Let me start with something honest…

I didn’t get into skin because I loved beauty.
I got into skin because I was desperate.

When I got my first period — at just 11 years old — everything changed overnight.
My hormones crashed into my body, and my skin reacted violently.

Not just a few breakouts.
I mean aggressive, painful acne:

• across both sides of my neck
• covering my entire back down to my bra strap
• along the full length of my spine
• across my chest
• even the tops of my arms

I couldn’t hide it.
Not on my face.
Not on my neck.
Not on my body.
It felt like nowhere was safe.

And unlike the girls in school who wore makeup to cover theirs (and by the end of the day looked flaky, dry, patchy) — I didn’t bother.
I didn’t want to look worse.
So I walked around with my acne on show, raw and painful.

My back was so sore I couldn’t lie on it.
To this day, I still sleep face-down — a habit I built out of sheer pain.

---

The medical system didn’t help me

I was given:

• antibiotics
• endless creams
• harsh topical treatments
• even Roaccutane

Roaccutane destroyed my mood and my Dad refused to let me continue.
Looking back, he was right.

But at the time?
I felt hopeless.
Confused.
Ashamed.
Broken.

I showered twice a day thinking I “wasn’t clean enough.”
All that did was strip my barrier more and make everything worse.

---

I kept asking: “What am I doing wrong?”

I didn’t know then what I know now:

It wasn’t that my skin was dirty.
It was that my skin barrier was destroyed — and nobody told me.

Not one professional stopped and said:
“Your skin is overwhelmed.
Your hormones changed dramatically.
Your barrier needs support — not stripping.”

---

Beauty therapy school changed everything

When I went to beauty therapy college, I didn’t go because I wanted to be a facialist.

I went because I was desperate to understand my own skin.

I had gone for facials before, hoping these professionals would finally help me.
But they hadn’t lived what I lived.

They had perfect skin.
They couldn’t understand the emotional weight acne carries.
And they told me to use even stronger products on my already damaged skin.

It made me feel worse — and even more confused.

But in college, something clicked.

I started learning about:

• the acid mantle
• the skin barrier
• pH
• how inflammation works
• how the skin protects the body

I realised that my acne didn’t come from “not washing properly” — it came from:

• hormonal shock at age 11
• harsh products
• stripping cleansers
• witch hazel (which a doctor told me to use!)
• shower gels
• fabric softener
• laundry detergents
• and even the hard, limescale-heavy water in our house

I was attacking my skin every day without knowing it.

---

Once I repaired my barrier… the acne disappeared

When I switched to gentle products and focused on healing my barrier:

• the cystic outbreaks vanished
• the redness faded
• the pain eased
• my congestion cleared
• my confidence grew

It took 1–2 years.
But when it healed — it healed properly.
I finally saw the skin I always should have had.

And I could move into more advanced treatments safely, reducing the leftover scarring.

---

But then life changed — again

Two babies.
Pregnancy hormones.
Postpartum hormonal crashes.
Postnatal mental health struggles.
Exhaustion.
Stress.

And slowly, without realising it, I drifted back into:

• too many actives
• harder treatments
• peels my skin wasn’t ready for
• a routine that didn’t support my barrier

My skin began showing the warning signs:

• red patches
• blotchiness
• sensitivity
• milia around the eyes
• congestion creeping back around my jaw and neck
• dullness
• loss of glow

Not as severe as my teenage years…
But I could feel what direction it was heading.

And I refused to go back there.

---

So I stopped everything and reset — again

I went back to what healed me the first time:

👉 Repair before treat
👉 Skin first, actives second
👉 Consistency beats chaos
👉 Simplicity over trends

Within one week the redness calmed down.
Within three weeks, the congestion began to ease.
Not dramatic — just gentle, healthy improvement.

Exactly what real skin healing looks like.

---

My current routine (simple, realistic, barrier-supportive)

• Milk cleanser (cream or lotion-based)
• Gentle toning
• Hyaluronic serum
• Skin oil + hydrating mist
• Repair cream + hydrating mist
• SPF (daytime)

No unnecessary steps.
No burning.
No stripping.
No trend-chasing.

Just skin nourishment.

---

Why I’m telling you all this

Because so many of you feel how I felt:

• overwhelmed
• confused
• frustrated
• lost in trends
• unsure who to trust
• scared of your own reflection
• tired of trying everything with no real results

Social media shows:

• filters
• fake results
• AI enhancements
• influencers who don’t understand skin
• quick fixes
• over-edited before & afters
• trends that damage barrier health

And you’re left feeling like you’re the problem.

But you’re not.

Your barrier is.

And your barrier can be healed.

---

If you take one thing from my story, let it be this:

Your skin doesn’t need 12 steps.
Your skin doesn’t need punishment.
Your skin doesn’t need the hardest actives.
Your skin doesn’t need to be burned to “work.”

Your skin needs:
🌿 Calm
🌿 Protection
🌿 Consistency
🌿 Balance
🌿 Respect
🌿 And the right guidance

I’ve been where you are.
And I understand what you feel — deeply.

If you’re tired of guessing, tired of hurting your skin, and tired of feeling alone in it…

There’s finally someone who understands this.
And I’m here to help you heal it properly.

---

💛 Ready to start your own repair journey?

👉 Book a Skin Consultation
(So we can rebuild your barrier and get your skin healthy again — properly, not temporarily.)