I’ve tried a lot of things in the name of healthier, clearer skin: Facials, lasers, saunas, and more products than I could ever keep count. One stone that had yet to be unturned in my skincare journey, however, was a water filter — not for drinking, but for washing my face.

A woman so allergic to the scent of Christmas that even “smelling a mince pie could kill [her]” almost died after a festive trip to a garden centre sparked an asthma attack. Anne Murray, 61, an engineer who lives alone in Lanark, Scotland, was diagnosed with severe asthma as a baby and has been allergic to traditional festive staples such as citrus and cinnamon since she was a child. According to the NHS, severe asthma means the condition is uncontrolled even when sufferers are taking their medication. When they are exposed to an allergen that irritates the airways, it can trigger asthma symptoms. Murray realised the seriousness of her condition at the age of 11 when her mother, Mary, collapsed and died from an asthma attack at the age of 34. Seven years later, Murray’s childhood best friend, Julia, also died from an asthma attack. Both deaths made her “live life to the full” and she has since done a bungee jump and travelled the globe. Murray had a near-death experience herself in November 2016 when she smelt “pine cones impregnated with citrus” in a garden centre. “I had difficulty breathing,” she recalled. “I grabbed my inhaler and ran quickly out of the garden centre.” On the drive home, her condition worsened. “It felt like someone was sitting on my chest.” Once home, she used her nebuliser – a device that enables her to breathe by giving her medicine as a mist – but could not get to sleep that night as she kept coughing, and whenever she laid down, it felt like she was “choking”. Two days later, and still struggling to breathe, she visited her GP and was barely able to stand up. An ambulance was called straight away, and Murray was given oxygen and strong nebulisers, before returning home with seven days’ worth of steroids. “They all told me it was a close call so it was lucky I had my nebuliser on me.” Since that incident, Murray has finished her Christmas shopping by September to avoid being near festive smells in shopping centres, and often turns down invites to Christmas parties. “It can be quite isolating,” she says. “If friends want to go out around Christmas, I have to ask them to go to different places where I know are safe. I can’t eat or be anywhere near things that smell like Christmas, or eat anything Christmassy like mince pies and stollen cake – I don’t touch them with a 10-foot barge pole. Just smelling a mince pie could kill me. So many things have Christmassy spices that you wouldn’t normally think of, too.” Following the dual losses of her mother and best friend, Murray learnt that she would have to make day-to-day adjustments to her life in order to maintain her own safety. When travelling, she often has to call the airline in advance to request that passengers only eat or peel oranges once they get off the plane. She also has to inform all her work colleagues not to wear festive perfume in the office. “I wish shops would put up signs saying they have festive scents in store,” she adds. “It would be so helpful for me, and stop them getting complaints too.” Today, she makes sure to keep her own Christmas planning low-key. “I don’t go anywhere near supermarkets and that sort of thing – it’s not worth the risk,” she says. “It can be embarrassing a lot of the time – if I go to a restaurant and tell them about my allergies, I get turned away and we have to find somewhere else to go. Or, I get loads of staff around me and I just don’t want the attention.” This year, Murray is looking forward to spending Christmas Day alone and visiting her dad, Archie, and stepmum, Alice, in Scotland. She says: “I still like Christmas, and I’m excited to be on my own this year – I can put my feet up and watch the telly, and eat whatever I want.”

Hailey Bieber's disclaimer about not inventing her viral pizza toast recipe in her latest video sparks support from fans who rally to protect her from hateful comments

Max Verstappen will begin his quest to win the world championship from third for Saturday’s sprint race in Qatar as Oscar Piastri took a surprise pole position. Piastri saw off team-mate Lando Norris as McLaren secured a front-row lockout. Lewis Hamilton was knocked out of Q2 and qualified only 12th in his Mercedes for the 19-lap dash, which gets under way at 8:30pm local time (6:30pm BST). Verstappen will wrap up his third consecutive title if he finishes sixth or better, or if Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez fails to finish inside the top three in the sprint at the Lusail International Circuit. Perez qualified only eighth on yet another scruffy outing for the struggling Mexican. A day after taking top spot for the start of Sunday’s 57-lap main event, Verstappen, who has dominated all year, saw his first lap in Q3 deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 5. And the 26-year-old Dutchman was unable to do enough on his final run to usurp Piastri, finishing two tenths behind the rookie Australian. Norris was in the running for first place but he ran wide at the last corner and failed to improve on his earlier effort. George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes – four tenths behind Piastri – and ahead of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, who took fifth and sixth respectively for Ferrari. Sprint qualifying at a windswept Lusail – 18 miles north of Doha – was delayed amid fears over the safety of the tyres. The running had been due to start at 4pm local time (2pm BST), but was delayed by 20 minutes following revisions to the track limits. The drivers took part in an additional 10 minutes of practice to familiarise themselves with the changes made to the track at turns 12 and 13 prior to qualifying. Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, said “a separation in the sidewall between the topping compound and the carcass cords” were discovered on the Pirelli tyres following yesterday’s one-hour running. The federation believe the problem is likely to have been caused by a number of the high kerbs used at the circuit. An emergency summit was staged in the build-up to qualifying with the drivers assured they would not be put in harm’s way. Additional analysis will take place following today’s sprint race and further action – which will include three mandatory tyre stops – may be taken for Sunday’s grand prix. Lance Stroll shoved his British performance coach and stormed out of a television interview after he was eliminated from Q1 in Friday’s running. And the under-pressure Canadian fell at the first hurdle again on Saturday, one place better off in 16th. Stroll’s Aston Martin team-mate Fernando Alonso, who also saw his best effort in qualifying chalked off for exceeding track limits, lines up in ninth. Read More Angry Lance Stroll shoves personal trainer and storms out of interview Max Verstappen fastest in Qatar practice as he closes in on world championship Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher Piastri takes first F1 pole for Qatar sprint as Verstappen starts third F1 Qatar Grand Prix LIVE: Sprint race updates and times at Lusail

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