One of the things I miss most about the summer is the look and feel of summer skin. Everyone takes so much better care of their skin when it's permanently on show, so why don't we do that all year round? As soon as it's time for the long sleeves and covering up, all good intentions go to pot.

Predictably, this drives me a little mad. Friends tell me that their skin is dull and lifeless in the winter, I tell them to moisturise and all I get back is a blank look, with, if I'm lucky, a comment along the lines of "What's the point?"

The point is, ignore your skin and it will go into a grey sulk pretty darned quickly. I have mentioned before how much of a con I think the whole "cleanse, tone, moisturise" business is when it comes to your daily facial beauty regime, but when applied to the body, "cleanse, tone, moisturise" is my kind of mantra.

In fact, autumn is the best time to get into the habit. Start now, when your skin still has a touch of post-summer glow to it, and you'll have a bit of a head start. I have never had to persuade a black woman to moisturise, or many men for that matter. Not having dull, grey skin is incentive enough. The cleanse part sounds simple, but my spies tell me there are still people out there using soap. I'm all for a nice lather, but if your skin feels tight and dry after washing, switch from soap to a soap-free shower gel or moisturising body wash. The results will be instant. I always assumed that any good such products did went down the plughole, but, as recent converts, my skin and I heartily recommend them.

But for those who want summer skin to really last, it's the toning that really counts. Be it body scrubs, body brushes or loofahs, just get into the habit of using something, anything, daily (scrubs as per instructions, body brushes and loofahs pre-washing, and only ever on dry skin). You'll notice a difference in the look and feel of your skin in a matter of days.