Lauren’s Acne Story: Experiencing Adult Acne In Her 30s
As part of our Acne At Every Age campaign, our Brand Manager Lauren shares her experience of adult acne in her 30s, from hormonal jawline breakouts and confidence knocks to learning how...
Acne does not always follow the timeline we expect. For some, it begins in the teenage years and continues into adulthood. For others, it changes, settles, then returns later in life in a way that feels completely different. That’s why, as part of our Acne At Every Age campaign, we’re sharing real stories, including from our very own Face the Future team, to open up the conversation around acne, confidence, hormones, routine changes and the support that can help you feel more understood in your skin.
For Lauren, our Brand Manager, acne was not unfamiliar. “Through my 20s, my skin was like glass,” Lauren shares. “And as soon as I hit my 30s, it all went downhill.” This is Lauren’s journey with acne...
Lauren’s Skin Journey Before Her 30s
As a teenager, Lauren remembers her skin being relatively manageable. Acne was there, but it felt more like the kind of congestion many people experience during their teenage years.
“I had relatively okay skin,” she says. “I suffered a tiny bit from congestion in the T-zone. I had surface-level acne, but nothing to really write home about.”
Then, in her 20s, breakouts were no longer something she had to think about in the same way, and her complexion felt clear and balanced. “Through my 20s, my skin was like glass,” she says.
How Adult Acne Started Showing Up For Lauren
When Lauren’s acne came back, it did not look or feel like the acne she remembered from her teenage years. This time, it felt deeper.
“It’s very different to the acne that I had in my teens,” Lauren explains. “It’s more cystic, and all around the jawline.” It was not constant acne every day, it became something she had to keep navigating. That unpredictability became part of the challenge.
The Hormonal Pattern Lauren Began To Notice
Over time, Lauren started to recognise a pattern. Her breakouts tend to appear around the jawline and mouth. They settle, begin to clear for a week or two, and then return. All linked to her menstrual cycle.
“I feel like the causes have definitely been a shift in hormones in my 30s,” she says. “I’ve experienced changes in my body.”
After initially having tests that showed nothing, Lauren later discovered she had PCOS, which she feels may be linked to what has been happening with her skin. “I’m trying to manage that through reducing stress, drinking more water, drinking less white wine, and eating and drinking less refined sugars.”
For Lauren, understanding the possible link between her body, hormones and skin has helped her see acne as something more complex than just what is happening on the surface.
How Adult Acne Affected Lauren’s Confidence
One of the hardest parts of adult acne for Lauren was how it started to affect the way she felt day to day.
“I felt like I had to wear more concealer to conceal it, especially in my line of work. I was very people-facing at the time when it first started, and it kind of knocks your confidence.” Makeup became a way to feel more comfortable at work, but Lauren was also conscious of giving her skin time without it.
“As soon as I got home from work, I was making sure I was taking everything off, double cleansing, and letting my skin breathe as much as I could, especially on my days off.”
It is a familiar balance for many people with acne-prone skin: wanting to cover what makes you feel self-conscious, while also trying not to overload the skin.
What Lauren Wishes People Understood About Adult Acne
For Lauren, one of the biggest misconceptions around adult acne is the idea that it is somehow linked to cleanliness. “As an adult, it can make you feel like you look a bit dirty,” she says. “And it’s actually nothing to do with cleanliness. It’s to do with hormones, especially in your 30s.”
That stigma can make adult acne feel even harder to deal with. Not just because of the breakouts themselves, but because of what people may assume about them.
Lauren wishes more people understood that skin does not have to be perfect all the time. Acne can happen even when you are looking after your skin. It can be linked to hormones, stress, health changes, lifestyle shifts, and so many factors that are not always visible from the outside.
Finding Support From The Inside Out
Since working with our skin experts at Face the Future, Lauren has started to feel more in tune with what her skin and body may need.
“Ever since working with our skin experts, I think I’m just more in tune with what the body needs,” she says. “We’ve started on the supplements, which are really working on the system from the inside out, especially for regulating hormones, and not just working on the skin's surface.”
Lauren’s Current Acne Routine
Supplements
Lauren is currently taking Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Accumax, taking four tablets a day: two in the morning with breakfast and two in the evening with dinner.
She is also taking Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Omegas, taking two tablets a day with food.
Suzanne, our skin expert, explains why these two supplements work well together, "Lauren has struggled with her skin for a long time, particularly around certain moments in the month. As a PCOS sufferer and also having coeliac, Lauren's skin struggles as a result of her hormones and inflammation. The supplements are both safe for coeliac and free of intolerances for Lauren. They will help target inflammation and balance hormones and symptoms of her conditions."
Cleanse
For her surface skin routine, Suzanne looked to 47 Skin. " 47 skin has been paired with the supplements to enable us to treat Lauren's skin topically, offering a non-stripping routine working on inflammation and utilising the silver Chitoderm to maintain hydration and not stripping the skin."
Lauren is using the 47 Skin cleanser, which she applies to dry skin before foaming it up and removing it with a clean cloth.
This cleansing step helps her feel like she is properly removing the day, especially when she has been wearing makeup.
Treat
After cleansing, Lauren applies the 47 Skin serum, allowing it to sink into the skin for around five to 10 minutes before moving on to the next step.
Letting each layer absorb has become an important part of her routine, especially in the morning when she is layering skincare underneath makeup.
Moisturise And Protect
Lauren then applies the 47 Skin moisturiser and, in the morning, follows with the 47 Skin SPF.
“The SPF is great for layering underneath makeup,” she says.
Mask
Every three to four days, Lauren also uses the 47 Skin silver mask as part of her evening routine.
“It’s beautiful,” she says. “A nice little bit of pampering on a night.”
She applies a thin layer, lets it dry down, and then peels it off, making it a treatment step that also feels like a moment of time for herself.
Learning To Be Kinder To Her Skin
Lauren is still on her acne journey, but the way she feels about her skin is beginning to change.
“I think I’m learning to love my skin a little bit more and not be as tough on myself,” she says. “It’s a journey, and I’m on it, so I need to just embrace my skin, really.”
Whether your acne has been with you for years, returned after clear skin, or appeared during a period of hormonal change, you deserve support that feels personal, realistic and kind.
Speak to our Face the Future skin experts for personalised advice on finding the right support for your skin.
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