A mum-of-two who became a recluse after acne triggered during her first pregnancy spread across her face has said she now feels “free” from her five-year battle after finding a “life-changing” cure. Esme Jenkinson, 27, a healthcare assistant from Southampton, was too self-conscious to even go swimming with her children and would not leave the house without wearing makeup during a flare-up.
The mum-of-two says the red blotches, which started to appear during her first pregnancy, made her reluctant to leave the house for fear other people were staring at her.
Esme now says she feels free (Collect/PA Real Life)
After years of antibiotics failed to make a difference, Esme has now found skincare she describes as a “miracle cure” and regularly takes her kids out for activities – which she said makes her feel like a “fun mum” again.
Esme, who lives with her husband Stephen, 28, who works in the Army, and their two children, Elsie, four, and Tilly, one, said: “I was so embarrassed by my face to the point where I didn’t want anyone to see it.
“My daughter would point at my spots and ask me what was on my face. Typical kids, just telling it like it is, but it made me all the more self-conscious.”
At her lowest, Esme was reluctant to leave the house (Collect/PA Real Life)
She added: “I knew it was holding me back from doing all the fun stuff I wanted to do with my children but it’s only now that I’ve found a cure that I feel able to do those things.”
Esme said she had always had clear skin until falling pregnant with her first child in 2017.
She said: “At first, I thought it was pregnancy hormones and tried not to worry about it but, after giving birth, my skin was just as bad.”
Esme was on antibiotics for two years but says they did not make a difference to her complexion (Collect/PA Real Life)
She added: “I tried every product on the high street in a bid to clear it up, but nothing worked.”
Visiting her GP, Esme was prescribed antibiotics which she took for two years.
She said: “They did absolutely nothing but each time I went back to my doctor, they told me to give it more time.”
Esme’s friends and family have noticed a difference in her (Collect/PA Real Life)
She added: “After two years, there was still no progress with my skin.”
And for Esme, the red blotches on her face were also affecting her confidence.
She said: “I got to a point where I couldn’t leave the house without makeup on because I just felt like everyone would stare at me.”
Esme says she did not want people to see her face (Collect/PA Real Life)
She added: “Even with makeup, you could see the bumps on my face and the redness would start coming through towards the end of the day. I just felt hideous.
“When I fell pregnant with Tilly in 2021, there wasn’t much doctors could do to prescribe me with anything that would help my face.”
Searching for a natural solution, Esme says she spotted Bedew Skin on Instagram and noticed that people she knew were following the account.
The mum-of-two says her acne was damaging to her confidence (Collect/PA Real Life)
She said: “I had nothing to lose at this point, I was willing to try anything.
“I told my mum about it and she bought me the essentials kit bundle for my birthday in March 2021, costing £85, and my husband bought me the pink clay glow up mask for £8.99.”
Using the products daily, Esme says she started to notice a difference in her skin within two weeks.
Esme says she could not leave the house without makeup on (Collect/PA Real Life)
She said: “Within the first two weeks, my skin was a lot softer and smoother, it was the first sign that the products were working and my skin was healing.
“Within two months, the redness had started to die down and my spots were smaller.
“After about four or five months, I had completely clear skin, it was like a miracle cure.”
Esme regularly leaves the house without makeup on now (Collect/PA Real Life)
Now, Esme uses the Bedew Skin products daily.
She said: “I put the cleanser on when I first wake up and after I wash it off, I use the serum and moisturiser. At night-time, I use the cleanser and moisturiser again.
“Twice a week I put on peeling and clay masks. I swear by this routine because it’s working really well for me.”
Before her first pregnancy, Esme had never experienced acne (Collect/PA Real Life)
Esme’s friends and family have also noticed the difference.
She said: “It’s not just about how much better my skin is, but also about how much happier I am.
“My husband has noticed that I’m a lot more confident and was even shocked when I first started leaving the house without makeup.”
Esme says she feels like a fun mum again (Collect/PA Real Life)
She added: “It feels amazing to just do the activities that I want to do with the kids now without the doubts in the back of my mind about how I look.
“I take them swimming and I go out with them with no makeup on, something I never thought I’d be able to do.
“While I do have to keep up with my skincare routine daily, I’m spending a lot less money on makeup products.”
Esme now takes her children swimming without fear of people staring at her face (Collect/PA Real Life)
She added: “Before, I would go through a bottle of foundation in a few weeks because I was using it to cover up my spots and red cheeks.
“It’s been completely life-changing for me and has enabled me to be a fun mum again.”
