We’re used to seeing her all dolled up and dressed to the nines, but news presenter Jessica Rowe is the first to open up about her less-than-perfect life, and each time she does so – be it her brave admissions about mental health, the challenges of motherhood or her love for Gravox – we look up to her a little bit more.
The self-professed Crap Housewife has been making candid beauty confessions as of late on her lifestyle blog by the same name.
From skin pigmentation and adult acne to cosmetic surgery, Jessica is holding nothing back, and we’re LOVING her for it.
Here, we explore three of her most relatable beauty truths.
On dealing with adult acne
Though she suffered through pimples in her teen years, Jessica thought she was in the clear before cystic acne reared its unwelcome head at 21.
When antibiotics failed to help, Jessica sought the opinion of an endocrinologist who subsequently diagnosed her with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – a hormonal disorder effecting one in 10 women.
“Basically my body produces too much male hormones and the side effects for me included acne and later problems falling pregnant- but that is a whole other story!” she shared.
In addition to going on the contraceptive pill, which she says helped her until another hormone shift at age 40, the mother-of-two now opts for mineral-based makeup, zinc tablets and drinking more water.
“I find drinking gallons of water a nightmare, especially as my post kids bladder means I’m busting to go to the toilet. Which can be awkward when you’re doing live television!
“But of course it’s essential to go and see your GP, who may refer you to a skin specialist, if your acne is upsetting you and not clearing up. You don’t need to put up with it.”
On having a “furry face”
We all have that one spot on our chin that boasts a determined black hair every few months – usually only noticed when the natural light hits it in the car on your way to big events such as a wedding or bat mitzvah.
It’s a feeling Jessica can relate to, as she outlines in a recent tell-all article on her blog. “For the past couple of years I have noticed a number of stubborn hairs growing on my chin and jawline. Yet again (like adult acne) you can blame these charming hairs on hormones.
She confesses to taking to her chin with a pair of tweezers to get rid of the “witchy poo hairs” as opposed to laser methods, as she’s a “big fan of this inexpensive hair removal technique”.
On confessing to the occasional jab
Sick of “women beating each other up over what they decide to do with their faces”, Jessica decided to admit that she has undergone botox to make herself “feel better” about ageing.
“I have made a choice to have the occasional jab, to smooth out some frown lines and look a little less world-weary. It’s a decision I have made because I want to do it. It’s not because I feel pressured by women’s magazines, or by my profession as TV presenter, or the patriarchy,” she writes for Sunday Life.
Though her husband and some of her girlfriends think it a waste of money, the journalist says she couldn’t care less. Why? Because it’s her body and she can do whatever she wants with it, thank you very much.
“We know that it’s what’s on the inside that matters most, but I also know that I feel stronger and tougher if I look good on the outside, too.”
Well said, Jessica!
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