Nu Allumé - About Us: Pioneering Microbiome Skincare for Menopause

Meet Desré: The Unlikely Founder Behind Nu Allumé

Desré was never supposed to start a skincare brand.

From growing up on a farm in South Africa to becoming a world renowned extreme sports photographer and later founding Brisbane’s first social media agency, skincare was never part of the plan.

Until perimenopause changed everything.

The Least Likely Skincare Founder

Desré grew up on a farm in South Africa, spending most of her childhood outdoors, riding horses through the bush from sunrise to sunset.

Growing up, skincare barely existed in her world. The same bar of Sunlight soap she washed herself with also washed the dishes, the clothes, the dogs and pretty much everything else!

At 15, she started her own little business braiding peoples hair at the local market before she went on to help her parents at 19 build a yoghurt company supplying local supermarkets.

A Life Far From Beauty

Later, armed with a camera and a love of adventure, she travelled the world with whitewater kayakers and became one of the most recognised whitewater sports photographers globally.

She also became the first female ever to win the prestigious Red Bull Illume, the world’s largest international photography contest dedicated to adventure and action sports.

After eventually putting the camera down and moving to Australia, she founded Brisbane’s first social media agency, building digital strategies at a time when social media marketing was still in its infancy. Over a decade later, she was relied upon by some of the biggest companies in the world.

Then Perimenopause Hit

Suddenly, for the first time in her life, skincare became impossible to ignore.

Her skin began changing in ways nobody seemed able to properly explain. It became drier, more reactive and increasingly unpredictable. Breakouts appeared. Pigmentation increased. Products that once felt fine suddenly didn’t.

Yet most of the beauty industry still framed menopausal skin through a simplistic ageing lens, focused heavily on dryness and collagen loss.

Then came the breaking point.

One day, overwhelmed and exhausted after months of searching for answers, Desré found herself crumpled on the floor of her shower in floods of tears. It was that moment, she realised if the answers didn’t exist, she would have to go and find them herself.

Discovering the Microbiome–Menopause Connection

What followed was months of research into skin biology, the skin microbiome and emerging science surrounding menopause related changes to the skin.

Eventually, Desré recognised something the beauty industry hadn’t:

Menopause isn’t just a change in hormones, it changes your skin’s microbiome. This is what she called the “microbiome-menopause connection”.

Following 2 years of formulation, working with leading PhD qualified microbiome scientists on Australia’s Gold Coast, she finally held in her hands the answer she was looking for.

Why Nu Allumé Exists

That discovery became the foundation for Nu Allumé, recognising that the microbiome environment plays a key role in how menopausal skin behaves and how it should be cared for.

Because once you recognise that shift, formulation priorities change and the entire approach to menopause skincare changes with it.

Today, Nu Allumé is pioneering the Microbiome–Menopause Connection and carving a new category in beauty, creating "microbiome-focused menopause skincare" specifically formulated for women navigating perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.

Not because Desré dreamed of starting a skincare brand, but because she had to.

Our Mission: Skincare That Gets You

Let’s be real, menopause changes everything, including your skin. Yet, the beauty industry still treats it like just another aging concern. That’s why we created the world’s first microbiome-focused skincare line designed exclusively for menopausal skin.

At Nu Allumé, we believe your skin deserves more than just hydration and "anti-aging" promises, it deserves science-backed solutions created specifically for the biological changes taking place through menopause.

Our mission is to support your changing skin through perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause, so you can feel comfortable and confident in your skin at every stage.

Our Approach: Not Just Skincare, Sciencecare

Menopausal skin isn't just ageing skin, it's changing skin. That's why our approach goes beyond hydration and collagen support.

We use emerging microbiome research to help inform how we formulate for the changing needs of skin through menopause, including how we cleanse, hydrate, preserve and support the skin's natural microbiome.

Every product combines carefully selected prebiotics, postbiotics and active ingredients to help support concerns such as dryness, sensitivity, loss of elasticity and changes to the skin barrier.

It's a complete skincare system created specifically for skin through perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.

Our Philosophy: Working With Your Skin, Not Against It

We don’t believe in quick fixes or marketing hype, we believe in smart skincare that adapts to your changing needs.

Instead of relying on harsh actives, we use prebiotics and postbiotics as part of our microbiome focused approach to supporting changing skin.

Instead of fighting menopause, we embrace it, helping your skin thrive during this natural transition. Instead of chasing youth, we celebrate experience, strength, resilience, and confidence.

Your skin is evolving. We’re here to help it.

Our Commitment: More Than A Skin Brand, A Movement

We are not just creating skincare, we are redefining how menopause is addressed in beauty. Every formula has been developed in collaboration with PhD qualified microbiome scientists in Australia, with emerging research into menopause and the skin microbiome helping inform our approach to formulation.

Our commitment to microbiome focused innovation means considering more than just the headline active ingredients. From prebiotics and postbiotics to cleansing, hydration and preservation, every formulation decision is made with changing menopausal skin in mind.

This is skincare created specifically for menopausal skin. No repurposed anti-ageing formulas. No one size fits all approach. Just considered skincare for skin through every stage of menopause.

Menopause isn't the end of great skin, it's the beginning of a new chapter, one that deserves smarter, more sophisticated care. Welcome to skincare that finally gets it.