Canada might not be huge in population terms, compared to the size of the country, but it's certainly in the big leagues when it comes to producing world wide success stories: Celine Dion, for example, the singer whose chart busting hits are played all over the globe and Linda Evangelista, Whose face and body has graced the front covers of most international glossies.

And there's Helen Sher, dubbed the 'de-ageing expert' by many of her followers, she is a skin psychologist with a mission. When most of her peers are winding down, Helen is just starting out, determined to prove that you can look younger as you grow older.

Meeting Helen for the first time is almost like having an encounter with a guru, but gurus don't come so attractively packaged! Petite, elegant and perfectly groomed, it's her flawless complexion and virtually unlined skin that maker her so arresting. It's difficult to believe that having married at sixteen, she recently celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary. Her appearance has hardly altered since she was a bride. She is the best endorsement for her skin system and has no fear of the ageing process.

Helen is happy to share her secret with anyone willing to listen.

Her career in the highly competitive cosmetics industry started in Montreal, in a relatively modest fashion. She ran her own bridal make-up business until her two daughters were teenagers, then started her inexorable rise to the top. Moving swiftly on from being a part time promotional consultant with Revlon to a managerial post with Estee Lauder, she then landed one of the most prized jobs in Canadian cosmetics as corporate cosmetics and perfumery buyer for Hold Renfrew, responsible for twenty stores throughout the country.

It was a move to England in 1979 that gave her the spur to develop her unique philosophy for skin fitness. Always the first to spot a trend, she developed the first aromatherapy range to be sold in a retail environment, way before 'aromatherapy' became mainstream.

Helen's interest in skin problems led her to discover that mass marketed companies are not equipped to manage skin problems - she was convinced she had the answer. To her there is no such thing as a good or bad skin, just good and bad habits. Always a motivator, Helen knew she was the role model to set people on the right path. Sitting in her soothing studio in London's Bond Street and listening to her expand on the benefits of water therapy, it is easy to see why so many people subscribe to The Sher System.

Describing her work as a link between cosmetology and dermatology, she believes that family life is extremely important. Glenda, her eldest daughter, is her business partner, Carla is an energy field therapist - all are advocates of daily exercise. Willer, her husband, friend and constant support system is the company administrator, a role he clearly relishes. Willer beams when he talks of Helen being as attractive to him now as she was as a young bride.

Inheriting unlimited energy, despite working long hours, Helen loves the theatre, galleries, music, fashion and is a founder member of Network, a countrywide women's association, and Cosmetic Executive Women. Her two granddaughters, Chloe and Amber, are her pride and joy. She is an enthusiastic cook, always eager to try out interesting recipes for the gourmet meals she cooks each night. "Even when it's just the two of us eating at a late hour, I make the meal and the table look as attractive as when we are entertaining friends." If all this makes her seem something of a paragon, her wicked sense of humour and penchant for saucy hats easily leaven the mix!

Motivation is not the only driving force behind The Sher System. Years of painstaking research, experience and a steely determination, coupled with an unwavering conviction that knowledge is the greatest weapon in her arsenal, led her to develop her unique approach to skincare. "Knowing what people want and need is vital", says Helen, "we realise how important it is to listen and to take seriously how destructive the effects of problem skin can be to people's lives. Our culture is obsessed with looking good and staying young and we are constantly presented with images that are difficult, if not impossible, to attain. That is why we started our HELPLINE to offer a personalised service that really treats people as individuals and deals with their particular needs and desires".

Helen's passionate advocacy of individual care obviously strikes a chord. The office files are bulging with hundreds of thank-you letters from people who had suffered years of Acne and Rosacea or who simply had not been happy with conventional mass market skin products.

Men and women from all walks of life and form all over the world consult her, "yes, we have many high profile celebrities as clients", but unlike others who trade on their client list for publicity, Helen and Glenda believe that revealing the identity of their famous clients is contrary to professional ethics. "The secretaries, construction workers and journalists who use the system are no less important to us." The stories told in the letters received are a testament to their mentor - the 81 year old lady who travels from Glasgow twice a year, the man who writes about his daughter's new found confidence, the relief at no longer having to rely on drugs and medication and the recurring refrain of 'I never know my skin could look so good'.

What makes the success of The Sher System even more remarkable is Helen's deliberate policy of not advertising. "I think people are suffering from media fatigue", she explains. "Having to wade through masses of pseudo-medical jargon or determine what is right for you as an individual based on glossy pictures can often leave you feeling confused and even less sure of what you need. We don't try and fit people into determined categories, we don't classify our clients as types. Our work speaks for itself and our clients spread the word for us". A decision to place The Sher System on the internet 6 years ago has produced astonishing results.

Orders for products and request for information flood in daily from far and wide and Helen is delighted, believing that she can target customers more effectively and deal with their enquiries in a way she would not be able to by simply responding to an ad in a magazine.

"Life is too short to feel less than your best" states this indomitable woman. "you can't predict the future but you can prepare for it. Healthy skin is a choice and I feel privileged to be able to help people to make the right choice." Looking at Helen as she laughs with Willer or welcomes a client with obvious pleasure, it's not hard to understand why she's come so far; this is truly a British success story.

Helen Sher, co-founder of The Sher System is 15 years old, as a bride, 16 years, top right 22 years, bottom row, right to left, 30s, 40s and 50s. There is a 41 year span between these untouched photographs.