Sam Faiers has secretly been battling adult acne since breastfeeding her daughter Rosie.
The 29-year-old reality star – who has kids Paul, four, and two-year-old Rosie with longtime partner Paul Kingsley – has admitted to using filters to cover up her secret after becoming embarrassed of her large spots.
Sharing a makeup-free selfie of her face on Instagram, she wrote: "I’ve been really nervous about posting this picture. The last few years I’ve been very quiet about the fact that I’ve been suffering with adult acne – in my case, it was hormonal.
"After breastfeeding Rosie, my skin just broke out and I couldn’t get it under control. I tried absolutely everything. It felt like the more I was doing to stop it, the worse it became."
Acne during breastfeeding is a common problem among mums as the adrenal glands are secreting higher levels of androgen hormones that clog pores and form acne.
Sam has now found a good skincare routine to reduce the breakouts and help her skin feel more hydrated.
She continued: "I’ve been so embarrassed about it and have used filters on Instagram to try and hide it. I would always edit and smooth my skin in pictures and I definitely wouldn’t leave the house without makeup.
"I initially started to use collagen skincare products for the anti-ageing qualities but soon noticed a dramatic reduction in breakouts along with my skin becoming firmer, lines reducing and my skin feeling more hydrated."
What’s more, her own skin challenges have inspired Sam to create her own skincare line to help others tackle similar dilemmas.
She added: "Over the past two years, I’ve been working with some of the UK’s top laboratories to bring to the market a uniquely formulated skincare brand that delivers real results.
"Ladies, this a game changing product and I’ve never felt more passionate about something… @ReviveCollagen launches this Friday 8am!"