There’s no denying that quest for good skin can at times feel a wild goose chase. And as it turns, this rule still applies even if you’re a celebrity.
Because despite having access to the best dermatologists, facialists, beauty products and nutritionists that money can buy, acne doesn’t really discriminate and flare-ups are just a part of life.
Luckily, a number of Hollywood A-listers have been quite candid about their skin woes in the past, even going so far as to share photos of and talk about their acne on their social media.
Below, 14 such stars who’ve done just that.
Brie Larson
Captain Marvel star Brie Larson didn’t shy away from telling it like it is when she shared a 2013 throwback photo to her Instagram in 2016.
“When you’re stressing/obsessing over a zit so you put on too much zit cream before bed and wake up to giant dry spot but you gotta get your photo taken anyway. 💃💃💃,” she wrote in the caption.
Brooklyn Decker
In 2017, model and actress Brooklyn Decker addressed her whitehead breakout with a healthy sense of humour, finding amusement in the pimple’s location.
“This is my new zit. She shall be called Cindy Crawford,” she joked in the caption.
Kendall Jenner
One day after the 2018 Golden Globe Awards, a fan took to Twitter to share a post of the elder Jenner sister on the red carpet, commending her for “showing up and strutting her acne while looking like a gorgeous star”.
Jenner later re-tweeted the post, replying: “never let that shit stop you!”
Chrissy Teigen
Never one to shy away from keeping things real in the oh-so-glossy world of social media, cookbook author and model Chrissy Teigen shared her personal acne frustrations in a video posted to her Instagram Stories video in September 2019.
“I fully believe that if you show the good, you’ve got to show the bad,” she said, before moving the camera to showcase her pimples.
“This is the bad. What’s going on with my skin? What’s happening? Vacation?”
Relatable.
Ruby Rose
Orange is the New Black star Ruby Rose got candid about her acne in an Instagram Story in 2017, posting both a black-and-white and in-colour selfie to share her perspective.
“Yeah it sucks.. for me,” she wrote. “I don’t see how it’s bothering so many others? But I’m a human. It happens.. one side of my face is clear and the other is a mess.”
“Dermatologist says it’s from the bacteria from all the phone interviews I did for PP3 and a reaction to hotel pillow cases (which I already know).”
Adwoah Aboah
In September 2019, British model Adwoah Aboah shared a poignant post detailing her personal yet highly relatable battles with acne. The Instagram carousel featured two close-up images of Aboah’s face, which she said were originally only meant for her her eyes to “obsessively scrutinise” amid her “up and down battle” with her skin.
“Some days it was acne, some days it wasn’t too bad, then mass breakouts followed by clear as day skin. It was exhausting never knowing what your skin was going to look like from one day to another, it was even more exhausting caring so much, about what work thought or if people noticed,” she continued.
“Constantly apologising whilst sat in front of a mirror for something that was out of my control, obsessing over my skin to a point that was very unhealthy at the best of times. This month, as much as I can I will be posting those photos, not because my skin is the worst you’ve ever seen but because it feels time to let that shit go, time to join force with a community who bare their pimples for the world to see.”
A queen.
Gabrielle Union
Instead of letting a pimple deter her from sharing a photo of her new hair colour (or facetuning it out), Gabrielle Union decided to take the playful route instead.
“Loving the new do…. My zit also loves it 👀,” she wrote in a 2016 Instagram post.
Mindy Kaling
It’s not often that celebrities give us a truly unfiltered look at their home lives, but trust Mindy Kaling to keep things almost too real (and bless her for it).
In 2015, the actor and producer pulled back the curtain on A-list life with a snap of her at home with spot treatment all over her face.
“That zit cream in your 30’s life. At least I’m not going on The Tonight Show later today. 🙄,” she joked in the caption.
The relatability (minus The Tonight Show part) is real.
Taylor Hill
Although former Victoria’s Secret Angel Taylor Hill didn’t comment on her acne in the bare-faced photo she shared to her Instagram in 2018, the model still drew praise from her followers for posting the makeup-free photo.
“Love the fact you post pictures of your RAW beauty! More girls need to empower more girls to go this route.” one fan wrote.
“I love how you really show the real you with zero makeup on!” added another.
Lili Reinhart
Also one to take the humorous route when it comes to her cystic acne and blind pimple breakouts? Riverdale’s Lili Reinhart.
In 2018, the actress shared a photo of herself at home doing her pimple cream ritual, reminding all of us that zits are just a part of life (so you may as well laugh about it).
“Hi I’m Lili. I’m 21, a Virgo, Cali Girl And I have cystic acne. Hmu,” she wrote in the Instagram Story, which she jokingly labelled her “Tinder profile”.
Rachel Bloom
Even being an Emmy Award-winner doesn’t make you exempt from a stress-induced breakout! Just ask Crazy Ex-Girlfriend star Rachel Bloom, who shared a shot of her hormonal acne breakout in late 2017.
“The middle of shooting the season (around episode 8) is peak time for my hormones to run amok due to a hectic schedule,” she wrote in the caption of the make-up free selfie.
She then challenged her fans (and reminded them of the power of makeup) by asking them to try to spot the blemishes onscreen.
“Try to spot the bloating, fatigue and zits and win a prize! (But hopefully you won’t thanks to [makeup artist] @srollertaylor),” she added.
Hilary Duff
One of the more annoying truths in life? That acne isn’t just a teenage thing.
Actress Hilary Duff reminded us of the fact in an Instagram Story, showing off two cheeky pimples (literally) on both sides of her face in June 2020.
“Dear god please don’t let this be adult-onset acne,” she wrote.
Duff then showed her left cheek, and added: “Both sides.”
Dua Lipa
As much as it’s okay to love your pimples and promote acne-positivity, it’s also okay to admit when it’s frustrating (and not be defined by it), which is exactly what Dua Lipa did in an Instagram Story she posted in 2019.
Sharing a photo of her face dotted with acne treatment, the “Don’t Start Now” singer captioned the image: “My skin is not happy.”
Dakota Fanning
Not only did she share a photo of her acne, but Dakota Fanning also revealed her go-to spot treatment, the celebrity-loved Mario Badescu Drying Lotion.
“Forever bruised knee caps, Mario Badescu pimple cream and a semi-sexy colonial nightgown = A BANGING TUESDAY NIGHT,” she wrote in 2017.
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