Before Nursem, my hands were a mess.

This video shares a bit more about that journey the tough bits, the hopeful bits, and the moment everything changed.

When I first started nursing, I honestly didn’t expect my skin to become such a huge part of my story. Working on a busy children’s ward meant constant hand washing, dozens and dozens of times a day. 

Wash, dry, gloves on. Gloves off, wash again. Repeat.

My hands were cracked, sore, bleeding at times. One little patient once asked me, “What’s wrong with your hands?” and I wanted the ground to swallow me. I was embarrassed, and I was gutted. I’d worked so hard to qualify, and suddenly it looked like something as simple as sore skin might push me off the ward.

I tried absolutely everything. I spent a small fortune in Boots, bought every “intensive” cream going, and nothing helped. Some stung, some were full of petroleum, most weren’t great for the planet; and none of them gave me the relief I desperately needed. The next step was steroid creams, and I just remember thinking, surely there has to be a better way.

That’s really where the idea for Nursem started.

When Jonny and I began working on it, I was determined it had to feel right.

I’d seen medical-grade manuka honey work wonders on wounds and healing in my patients, so it became one of the first things I fought for. I wanted the formula to be packed with skin-loving ingredients, not hidden at the bottom of the list.

And texture was non-negotiable. I didn’t want a cream that sat on the skin, felt greasy, or got in the way of actually doing your job. I needed something that sank in fast so nurses could get straight back to their patients and so anyone else could get on with their day. I can’t tell you how many samples we tested on the ward. The other nurses got roped in constantly, and poor Jonny ended up with the nickname “cream boy” because he’d turn up with yet another round of prototypes for everyone to try.

But all that testing, tweaking, and nurse-level honesty got us to something that genuinely worked.

Now? My hands are totally transformed.

They don’t hurt when I wash them. I’m not embarrassed to show them. They feel soft, supple, healthy. Honestly, I finally have the hands my 20-year-old self wanted… just a few years later.

Since launching Nursem, we’ve helped so many people who’ve struggled with the same pain, discomfort, and frustration I went through. Every time someone tells me they can wash their hands again without wincing, or that they finally feel confident about their skin, it reminds me exactly why we started.

I hope you can find some relief with Nursem too, if you ever want a natter about skin you can always email us at hello@nursem.co.uk or join our private Facebook group here. 

Antonia x