Unless you're blessed with extraordinarily forgiving genes, chances are your face tells the story of your life.

If that life is filled with a little too much stress, alcohol, caffeine and sun exposure and not enough sleep, water and relaxation, you may develop lines, spots or sagging in places you'd rather not.

Here are some simple steps to give your face a natural lift without resorting to surgery:

1. Dehyration: that dreaded word we hear over and over again is one of the most common causes of poor skin health. If you don’t like the taste of water, add some chopped fruit such as lemons, limes and oranges.

Alternatively, try a herbal tea from the extensive range available. It will boost your hydration levels while giving you some added health benefits. Try peppermint, which is great for digestion, or lemongrass, which gives the kidneys a kick-start.

2. Have a facial. It will boost circulation to the skin, give it a deep scrub and relax the facial muscles, helping to smooth fine lines.

3. Find a product that works for your skin. Just because a product costs a fortune, or just because you've been using it for years, doesn’t mean it suits your skin now. If you're dealing with ageing skin, try a product that focuses on active ingredients. If your skin is sensitive and prone to redness, use a product with all-natural ingredients.

Experiment with your beauty routine. If you're prone to breakouts, a night cream may be too heavy for your skin. If your skin is looking a little dull, maybe you need to introduce weekly exfoliation to your beauty regime.

4. Watch your diet. An occasional piece of chocolate or glass of wine isn’t going to hurt, but if all you eat is greasy junk food washed down with soft drink, it’s going to show on your skin.

5. If you're going through a particularly stressful time and you start experiencing breakouts, you may need a vitamin and mineral boost. Zinc and B-complex vitamins play an important role in skin health and are easily depleted when you're stressed.

6. Look at your environment. Overheating the body at night under lots of heavy blankets; constantly being in airconditioning or heating; having hot showers; or just spending a lot of time in stale air doesn’t do your skin any favours.