47 Skin Review: Is this viral skincare worth the hype?
Anyone who regularly struggles with breakouts knows how frustrating it can be. You can be militant with your skincare routine, ensuring you're drinking enough water and getting enough sleep, regularly changing your pillowcases and still being unable to clear those stubborn pimples.
I've had an ongoing battle with breakouts since my early 20s. I got through my teens relatively blemish-free and thought I was in the clear when almost overnight when I was 21 I developed persistent acne all over the lower half of my face. Absolutely nothing I tried made a difference, and after years of trying everything under the sun, I went to the dermatologist who gave me an accutane prescription.
Accutane, also called isotretinoin, is a powerful oral retinoid prescribed for severe acne and within a few weeks, my skin was clear for the first time in years. While I've never had severe acne again since coming off the drug, I did start noticing stubborn hormonal breakouts cropping up around the time of my period that I was finding nearly impossible to clear.
I didn't want to be a long-term user of Accutane and the kinds of breakouts I was experiencing weren't nearly as bad, so I was more interested in topical products I could use to clear up my skin. This is how I found out about 47 Skin.
47 Skin is a British-born brand with a hero ingredient I'd never seen mentioned before: silver Chitoderm. With potent anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, silver helps prevent breakouts by targeting the bacteria that cause blemishes in the first place. Chitoderm has a sticky texture that forms a structure over the skin that promotes skin cell regeneration. When combined, silver Chitoderm is a powerful ingredient that works to fade scarring and prevent breakouts.
47 Skin review: The Women's Health verdict
After a few months of incorporating the brand into my routine, I'm a firm fan of the products and have been recommending the range to everyone I chat with who is feeling fed up with persistent breakouts. I've tried dozens of buzzy new brands in my time writing about beauty, and it's rare that one sticks out as much as this one has.
In particular, The Serum, The Moisturiser and the the Face Mask have had a big impact on my skin, and have carved a place in my regular skincare routine.
For more information about how we tested and in-depth reviews of seven of the brand's best-sellers, continue scrolling through.
How we tested the 47 Skin range in 2025
Women's Health's Ecommerce Editor used the 47 Skin range consistently for the three months. She's in her late twenties and her skin type is dry. While she doesn't currently have acne, she tends to break out around her chin around her period each month.
She continued to use her vitamin C serum in the morning and retinol at night, but she subbed everything else in her routine for 47 Skin for the duration of the trial period.
Anti-Blemish & Scar Repair Serum
This is without a doubt my favourite product in the range, and it had the biggest impact on my complexion.
Formulated with the brand's unique Silver Chitoderm, a concoction that helps to reduce active breakouts, clear scarring and protect the skin from future breakouts.
One of my favourite things about this serum is that it doesn't dry out my already dry skin. While other products formulated to banish breakouts I've tried in the past have done so by attempting to reduce the oil in my skin, this product leaves my skin looking hydrated and glowy every time I apply it.
I used it twice a day, after my vitamin C serum in the morning and retinol at night, and waited a few minutes before applying my moisturiser.
Everyday Cleanser
After oil cleansing, this would be the second step in my evening skincare routine. I don't cleanse in the morning, so I only used this cleanser once a day.
The luxurious-feeling cream cleanser has been infused with the brand's unique silver Chitoderm, which is a powerful anti-bacterial ingredient.
It's able to give my skin a good clean without leaving it feeling tight or dry, and it always leaves it looking and feeling soft. After cleansing, my skin was perfectly primed to go in with the rest of my skincare routine.
Intensive Hydration Elixir
In the past when I've been having a breakout I would avoid hydrating serums out of fear it would make the situation worse or aggravate my skin. However, as I have dry skin this meant my skin then felt tight and uncomfortable.
The Intensive Hydration Elixir from 47 Skin is formulated with 5% hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, so it's able to help your skin stay hydrated while still preventing blemishes.
This serum always left my skin looking juicy and plump and worked well alongside the rest of the range to keep my skin looking healthy and clear.
Daily Moisturiser
No skincare routine is complete without a good moisturiser, but as someone with seriously fussy skin, a moisturiser is the hardest thing to win my approval.
As someone with dry, blemish-prone skin, I need a lot from my moisturiser. It needs to be hydrating without clogging my pores, it needs to make my skin look plump and radiant while also sinking in quickly. The Daily Moisturiser from 47 Skin ticks all of these boxes.
The oil-free formula is enriched with the brand's classic silver Chitoderm formula, which helps clear breakouts while leaving the skin feeling hydrated.
Morning and evening I would apply this moisturiser after the serum, and I loved how nourished and healthy my complexion looked for the rest of the day.
My one drawback when it comes to this moisturiser is that during winter I found myself craving something a bit thicker in the evenings to help replenish the moisture lost from the freezing temperatures.
Daily SPF 30
As a very fair ginger who grew up in sunny Australia, I am very particular when it comes to sunscreen. I wear it every single day, no matter how cloudy it may be, and have tried dozens in my time writing about beauty products.
This is a fantastic SPF for anyone with sensitive skin. Especially when I was battling with cystic acne, I had to be very careful with what SPF I used as if it was the wrong one it could easily make my skin worse.
This sunscreen has everything I look for: protects my skin from the sun, leaves my skin looking radiant, and doesn't break me out. It absorbs quickly and doesn't leave me feeling sticky, so it's perfect for wearing under makeup.
My only critique is that I wish it was available in a bigger size. mainly in summer when I'm reapplying multiple times a day, I found I was running out of this product quicker than I would like.
Silver Mask
I have a love-hate relationship with this mask.
I love it because it is a powerful aid against breakouts, I hate it because it has caused very real arguments between my housemate and me. We're both susceptible to hormonal breakouts, and one day when she was having a nasty bout I let her use this mask.
She was genuinely amazed at how much better her skin looked and felt after using the mask, and went on to finish the tub without my knowledge. Rude, right?
To be honest, I can't blame her. It's rare to find a product that has such an instant impact on breakouts. While it doesn't completely clear the skin, this peel-off mask provides a concentrated dose of the 47 Skin formula and is able to brighten the complexion and reduce the appearance of blemishes.
Does 47 Skin work work for hormonal acne?
In my experience, absolutely yes. As I've already mentioned, that was the main reason I switched to 47 Skin in the first place. I was someone who broke out before my period like clockwork, but since incorporating this range (particularly the Serum) I rarely notice pimples popping up at that time of the month.
I've also noticed that in the rare cases I do develop a breakout, it fades a lot faster than it used to.
This is just my personal experience, however, and if you've tried everything and are still being plagued by monthly breakouts we would recommend booking in to see your GP or a dermatologist who can make tailored recommendations.
Can 47 Skin help with scarring?
Helping to fade scarring is one of the brand's main selling points, along with preventing and healing active breakouts. I didn't have a huge amount of scarring to begin with so I might not be well-placed to comment, but after a few weeks using the range my skin looked far clearer than it did before.
Does 47 skin cause purging?
While my skin didn't purge when I switched to 47 Skin, it can happen any time someone makes changes their skincare routine. The entire 47 Skin range has been formulated for sensitive skin, so any purging should clear about in two to three weeks.
If purging persists and you don't think your skin is reacting well to the brand, we would recommend chatting to a professional
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