Alison Hammond is one of the best-known faces on British TV, instantly recognisable for her glamorous makeup and enormous lashes. But, according to the presenter herself, that isn’t exactly the real Alison.
‘Mikey’s created this character,’ she laughs, referring to her longtime makeup artist, Mikey Phillips, who creates her iconic looks for This Morning and The Great British Bake Off. ‘This isn’t even me – I’m playing Alison Hammond.’
In fact, this on-screen glamazon has become something of a running joke between the pair. ‘Every time I see Mikey, I say, “I want a natural look. Can you make me natural?” He looks me in the eye and says, “Yeah, of course I can.” Then it’s full lashes, full glam. I mean, I look good, I’m not going to lie,’ she grins.
This smokey-eyed-siren look has become her signature, but it’s actually one you won’t find anywhere away from the cameras. ‘The real Alison Hammond is a lot less makeup than this, genuinely,’ she tells us, batting her eyelashes on a video call from the Bake Off set.
‘I love not wearing any makeup. As soon as this day’s over, I'll be straight in there, cleansing it all off and moisturising.’
And that’s just part of Alison’s bare-faced truth. There’s actually a very different skin story beneath her on-screen glam – and one that’s 100% real.
‘I’ve had eczema all my life, since I was a kid,’ says Alison, 51, who tells us she still has to be incredibly careful what she puts on her face. ‘My skin is still super sensitive. If skincare or makeup stings my face, I know straight away it’s not for me.’
Every product that goes on the face of 'TV Alison' has had to be safely-tested, partly by trial and error. ‘We did have some stinging moments in the beginning, but Mikey had to get with the programme pretty quick, because I’m a little piece of china,’ she laughs.
A sensitive childhood
As a kid, Alison recalls her mum applying Vaseline to soothe her sore, irritated skin, before later seeking specialist help. ‘It cost her £50 in the 80s, which was a lot of money,’ Alison recalls. ‘But the specialist basically said my mum was being overprotective.’
Furious, her mum ripped up the private doctor’s notes and walked out. ‘She was a bit fiery,’ Alison says.
Eventually, Alison was prescribed steroid creams on the NHS, which she says she used so frequently that they left lasting changes to her skin. ‘I used to slather it on my face; I was only a kid,’ she says. ‘It’s thinned my skin. I’ve actually made myself a five o’clock shadow.’
As she moved into her 20s and 30s, Alison’s coping strategy was to simply manage flare-ups, accepting that sensitivity was the hand she’d been dealt. ‘People would always comment on my face and go, “What’s that?’ Everyone always said they had something to help, but I used to say, “It is what it is. This is me.”’
So, when a beautician at her hairdresser’s suggested she try Tropic Skincare, Alison admits she was sceptical.
‘I thought, “Here we go again...” But she said it would be soothing. She just gave me some products – I didn’t even pay for them.’
However, her doubts were silenced the second she applied Tropic Smoothing Cleanser to her skin. ‘There was no pain, no stinging. For the first time, I was using a product on my face and it just felt absolutely beautiful.’
That was more than 15 years ago and Alison hasn’t looked back. Tropic has become the cornerstone of her skincare regime, keeping her skin healthy and far less reactive. ‘Flare-ups mostly happen if I forget my Tropic,’ she says, admitting she’s just had to sort an emergency delivery to her hotel. ‘I need to have it! Tropic has made caring for my skin such a lovely part of my daily routine. It’s amazing.’
Alison's new skin goals
As well as being gentle and nourishing, Tropic's products have enabled her to set skin goals that are as relatable as Alison herself. ‘I just want the best possible skin for me, which isn’t necessarily perfect skin,’ she tells us. ‘I want to be the best version of what I can be for my skin.’
And that means embracing exactly who she is. ‘I've got really dry skin, I do get flare-ups occasionally and I’m not great in the sun,' she says, explaining that UV light brings her out in a rash. 'But, for me, right now my skin is in the best condition it could ever be.’
It’s little wonder she’s now become Tropic’s first celebrity ambassador. Her first project sees her teaming up with founder Susie Ma to create an upcoming The Alison Edit – a collection of the products she personally relies on for sensitive skin.
For her, the benefits of Tropic go far beyond just making her skin feel nourished and comfortable. ‘It’s about not having to think about my face,’ she says. ‘I’m not stressing, going, “Oh, God, my face is itching.” I'm not scratching off my makeup or stuff. It’s easier for everybody; it’s easier for Mikey,’ she says.
And it’s easier for her own skin confidence, which has never been higher. ‘I love it when Mikey goes, “Your skin’s looking beautiful.” It’s such a lovely compliment from a makeup artist.’
The occasional reactive blip doesn’t faze her (hay fever and sunlight are triggers she's now well accustomed to) and she’s similarly unstressed by the steroid discolouration that has faded significantly but still remains. ‘If I had no makeup on, you would see I am darker in this area,’ she says, gesturing to her mouth. ‘But if I showed it how it was 20 years ago, it was a completely different story.
‘I’ve had people say, “Oh, you need to use this or that,” but I’ll go, “No, this is my skin – deal with it.” You've got to accept who you are, at the end of the day, but I’m the best version of who I really am.’
Alison's Tropic regime
Alison still uses her original hero cleanser, along with a second Tropic powder cleanser, then Tropic's Rainforest Dew Hydration Serum, and an unscented version of the brand's Skin Feast. Discovering suncare that suits her UV-reactive skin has been a total game-changer. 'I get a rash in sunlight, and if a suncream isn't right for my skin it really stings. But Tropic's suncare is amazing, it's gentle, and there's no residue.'
