Wrinkles can if not begin to appear, begin to form, as early as your 20s. especially if you have had an expressive face for most of your life. We GIYers are prone to that – the horror expression at the slug damage to your row of lettuce, the puckered shock of the not ripe yet gooseberry, the jubilant grin of rain mid-july or the jaw drop of sleet the week after your tomatos went in. all those subtle’ laugh lines’ or ‘frown lines’ are becoming more visible in the late 20s, some people – the squinters – my notice faint ‘crow’s feet’ at the corner of their eyes. By your 30s they will deepen, by your forties accentuate and after that it’s just par for the course – or is it. The quicker you address the wrinkle issue, the less the impact.

Those expensive over-the-counter anti-wrinkle creams contain the same kinds of ingredients that we grow – retinol for example is a vitamin A compound that can be achieved with a mashed carrot facial and a carrot salad once a week. The best treatments and products contain hydroxy acids which safely remove dead layers of skin in order to exfoliate and expose new, smooth, rejuvenated skin underneath. Those acids are present in strawberries and most soft fruits so yes a smoothie on your face will do the same thing

We GIYers eat what we grow – so grow more bright veg and fruits, the phytochemicals that provide them with their fabulous colour are the most potent antioxidants on the planet and when we eat them they not only boost our health and well-being but help ward off wrinkles.

I hate sun block I can’t garden with it, I feel greasy or irritated and I have met many gardeners who feel the same way – but sun is an ager – so wide hats and long sleeves if you can’t abide the cream. And eat more tomatoes – the lycopene that makes them red also boosts your skin’s SPF (sun protection factor) naturally and is one of those bright fruits that lessens the lines too. Remember too to stay hydrated as you GIY, the less stress on your body the less lines on your face.

In some exclusive spas in japan and now across Europe too they let slugs and snails slime over your face to reverse aging. The gardener’s enemy coming to the rescue. Just lie down amongst the lollo rosso and think happy thoughts – I dare you. No really – I DARE YOU!!