A mum-of-one has revealed how her hormonal acne got so bad that she couldn’t smile and ‘refused’ to see her boyfriend in daylight – until a four-step routine cleared her skin entirely.
Rachael Vanderlee used to boast clear, glowy skin that many people could only dream of.
Until one day, almost overnight, when her face erupted into an inflamed and painful state, covered with acne.
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Shocked, the 30-year-old racked her brain trying to think of the cause, and determined it was due to two factors: stopping her birth control pills and falling pregnant.
The flare-up left the content creator refusing to leave the house – or see her then-boyfriend – unless she had makeup on.
After trying countless products, she decided to try one more in a last ditch attempt to get her ‘old’ skin back.
And it worked miracles; with a simple four-step routine.
“I was living with my then boyfriend and his parents at the time and I didn’t like to see them without wearing makeup because I was so embarrassed about my skin,” Rachael told What’s The Jam.
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“Even with my boyfriend, I’d just wash my face right before bed and get [under the covers] while in the dark.
“It was bad.
“I found it so difficult coping with my skin because I’d never been that way before.
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“It was really discouraging and actually debilitating
“I didn’t want to leave the house or see anyone because my face was so inflamed it was too painful to smile.”
Rachael’s battle began while pregnant with her daughter, Scarlett, now five, in summer 2020.
The flare-up occurred almost immediately after getting a positive pregnancy test.
She said: “I assume it was triggered by the massive change in my hormones.
“They were all over the place.
“I’ve never had issues with my skin before.
“Obviously, I’ve had little spots here and there, but never serious acne issues.
“My skin became so inflamed, the spots had literally broken out everywhere, which made me look like I had bright white rings around my eyes.
“I had never experienced anything like it before and had no idea how to deal with it.”
Initially, she purchased expensive skincare products that she’d seen other people use, with great results.
Sadly, nothing worked.
She said: “If anything, everything seemed to make it more inflamed, more irritated.
“There was never any improvement; and it wasn’t just how I looked, it was also super painful and I felt very self-conscious.”
At the two-month mark of her pregnancy, she booked an appointment at a skin clinic.
Following a scan and looking at her medical history, it was found that a lot of acne-fighting ingredients weren’t going to work for Rachael.
The clinician suggested AlumierMD, a range of medical-grade skincare products.
After shelling out £200 on four products, including their Purifying Gel Cleanser, Bright & Clear Solution, Hydradew Moisturiser and Clear Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30, results came within days.
Rachael, from British Columbia, said: “The change was subtle, but I kept a photographic record of my progress.
“The inflammation calmed down and my skin wasn’t as red.
“This was the first time any skincare had improved my acne, which really encouraged me to stick to the regimen – something I’d struggled to do using other brands because they made no noticeable difference.
“Even looking back at the photos, I remember how good I felt even with those tiny first improvements.”
Rachael uses all four products each morning, followed by the cleanser alone in the evening.
Now, she’s able to smile again.
She added: “I’ve continued to use more or less the same routine since.
“As I look back through the photos, the biggest difference I notice is my smile.
“I can tell that prior to getting my skin under control, I was hiding behind my smile, and it didn’t seem genuine because I was so anxious and ashamed of my skin.
“But as it started to heal through my pregnancy, my smile and entire face completely changed.
“My glow came back and I finally started to feel like myself.
“I am so thankful for Alumier for helping me feel confident in my skin again.”
