial cancer from taking tamoxifen.

Many women are in any case switching to a newer class of drugs known as aromatase inhibitors to treat breast cancer or to the osteoporosis drug raloxifene to prevent it.

Raloxifene, made by Eli Lilly and Co. under the name Evista, has been shown to prevent breast cancer as well as tamoxifen does, without causing as many blood clots, cataracts or as many cases of uterine cancer.In June, researchers reported that women with breast cancer who switched to Pfizer Inc.'s drug Aromasin after taking tamoxifen were 17 percent less likely to die.Tamoxifen blocks estrogen, which can help fuel the growth of tumors in some cases.

In women considered at high risk of breast cancer, usually meaning they have a close relative with breast cancer, have had several suspicious-looking lumps, or other conditions, tamoxifen reduced their risk of breast cancer by 49 percent.

Aromasin, known generically as exemestane, and similar drugs inhibit the enzyme aromatase, which is needed to produce estrogen. The aromatase inhibitors are now being used just after breast cancer surgery instead of tamoxifen in many women to keep the disease from returning.They are not approved for prevention of breast cancer.Tamoxifen was sold by AstraZeneca Plc under the name Nolvadex but is now marketed by several generic drug makers. It remains the only drug approved for use in preventing breast cancer in women who have not yet reached menopause.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women, after lung cancer. More than 200,000 people are diagnosed and another roughly 40,000 die from it each year, according to the American Cancer Society.