From Acne Struggles to Skincare Success: Meet Jade Irving

At just 22, Jade Irving has already carved out a remarkable path in the world of skincare.

What started as a personal battle with acne has blossomed into a thriving Instagram following, a home facial studio and plans for her very own skincare brand - By the Molecule. 

Jade’s journey began when she was 11, dealing with persistent acne throughout her school years. “People don’t realise the impact that acne can have on your life if they haven’t experienced it themselves,” she says. “Nothing covers it up – makeup makes it worse. No matter what you do to your hair or your clothes, it’s always there, making you feel insecure.” 

She remembers visiting the doctors and being given all sorts of creams and tablets. “They never asked me about my diet, stress levels or what I was using on my skin - they just threw treatments at me and hoped for the best,” she recalls. “I got to the point where I thought I just can’t do this anymore - I need to fix this.” She was eventually put on Accutane, a strong drug that helped but came with serious side effects. Jade believes it affected her gut health, leading to IBS. 

Determined to take control, she began teaching herself everything she could about skin and wellness. By 18, she was running facials out of her home, practicing on family and friends. Her signature ‘glass skin’ facial caught the attention of Instagram users, earning thousands of likes on the post. Her following grew organically at around a thousand new people per week, and she now has a community of approximately 45,000. “I’ve had clients travel from London after seeing my posts, which is incredible” Jade says. 

As her Instagram presence grew, it became clear she couldn’t do everything on her own. She now has two people helping to manage her social media. She also received many requests from people asking how she achieved her excellent results, which led her to produce online training materials that sold worldwide. Eventually, she returned her focus to doing facials again, occasionally hosting training masterclasses. 

While building her online presence, Jade didn’t stop learning. She studied Molecular Biology at university and is now completing her Masters at the No7 Boots labs, focusing on dermatology and cell matrix research. Her scientific background informs her approach to skincare, combining practical experience with research-driven insights. 

Jade’s brand, By the Molecule, is born from this philosophy. “The beauty industry is flooded with buzzwords, trends and misinformation, often with no research backing the claims” she explains. “I want to create a wellness space where women can learn and be inspired with the truth.” 

Due to her own experience, her goal is to develop acne-focused products that are effective yet gentle. “I see a problem with current products for young people – they are often too harsh and people overdo it, which makes the skin worse,” she says. She wants her brand to address these problems, keeping skincare simple: “Over-consumption is a big issue – people buy too many products hoping they’ll work, because advertising pushes things they don’t need.” 

By the Molecule will be designed to educate as well as treat. Jade wants clients to understand the ingredients they are using, how to use them properly and to feel empowered rather than misled. “I want to be honest and genuine” she says. 

Despite her growing platform, she remains grounded. “I didn’t plan for facials to become this big,” she says. “But helping people feel confident about their skin has been the most rewarding part. When I see people having unnecessary treatments, like filler, because they are trying to compensate for acne, it makes me sad. I really understand my clients, and they feel safe with me because I’ve experienced it myself.” 

Looking to the future, Jade hopes to expand By the Molecule into a full educational and skincare brand. She plans to collaborate with doctors, nutritionists and wellness experts to address skin issues from all angles. She’s already starting a blog, with plans for a podcast, and will soon contribute a guest column to the Glossop Chronicle. 

Her advice for readers? “Your skin is the one item of clothing you’re always going to wear, so look after it. Keep it simple: cleanse, treat and protect.” 

Jade’s mission is clear: to empower others with honest education, research-led products and a deeper understanding of their own skin. With By the Molecule set to grow into a fully-fledged skincare and wellness brand she’s stepping confidently into her next chapter. Not only is Jade’s skin now stunningly clear and glowing, but so are her plans and her future. 

You can find out more about Jade on her Instagram page: @skinbyjadeirving