British women struggle being nude in front of their partners

The finding came in Sudocrem’s Skin Study, a survey of 2,000 men and women, which has revealed the depth our insecurities. It discovered many of us worry about how we look laid bare, with that especially true of those of us with skin conditions.

Over half of the women surveyed (51%) admitted to avoiding mirrors altogether during a flare-up and 77% said that looking in the mirror negatively affects their self-esteem. As many as 36 per cent worry about being undressed in front of a romantic partner.

Beyond the bedroom, nearly two-thirds of those surveyed admit to feeling self-conscious because of their skin condition, while almost half say they feel stressed, and more than 4 in 10 feel anxious about their skin.

Ava Godden, 21, a childcare practitioner from Swansea, Wales, said: “I’ve had eczema since I was two years old. I do feel less confident when my skin is flared. I don’t want to say ugly but like, not myself.”

A quarter (25%) of UK women report regular eczema flare-ups with 39% regularly suffering from acne or acne spots, with key milestones such as puberty, pregnancy and menopause being one of the contributing factors.

Self-esteem issues around our skin are affecting our love and leisure lives too.

More than 1 in four women (28%) avoid romantic dates when their skin condition flares up and 23% say they avoid shopping too. As many as 32% avoid nights out due to skin flare-ups and 24% skipping planned beach sessions.

Inspired by the millions of people in the UK who live with problematic skin – including celebrities like Catherine, Princess of Wales, Victoria Beckham, and Kendall Jenner – Sudocrem has launched a new national campaign, Uncovered. It aims to break the stigma we feel around being unhappy with our skin, challenge beauty norms, and celebrate the millions of women who live every day with skin conditions such as acne and eczema.

Talking about how she has learned to gain body confidence, Ava added: “It takes a lot of self-confidence to get out like and go out into the world. When I look at myself in the mirror and I say you are beautiful today, that’s what makes me feel the most confident.

“Recently I haven’t let my eczema stop me from seeing my friends and being out. Eczema is a blessing, not a curse, and it showed me how to be confident no matter what I look like.”

Sudocrem is calling on women to share their stories using #UncoveredBySudocrem, to help change the narrative around skin – from something to conceal, to something to celebrate.

The campaign features the stories of 10 people living with skin conditions ranging from acne to eczema whose beautiful, unfiltered images will feature in a first-of-a-kind exhibition captured by photographer Sophie Harris-Taylor.

Bethany Innes, as Sudocrem spokesperson, said: “Skin conditions aren’t just skin deep. We found women are disproportionately impacted emotionally and socially by their skin – they’re cancelling plans, skipping dates, and dodging the mirror because of the toll it takes on their confidence. Uncovered is about changing that.”

The immersive exhibition highlights the emotional impact of skin conditions like acne and eczema and showcases such powerful portraits and personal testimonials.

Bethany continued: “This campaign is about empowerment, not embarrassment. We want people to know they are not alone – and that real skin is nothing to be ashamed of.”

Sudocrem hope the campaign offers people an opportunity to better understand how these conditions affect confidence, relationships, and daily life, as well as providing a platform for individuals to share their experiences and support each other.

To uncover the emotive stories which inspired the campaign, visit the Uncovered hub at sudocrem.co.uk or follow the hashtag #UncoveredbySudocrem on social media.