I have never had so many questions emailed to me about how to fade freckles. My freckle stance is firmly pro (I’m a Pippi Longstocking fan from way back) – although in the spirit of freedom of information, you can click here if you do want to do something about them.

The other day, I interviewed the team behind Olay Definity, the new skintone-evening range. Dr Bernard Fink, an evolutionary biologist whose particular area of interest is beauty, found through one study that discolouration and dark spots can add 10 years to your look – research that inspired Olay to create a brightening range. The issue is not one of skin colour, Dr Fink was quick to make clear, but one of contrast within the skin. The study found that men and women were equally attracted to faces with minimal to zero contrast. When I mentioned that one of my most exquisite-looking friends has a face full of freckles (oh and hello, let’s not forget the likes of Julianne Moore and Lily Cole), and asked him how that fits within his findings, he explained that his study presented subjects only with images of faces with standardised features, the only differences being in skintone.

So what that all says is that, yes, even skintone is a beautiful thing. But if you don’t have it, it doesn’t mean you’re not beautiful. Perhaps you have amazing bone structure or a warm smile or sparkling eyes (like my freckly friend, who happens to have all of the above), which combine with your freckles to make up your particular and unique brand of beauty.

PS – Sunili, I asked one of the Definity scientists about your issue. He said that women with darker skin can’t use many brightening products, because of the risk of hypopigmentation (loss of skin colour) – but that Definity has been formulated with ingredients that only target areas of excessive melanin production, to even out skintone while maintaining its natural colour. Could be worth a try?

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