An NHS key worker whose rosacea was agitated by wearing daily PPE has found relief from her redness in a concealer made with capers – which she claims improved her skin after just one week.
Georgina Harrison, 28, from Chorley, was left with low self-confidence and at times, felt like she didn’t want to leave the house after developing the skin condition while at university.
While she tried many over-the-counter products, nothing seemed to work – until she found an unlikely solution in the form of £19.95 Kalme Chameleon Concealer.
The NHS administrator and key worker claimed she noticed some improvements after one week of applying the product – and a significant improvement after one month.
‘It’s made me not want to leave the house at the best of times, and at times I’ve not wanted to get out of bed,’ said Georgina, speaking of her rosacea. ‘It does make me nervous at work too; most foundations I use to try to cover it, usually slide off my face by about halfway through the day.
Georgina Harrison, 28, from Chorley, whose rosacea was made furious by wearing daily PPE claims she’s found relief from her redness in a concealer made with capers. Pictured, in February before applying the product
The NHS worker has heard people whispering behind her back about her skin condition. Pictured, after applying the product in May
She continued: ‘I’ve heard people whispering behind my back about my skin. I know they are gossiping about it but no one says anything to my face, which I’d prefer.
‘I hate the feeling that people talk about my skin when I am not there, it makes you feel very untrusting of people. I’m in a constant cycle of depression about my skin. It’s like an up and down rollercoaster from one month to the next.
Georgina first started getting rosacea when she was at university – and says her cheeks just started to get redder and redder.
Chameleon Concealer, £19.95, available from kalme.co.uk, doesn’t just cover up it also claims to treat symptoms of red skin and rosacea via a basket of naturally active ingredient
‘I think I got it around the time I realised university wasn’t for me,’ she said. ‘I was getting stressed and felt like I was on the wrong course.
She went on to explain that when she got her first rosacea flare-up, she completely panicked.
‘It made me feel like all I wanted to do was hide; whenever somebody mentioned my cheeks were getting red, my parents especially, I would go even redder,’ she said.
‘I didn’t really know what was happening to me as it suddenly felt like my skin had a will of its own.’
Georgina went to see her GP about her skin when she was aged 24, and was referred to a dermatologist who diagnosed rosacea.
‘Until then I didn’t really know much about what was causing my skin to be flaring bright red and feel sore and sensitive,’ she explained. ‘But once I knew what I had, I was at least able to look it up.’
The 28-year-old was prescribed antibiotic gels and pills, and was also offered stronger medication which she was reluctant to try due to one of the side-effects being depression.
The NHS worker was left with low self-confidence and at times, felt like she didn’t want to leave the house after developing the skin condition. Pictured, before applying the product in February 2020
After developing rosacea, all Georgina wanted to do was hide. Pictured, in February before applying the product
Georgina stumbled upon the Kalme products online and claims she saw some improvements after the first week of applying them. Pictured, after applying the product in May
However, nothing Georgina was prescribed – including laser treatment – made any notable difference.
‘As time pushed on, it only got worse, spreading to my forehead, whereas it was only on my cheeks to start with,’ she said. ‘If anything, the laser treatment made it worse.
After stumbling upon Kalme products on Instagram, Georgina decided to try them out – and claims she saw some improvements after the first week.
‘My skin went from bright red to a milder, calmer pink and the livid spots calmed down to smaller pimples,’ she explained.
‘These were the first products that actively calmed my skin and didn’t sting when I applied them or feel clammy on my skin.
‘The Kalme Chameleon Concealer is the standout product for me.
Not only does the special caper ingredient in it calm the redness down and the pure mineral SPF20 protect my skin from sun flares, it also covers up my redness with a tone-matching concealer that stays on all day and matches my ever-changing skin tones.’
Georgina went on to say that over the course of a month her skin has dramatically improved.
‘The rosacea on my forehead has all but gone now and the bumpy red areas on my cheeks are less red, smoother and much smaller than they were,’ she added.
‘With all the recent stress of COVID-19 fears and lockdown I did have one tiny flare-up whilst using the Kalme products.
‘It was the thought of catching COVID-19 and passing it onto my Dad as I am an NHS key worker so I still have to work.
The 28-year-old said the rosacea on her forehead has all but gone now and the bumpy red areas on her cheeks are less red, smoother and much smaller than they were. Pictured, after applying the product in May
Georgina’s skin is now under control now, which has made her feel so much more confident about herself. Pictured, after applying the product in May
But using the Kalme products calmed the flare-up almost immediately.’
The NHS worker added that a lot of her colleagues at work and all over the country are suffering due to wearing PPE for long periods of time in front of patients.
‘When I have to put on a mask for work my skin gets hot whenever I breathe through it and it immediately starts to feel irritated,’ she said.
‘So I put the product on before I leave for work and touch wood, my skin appears to be under control now, which has made me feel so much more confident about myself.’