Everyone has summer clothes and winter clothes; but when it comes to skincare most people use the same products all year round, come rain or shine. Only trouble is, winter skin is not the same as summer skin. The one is wind-blown and rain-frozen, dehydrated by central heating and with a thirst like a dredger; the other tends to be sweatier, more prone to outbreaks and occasionally sunburnt. Think about it: you wouldn’t wear your favourite chunky knit in July, so why do the equivalent to your face?

What you need is something light, clear and fresh, full of uplifting smells and pure, natural ingredients. Perhaps most importantly, you need sun protection, in-built and unobtrusive, the sort you can wear underneath light make-up without looking pale and waxy.

In this respect, botanical-based skincare is ideal. Jurlique (www.jurlique.co.uk) is an Australian company that creates organic, biodynamic flower and plant-based remedies that are bursting with revitalising fragrances and simple but effective ingredients. The star of the range is Purely Age-Defying Day Cream SPF 15 (£32), an easily absorbed and gently scented balm containing rose, liquorice root, camomile, pansy and sweet violet. You can wear it every day, alone or under make-up, and it is suitable for all skin types, even those prone to dryness (such as mine).

For irritated skin – either as a result of heat or over-exposure to the sun – Jurlique’s Soothing Herbal Recovery Gel (£44 for 30ml) is a real treat: cooling, calming and hydrating. For those sweating it out in the car or at a desk, its Rosewater Balancing Mist (£13.70 for 30ml) gives your face a welcome blast of the garden.

Also bursting with earthy vim and vigour is Liz Earle’s Naturally Active skincare (www.uk.lizearle.com). For the price, this range is very impressive: her Hot Cloth Cleanser (from £4.50) is already a cult classic. Great for summer is the Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion (left; from £4.25), a light, non-oily lotion containing eyebright and witch hazel that can be used either as a gentle make-up remover or as a soothing compress for dry, itchy or tired eyes. To enliven dull or congested skin, the Gentle Face Exfoliator (from £4.50), with eucalyptus, cocoa butter and jojoba, is nothing short of fabulous.

Finally, a venerable botanical hero: Decléor. I have always loved Decléor, and its facials are a much-missed addiction of my long-lost thirties. The new Hydra Floral Fresh Flower Moisturising Emulsion (£35; www.decleor.co.uk) is a dewy nectar that goes on sheer as a veil but packs a considerable punch in terms of moisture. Neroli, mint and orange blossom, plus marine algae, contribute to its emollient power. Potential, I feel, to be more than just another summer romance.

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