‘My spots were so bad they hurt but my nan sent me a parcel and my life changed’

Nic Taylor, founder of award-winning skincare brand 47 Skin, had suffered with spots for years before a parcel from his grandma changed everything

Spots are a skin frustration millions of us struggle with and finding the correct products that actually work, without leading to more problems, can be difficult. This is exactly the issue Nic Taylor, founder of 47 Skin, faced when suffering from blemishes that impacted his confidence from around the age of 15.

I sat down with him to find out how his first-hand experience with spots and blemishes led to the start of 47 Skin, which has been named one of the UK’s fastest growing privately held businesses by The Sunday Times 100 List, for the second year in a row. It has since helped more than half a million people suffering with their skin – and according to Nic, it’s all down to one act of kindness.

Nic had been dealing with spots and blemishes from his teen years, telling me: “I remember times where I’d get ready for a night out, then look in the mirror and go ‘I can’t go out tonight because I’ve got big spots and blemishes’. And then I literally wouldn’t go out. With nights out where they’d photograph the clubs and then upload it on Facebook the next day, I really didn’t like the way my skin looked.

“This really started to impact me. Then I went to my first graduate job coming out of university and I always thought I’d take my career super seriously. I walked into a buyer meeting and the buyer turned to me and said ‘oh I can see they’ve sent a baby to do their bidding’ – referring to the fact that I had spots and blemishes on my face. It completely knocked my confidence.”

Nic went on to add: “I remember things like not being able to wear white shirts because I had spots on my back and people would be able to see them. It was impacting me on a daily basis. The other thing about spots that people don’t talk about is that it actually physically hurts, so it’s not just uncomfortable or impacts your confidence, but it’s actually painful. At that point I thought, right, enough is enough, I can’t have it impacting my career.”

In an effort to help his skin, Nic tried everything from expensive high street products, to clinical treatments, explaining they simply gave him ‘three different products, all with names that I couldn’t pronounce, and said “that’ll sort out your spots and blemishes”. The bill was around £300’.

Nic found nothing worked for him and he was left feeling ‘hopeless’ and in ‘agony’. That is, until a parcel arrived from his grandma – who worked as a nurse for 50 years.

“I opened it and there’s a little pot of cream and it had a handwritten note and it said ‘To Nick, this is a local formulation, apparently it’s fantastic for spots and blemishes’. I used it day and night and to my surprise, my skin cleared within 4 days. I was shocked that my skin had cleared within 4 days, but part of me still thought, well, they’ll come back, right? I continued to use it. The spots and blemishes never came back. My skin was soft and hydrated and kind of firm. It just completely transformed the condition of my skin.”

After this exciting discovery, Nic tracked down and partnered with the scientist behind the formulation of the unmarked pot that used Silver Chitoderm. This is used in everything from the bestselling Anti-Blemish & Scar Repair Serum to the Body Moisturiser.

Nic explains how this unique ingredient to 47 Skin works: “Silver is naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial. The chitoderm, which is bonded to the silver, is mucoadhesive, which means it’s sticky. Effectively, if the bacteria comes onto your face, the Silver Chitoderm will stick to the bacteria and the silver will kill it. As long as you’ve got the serum on or any of the products, then you’ve got an antibacterial shield on your skin.”

Using his own money, Nic launched 47 Skin and the range of products are available at Harrods, Boots, Amazon and on the 47 Skin website. The Anti-Blemish & Scar Repair Serum has racked up more than 5,000 five star reviews, with one user calling it a ‘miracle in a bottle’.

Speaking on the serum, Nic shared: “I genuinely believe it is the best skincare product in the world. I have used it every day since I came across it when I was 26. I would always say try the serum. It will work for you or someone that you love, if it doesn’t, we’ll give you your money back.”

If this product isn’t for everyone, other blemish treatments shoppers could try include spot stickers. The CeraVe Blemish Barrier Patches are £9 at LookFantastic. At The Body Shop, the Skin Clearing Night Mask, £12, uses tea tree oil to help reduce the appearance of spots.

Spots and blemishes are often associated with puberty, however, Nic explains how 47 Skin is incredibly broad in terms of who it helps and ‘no one story is more important than another’. Sharing the variety of feedback the products get given, he spoke about a mum and her 15 year old son.

“One review was a mum and she was saying my son is 15-years-old, he started suffering with skin. It’s been really impacting his confidence. He’s not been going out and he’s been using the serum and his skin’s completely cleared. His confidence is transformed.

“I loved that review because I had suffered with my skin from about 15 to about 26, so it cut that boy’s experience of suffering down by about 10 years, assuming that he’d had the same length of it. So, grandma’s kindness has done that.”

He went on to say: “The second review was a lady in her twenties who said, I’ve suffered with my skin since I was about 17 or 18. I’ve been with my partner for 2 years and he’s never seen me without makeup on. Thanks to 47 Skin, my spots and blemishes have gone, and I’ve seen him for the first time with no makeup, and it just feels amazing.”

Sharing a third review, Nic said: “A lady who wrote I’m 71 years old. I’ve suffered with my skin all my life, never thought it would go, and thanks to using 47 Skin, my skin’s clear.”

When I asked him about his grandma, Nic said: “Grandma was a nurse that helped for 50 years. It just shows one small act of kindness has gone on to a butterfly effect and we’ve helped well over half a million people. You hear all these stories and it’s all thanks to that one domino of her just being kind.”

47 Skin products are available on their website.