It all started with Psoriasis, where my first flare-up at the age of 20 left me feeling confused about why my body had suddenly come out in rashes and hives after having a throat infection. I had no idea why my body was attacking itself. Nor did the GP I went to. He sat there in equal confusion and told me it should heal itself.

He didn’t refer me for blood tests nor prescribe me any cream. I was left in the dark, and so I did what any other seemingly healthy 20-year-old would do & carried on studying for my final exams (surely stress alone couldn’t cause such an outbreak?)

It took 3-4 months for the psoriasis to heal. It was a warm summer; I think it was 2022, and I spent a lot of time outside soaking up the sun. I truly believe this was the reason the outbreak healed.

That’s the thing about autoimmune conditions: they’re kind of random and unexplainable. At least, that’s my experience. Most of what I’ve discovered about psoriasis has come from my own research and curiosity. At least in the UK, I’ve found that there’s little guidance or support for those with psoriasis.

Fast forward to 2024, and I moved from Durham to London to start my career. It was all going okay; my career was thriving, my skin was almost clear, and I was dating, drinking and partying like most other 22-year-olds.

Until I suddenly had another psoriasis flare-up, this time 10X worse than the first. I was forced to slow right down and listen to my body; I took a break from drinking because I thought perhaps that was what caused it.

Was I working too hard? Was I too stressed? Was I drinking too much?

At the time, I was dating this guy and he’d organised a date for that week. I was extremely anxious about going. How was I supposed to convince a boy I barely knew that it’s normal for my body to come out in red, scaly hives?

I felt embarrassed, but I pushed myself to go on another date. It turns out he never messaged me the next day. It was the first time I’d experienced ‘ghosting ’, so, naturally, I internalised everything and questioned whether my skin was the catalyst.

This time, I was prescribed a steroid cream and told to consider phototherapy. I was terrified to use the steroid cream, as I’d seen topical steroid withdrawal all over my Instagram. This time around, it took much longer for the psoriasis to clear. I was afraid to use the steroid cream after hearing so much online about bad side effects, so I used it a couple of times, and it worked, but as soon as I stopped using it, the psoriasis came back.

I was deeply confused and even more scared, so I resisted using it and learnt to sort of embrace my scaly skin. I say sort of, because no matter how much you try to embrace something like psoriasis, you’re still left with so many unanswered questions.

It was at this time that I started to really struggle with health anxiety, which is something I’ll write about another time, and my skin and body left me feeling very hopeless.

I haven’t had a psoriasis flare-up since 2024, but in late 2025 I started to develop horrible, unexplainable gut issues. After months of tests, I was diagnosed with IBD. This naturally left me again feeling hopeless and confused about my body.

Could my skin issues, which I’ve been experiencing since I was 14, all be linked to my gut?

But that’s where I’m at now. I’m 25, and I’m only now starting to really understand my body and how important it is to prioritise yourself. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt along the way, it’s that slowing down isn’t lazy - it’s necessary.

I’ve also learnt that nobody, not even your doctor, will hand you the answers. It’s a journey you have to go on, mostly alone, to find your triggers, reasons and confidence in your body.

Is there a way I can heal IBD? What is actually happening inside my gut? Is my gut the reason for my skin conditions?

These are all questions I ask myself every day and, if you’re in the same boat, I hope sharing my journey to wellness and everything I’m learning can help you a little.

Love always,

Soph x

#psoriasis #autoimmune #healing #IBD

As a society, we’re fixated on our appearance more than ever: on looking younger, more attractive and fixing imperfections on our skin and our bodies.

Got a few breakouts? Get rid of them.

Crows Feet? Botox.

Acne scars? Laser.

I’ve been caught in this obsession and, for many years, my skin has been the centre of my world. After navigating multiple skin conditions, I’ve had to unlearn that fixation and relearn how to live fully even when my skin is sore and inflamed.

The frustration of a skin condition is unlike any other. It’s a constant journey of self-acceptance, of trial and error and perseverance, complicated by the never-ending list of new skincare products and ‘cures’ targeted at us on social media.

I’ve tried every cream, treatment, product you can think of for my acne. And despite the thousands of pounds and hours I’ve spent trying to cure it, my acne still comes back in some capacity.

For many years, this caused me a lot of emotional stress. I can’t count how many times I’ve sat in front of my mirror feeling frustrated and just burst into tears about my skin. But recently, I’ve been trying to change my perspective.

Your skin is an organ, not an ornament. It’s there to protect you.

Your skin is meant to change; we are meant to age. That is the nature of human beings. It’s concerning that we are so heavily focused on looking younger.

Even once my acne clears, I know that I will feel pressure to fix something else. I started researching acne scar treatments immediately after my 6 months on Accutane, even though the experience nearly broke me emotionally and physically.

At what point are we paying too much attention to fixing ourselves and losing what’s really important?

When I went travelling last year, I really started to see how my life was so much more than my skin. I had the best time of my life, and it isn’t a coincidence that I wasn’t wearing any makeup or hyperfixating on my breakouts. I was living, and my skin wasn’t clear; I still had acne. But this experience really changed the way I looked at myself. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

Caring for our skin is important, but embracing it is arguably worth more. The most important relationship we have is with ourselves, and growing my skin confidence helped me love myself and so many other parts of my life.

I’m 25, but I know my skin will age and change. That doesn’t scare me anymore; I’m just grateful to have the opportunity to see it.

Love, Soph x

In the darkest parts of my acne journey, all my progress photos were kept in my Snapchat ‘My Eyes Only’ which had a passcode to access. It was only me that could see them, and the gallery still exists today.

But after so many years of hiding my skin, on a random day, I did something crazy…

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If you read my last article about acne, you’ll know that one of the 5 things I wish i knew about acne sooner was how to manage my diet. Here are some of the foods i’ve since incorporated to help manage my acne.

Salmon & Oily Fish

One of the food groups that has helped my skin the most is fatty fish like Salmon. These types of fish are packed with Omega-3’s, making them practically an anti-ageing and hydrating superfood. It’s part of the reason why Omega-3’s are such a popular supplement to take. Consuming salmon is not only going to help with skin hydration, but it also reduces inflammation and strengthens the skin barrier.

Eat the Skin: the skin of the salmon is actually the part which contains the highest concentration of omega 3-s and nutrients.

In a medical paper I recently read, it said that an imbalance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids is considered to be strongly involved in the development of acne. This is a diet rich in dairy products, refined carbohydrates, chocolate and saturated fats. So getting in a good level of Omega 3’s will help to balance this out and (hopefully) reduce your breakouts too.

Whole Grain Bread

I think this is one of the most underrated dietary changes you can make for your skin, and it’s eating Whole Foods, Whole Grains and fresh vegetables. These are what nutritionists call ‘Low Glycaemic Index (GI) Foods’. This basically means that they release sugar slowly, which in turn:

· Helps keep insulin levels stable

· Creates less hormonal chaos

· Reduces oil production

· Lowers inflammation overall

High Glycaemic foods, on the other hand, cause your body to release a spike of insulin. Some examples of these are white bread and sugary snacks. This spike then triggers a chain reaction which increases oil production and boosts androgens (hormones linked to acne). We should try and avoid these in our journey to calming inflammation! I know when I was a teenager, the majority of my diet was high glycaemic foods and this is probably why my skin was just so inflamed. I wish I tried cutting down on these before I tried medication.

Spinach

Spinach is an anti-oxidant rich food. It’s packed with Vitamin C and beta-carotene which are known to reduce inflammation. Furthermore, it contains Vitamin A which not only helps regulate skin turnover but also helps regulates how your skin produces oil, in turn helping spots heal faster and lowering the risk of developing post-acne marks and scarring. It’s a great food to add into pasta or on the side of your meal for a whole range of benefits, plus its super quick to make too!

Tumeric

Turmeric is also powerful at reducing inflammation in the body; it contains something called Curcumin, which may help regulate inflammation tied to hormones. This can reduce hormonal flare-ups, support conditions where breakouts are cycle-related and may in turn help reduce excess sebum and prevent blocked pores. I like to have turmeric shots in the morning. You can even try making them yourself; you just need:

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp turmeric powder (or fresh turmeric root, grated)

• Juice of ½ lemon

• Pinch of black pepper (helps increase absorption)

• 1 tsp honey (optional)

• ~50–100 ml warm water

Lentils

If you’re wanting a food that’s scientifically EVEN better for the skin than the ones i’ve already recommended, try incorporating more lentils into your diet.

Lentils are not only anti-inflammatory (rich in polyphenols which are plant compounds that fight inflammation) but they are also low-glycaemic and high in Zinc. You may have heard of Zinc because it’s an essential trace mineral that is vital for immune function and wound healing.

The body cannot produce or store zinc, so it must be consumed regularly through your diet or through supplements.

In terms of the skin specifically, zinc has been proven to help reduce bacteria linked to acne, regulate oil production and support healing. And if you weren’t already sold on lentils, they are also high in fibre (essential nutrient for overall gut health) which is obviously strongly linked to skin.

If you want to know more about how diet can affect the skin, subscribe for weekly newsletters!

Soph x

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I’ve struggled with acne since I was 14, and there are so many things that, if I knew sooner, would have fast-tracked my journey to clearer skin.

These are the five things I wish someone had told me earlier.

1. Protecting your skin barrier is everything

One of the biggest turning points in my skin journey was understanding the skin barrier.

Your barrier is your skin’s protective layer. When it’s healthy, it keeps moisture in and irritants out. But when it’s compromised (often from over-exfoliating, harsh products, or constantly trying new actives) skin becomes inflamed, reactive, and far more prone to breakouts.

For years I thought the answer to acne was to “dry it out.” with strong exfoliants but in reality it was making it worse.

Supporting your barrier with gentle cleansing, proper hydration, and barrier-repairing ingredients often does more for acne-prone skin than aggressive treatments ever will.

2. The food you eat MATTERS

Your skin doesn’t exist in isolation, it reflects what’s happening inside your body, too. This is something i ignored for YEARS. I was ademant that the food I was eating wasn’t affecting my body - but it was.

Things like chronic stress, digestive issues, blood sugar spikes, or certain food sensitivities can sometimes contribute to inflammation in the body, which can then show up as inflammation on the skin (such as acne).

Paying attention to how your body responds to certain foods, prioritising whole foods, and supporting gut health can help your skin massively over time.

3. Your skin actually NEEDS sunlight

While protecting your skin from excessive sun exposure is important, gentle daily sunlight (particularly in the morning) plays a huge role in vitamin D production, circadian rhythm, mood, and overall inflammation levels in the body all of which can influence skin health.

4. Less is more

When you’re struggling with acne, it’s tempting to try everything to try and get rid of the acne. But acne-prone skin often responds best to simplicity.

I sometimes get messages from you guys showing me skin that is just overwhelmed from too many active ingredients and constant routine changes, not necessarily ‘acne’.

A gentle cleanser, a targeted treatment, and a barrier-supporting moisturiser is often enough. The real difference comes from consistency and giving your skin time to respond.

5. Clear skin won’t solve everything

I believed that once my skin was clear, everything else would fall into place and I would feel more confident. One of the hardest lessons for me to learn was that clearing your skin doesn’t magically remove every insecurity.

There will always be something else: texture, pores, ageing, pigmentation, or simply the pressure to look a certain way. Learning to care for your skin without attaching your self-worth to it is one of the most freeing things you can do.

And sometimes the real goal isn’t perfect skin, it’s a healthier relationship with yourself :)

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I’m sure we’ve all used or seen the infamous dog filter on Snapchat, the blurring effect on TikTok or one of your favourite influencers using blurring filters on their Instagram story.

We’ve all seen a photo of ourselves and thought: “I wish you could hide my spots”, or “I wish I couldn’t see my double chin.” Whilst the use of filters on social media might seem like an innocent and harmless way to express yourself online, the hidden psychological effects are not to be ignored.

Research has found that young people with low self-esteem and poor body image are more likely to use filters, which can further reinforce the negative belief that their appearance isn’t good enough. Research by Dove showed that:

80% of girls have downloaded a filter or an app to change their appearance by age 13.

This leads to girls judging their features against their filtered selves and striving for unrealistic beauty standards. Such self-objectification may even lead to serious mental health conditions such as body dysmorphic disorder and appearance-related anxiety.

I know I have felt anxious about attending social events without makeup on when my acne is flaring up. This kind of behaviour, if it carries on for many years, can have a hugely negative affect on our lives as a whole.

“The best thing I ever did was learn to be confident in my natural appearance”

After 5 years of posting unfiltered content of myself online, i finally feel happy in my natural appearance. When i say ‘natural’ i mean no makeup, no mascara, no filters, no botox/ filler kind of natural. In a society where we’re always taught to look better, younger and want more - the best thing i ever did was learn to feel confident in my natural appearance.

Some ways I’ve trained myself to feel more secure in my natural self are:

1. Spending more time seeing my real face
At first this sounds strange, but the more time I spent seeing myself without makeup or filters, the more normal it became. When you stop hiding your natural features, your brain slowly stops treating them like something that needs fixing.

2. Posting unfiltered content
Sharing photos or videos without filters felt scary at the beginning. But the more I did it, the less power filters had over me. It reminded me that people connect with authenticity far more than perfection.

3. Curating the content I consume
I started unfollowing accounts that made me feel like my appearance wasn’t good enough. Instead, I followed creators who show their real skin, texture, acne, pores and all. What we see every day online shapes what we think is “normal.”

4. Practising self-talk that isn’t critical
I noticed how often my inner voice would immediately criticise my appearance. Instead of automatically thinking “My skin is awful today”, I tried replacing it with something neutral like “this is just my skin today.” It sounds small, but it makes a huge difference over time.

5. Remembering that skin and faces change
Breakouts, texture, dark circles, fine lines — they’re all normal and temporary parts of being human. Our appearance changes constantly, and learning to accept that takes away a lot of pressure.

6. Focusing on how I feel, not just how I look
Confidence didn’t come from trying to look perfect. It came from taking care of myself — sleeping well, moving my body, nourishing my skin and doing things that make me feel good.

After a year of worsening hormonal acne symptoms, in January, I decided to give my skin a fresh start by doing a ‘Skin Reset’. I’ve been sharing the series on my Instagram, but I thought I’d also write it all up in an article for those who really want to reset their skin ASAP! I haven’t shared all the episodes yet, but Substack eats first…

My ‘Skin Reset’ is divided into several categories.

• Chapter One: Declutter Makeup Products

• Chapter Two: Establish a Consistent Skincare Routine.

• Chapter Three: Stop skipping Body Care

• Chapter Four: Eating skin-friendly foods.

In my opinion, Chapter 2 is the most important step of the reset. This is because the skincare you’re using can either worsen or help your hormonal acne.

In January i’m sticking to simple routines full of products that i already know and trust. For the Morning:

Step 1: Toner

HaruHaru Wonder Probiotics Barrier 2% NAD + Serum Mist.

Step 2: Serum

The Ordinary Azeleic Acid

Step 3: Eye Cream

Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye serum

Step 4: Spf

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Spf 50+

You might notice i have no Cleanser in this routine, that’s because i’ve stopped cleansing in the morning. I usually splash my face with water before i go in with my toner. Also, i like to use the Beauty Of Joseon Relief Sun as a 2-in-1 Moisturiser and Spf, as it has very moisturising ingredients like Probiotics and Rice.

The skincare industry can be overwhelming, as it constantly introduces new products. As a facialist and skincare creator, I receive hundreds of new skincare products to test every year. To round up 2025, I thought I’d give you guys an honest review of my most-used skincare products this year. These aren’t all of the products i’ve loved this year (we’d be here for years) but these are products which i have personally re-purchased with my own money throughout 2025.

Oil Cleanser:

HaruHaru Wonder Black Rice Moisture Deep Cleansing Oil 150ml - £11.90

This is by far my favourite Oil Cleanser. I love Oil cleansers because they’re super hydrating and also super effective at removing dirty and impurities, but it’s hard to find one that’s safe for acne prone, sensitive skin. This one is affordable and noncomedogenic, so it doesn’t clog your pores. It’s 150ml so it is too big to take in your hand luggage (i got it taken away from me once this year before a flight, and i was sad).

Serum:

The Ordinary Azeleic Acid 30ml - £11.10

Azaleic Acid is really hyped on social media because it’s gentle yet powerful at tackling acne, acne scars and marks. The Ordinary’s 30ml Azeleic Acid is the perfect size and formulation in my opinion. It’s a cream-like formulation that really helps with brightening the skin; it’s also non-comedogenic (like all of these products).

Spf:

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Spf 50+ 50ml - £7.79

This is my most used spf. The first time i bought it was about 4 years ago and i fell in love. You only need a very little amount, a little goes a long way. Beauty of Joseon is a Korean brand and the spf is packed full of soothing ingredients such as rice extract, probiotics, niacinimide and green tea. It’s super calming and hydrating.

Retinol:

Kiehls Retinol Skin Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum 30ml - £50

A great retinol should be a holy grail in everyone’s routine. Personally, it’s the ingredient that helps me most with my acne and acne scarring. This one from Kiehl’s is gentle yet affective.

Micellar Water:

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water 100ml - £3.49

Basic, Useful and easy to use. I don’t use Micellar water to wash my face, but to take of mascara and eyemakeup and lipstick so i’m not super fussy with products. The original, pink top Garnier Micellar water is always my go to - the 100ml is perfect for travelling.

Gel Cleanser:

Dr Sam’s Flawless Cleanser 200ml - £20

After oil cleansing, I like to use a gel cleanser to cleanse my skin a second time. This is a great acne-safe gel cleanser from Dr Sam’s. It has minimal ingredients and I personally love the travel size. I pretty much don’t use any other Gel cleansers!

Anyone who has acne scars will know how frustrating they can be. They make the overall texture of our skin look more uneven and affect the way makeup sits on the skin. I’ve been on a journey to find ways to reduce their appearance, and that’s why I decided to try laser.

How it started…

In January, I was due to have a round of microneedling done to start reducing the scarring. When I went for my appointment, I had a few active breakouts, so they said I couldn’t go through with the microneedling. For context, if you do microneedling on active breakouts, it can spread the bacteria and cause more acne. Therefore, it’s best to wait until all the breakouts calm down. I felt disappointed because I really thought it might be the way to reduce my scarring… but because I still get acne, i decided that microneedling probably isn’t the best option for me.

Laser treatment…

Laser is another well-known option for reducing acne scarring. It’s actually the most effective medical option available - but I was always cautious to try it because of the side effects and the pain.

I was offered a round of UltraClear 3DMIRACL laser in October and decided to try it. UltraClear laser uses short, concentrated light beams to gently remove top layers of dull and damaged skin, triggering the body’s natural healing process and stimulating new cell growth, and it’s the first ‘cold’ ablative laser. Its “cold” technology makes it safer for darker skin tones prone to pigmentation issues with other lasers.

At the same time, UltraClear induces just the right amount of thermal energy at the right skin depth to help your skin start the rejuvenation process - increasing collagen and elastin production.

Outcomes from the laser depend heavily on scar type, severity, skin type, number of sessions, and exact laser settings. For deep scars, I was advised that lasers alone may not be enough.

My laser experience…

The process itself began with numbing cream all over the face, which is a strange sensation, followed by the laser. Numbing cream means you feel little to no pain during the 15-minute treatment.

Once the numbing cream wore off, I experienced quite a lot of pain for around an hour. This was a moderate burning sensation - as you can see in these photos, my face was really quite red and inflamed.

The dermatologist didn’t give me the ‘Acne Scarring Protocol’ treatment, and instead gave me more of a glow-up treatment, essentially meaning that the level of depth that I had done wasn’t enough to make a visible difference on my scarring.

Overall…

Overall, I didn’t see results in my scarring and i’ve been reassured that i would need the ‘Acne Scar Protocol’ of UltraClear 3DMIRACL - which is a deeper laser and at least 2X rounds of treatment.

I would still like to try again to see if this can make a lasting difference on scarring, but i’m giving my skin a few months to rest before I try again completely.

before laser (top) and after 2 months (bottom)

More content about my laser treatment:

@skinwithsophsLaser: Episode 2 (the whole process) I got the 3DMiracl Ultra Clear Laser treatment with Perfect Skin Solutions by @Doctor Dev 🫶🏼 I can’t wait to see the results!! #laser #acnescars #london #acne #skincare

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*This was a gifted treatment, but all opinions are my own.

Some of you may know me for my skincare content on Instagram @skinwithsoph which I’ve been doing for 5 years now (wow, that feels crazy to say). And whilst I love and value the community I’ve built on Instagram, there’s so much more I want to talk about, like navigating a skin condition; relationships; confidence; careers; relationships etc.

You know when you feel nervous to post something online? Well, i feel like that a lot on Instagram. My content is so raw and honest that sometimes it hits the wrong audiences. Anyway, this means It’s sometimes hard to delve into these topics in detail through reels and short-form content.

I’ve been wanting to share more honest advice and guidance for deeper topics, but I wanted to do it on a platform that feels more private and cosy. Substack feels like the perfect place. If you’ve been following me for a while you might know that i had blog a while ago, this is going to be a new version and i’m so excited to work on it with you guys.

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