Celebrities are no gods, and despite the best skincare, they too suffer those bad zits just like us. If you still believe that you’d “grow out of acne” after your teen years, you may have just hit the wrong chords. According to the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, acne is super common in adulthood, affecting 54% of women older than 25. And, if you’re feeling lonely, know that even the most gorgeous faces out there suffer from such skin problems.
And guess what? Some celebrities have been brutally honest about their skin struggles, often flaunting their stubborn acne scars on various social media platforms. Some even shared their journey of overcoming their skin troubles. Here is a list of 15 celebrities who have genuine acne problems, but they’re too busy to care.
15 Celebs With Real Acne Issues!
1. Justin Bieber
Let’s start with the best-selling music artist of all time. Justin Bieber is no stranger to acne issues and has often shared them on his Instagram openly. In his previous story, Justin shared his acne with his fans even pointing them out with his finger. He said: Pimples are out!”
The “Baby” star has often talked about his struggle with adult-onset acne, something most of us can relate to. But guess what? His skincare junkie wife, Hailey Bieber helped him with his regime, and in 2020, Justin flaunted his almost clear skin.
Wondering how Justin copes with them monstrous acne issues? While his wife is known for her clear skin, during their Facebook Watch series, “The Biebers on Watch”, Justin opened up about his struggle with acne. However, his wife helped him with a full-blown regime – from using exfoliating enzyme cleaner to detoxifying facial mast and toner, she helped the pop star overcome his skin issues. And please note, a good amount of water does wonder!
2. Bekah Martinez
“Bachelor” alum Bekah Matinez has struggled with acne issues for a really long time. The 27-year-old television personality previously shared two photos, one with a red, blemish-covered complexion, and another with nearly clear skin. She revealed how she overcame her skin issues, focusing on her gut health.
“Only recently did I discover it came down to my gut health, which I’ll be sharing a hell of a lot more about in the next few weeks. No, it’s not plexus or any other supplement, it’s real raw food that you have to incorporate into your diet on a regular basis,” she wrote. She believes that neither coconut oil, nor clay masks can do such wonders. One has to focus on their gut health.
3. Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner’s confidence didn’t shake as she flaunted her acne on the Golden Globes red carpet this year. When a fan praised the 22-year model for her confidence, she responded: “never let that s— stop you.”
If you are not aware, Kendall has struggled with acne-prone skin for years. Even though she managed to achieve a clear complexion, her breakouts remained persistent. In a previous interview with Vogue, the 22-year-old model revealed: “For me, it’s just something that was an obvious thing I felt I needed to get into, and seeing my own skin journey has taught me so much.”
Even after a successful product lineup, Kendall has continued to suffer breakouts. She revaeld that initially, she wasn’t aware if it was because of her food habits or hormones or an allergy. However, she decided to cut out dairy, but not entirely because the star cannot live without cheese.
4. Keke Palmer
When it comes to acne, Primetime Emmy Award winner Keke Palmer has a real story to narrate. The 29-year-old star’s acne is so bad that people in the industry even offered her money to get them fixed. Keke previously opened up about her acne journey due to her ‘Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome’.
In her 2020 Instagram story, the “Nope” actress revealed that she tried almost everything. She even did Accutane twice, took a better diet, drank enough water, and had regular blood tests. However, she couldn’t get rid of her persisting breakouts.
She wrote alongside her no-makeup selfies, “I’m posting this to say that it’s okay and we can help ourselves. My skin has made me sad many nights but I do not give up on myself. I know this is not me and my body has been looking for help.”
She urged her fans to not be disappointed if they’re suffering from acne too. The actress, who was named one of the most influential people in the world by Time Magazine, stated that it’s “so f–king fine! MY ACNE AINT NEVER STOPPED ME. But we don’t have to accept this … Pray for me on this journey and I will pray for you too. I’m not afraid to show myself to the world and you shouldn’t be either,” she showered some confidence in her fans.
5. Bella Thorne
Bella Thorne (25), best known for “My Own Worst Enemy”, has been very vocal about her acne struggle. In 2020, the American actress and singer, shared a no-makeup picture with her fans and wrote, “Good morning I’m so proud of my skin and how far we have come.” She revealed how she fought against her skin issues, and how she managed to overcome time.
Through her “Guide to Acne-Prone Skin Care and Glitter Eyes, the American beauty shared how she takes care of her skin. Now, her skin is much better and clearer. She revealed that she suffered from cystic acne, which started as dermatitis. However, Bella tried everything — from vampire facials to micro-needling and lasers, but nothing worked.
Her pro-tip for her fans is that one should not ever wash their face. She revealed that she never washes her face in the morning, and it really helped her clear her skin. If you’re not aware, over-washing and cleansing can strip skin’s barrier and “upset the water lipid-protein balance”. When you overwash, bacteria can easily penetrate the skin.
6. Maude Apatow
“Euphoria” actress Maude Apatow is another actress who has been vocal about her acne struggle. In a February 2022 interview with “Vogue”, the 24-year-old actress revealed that she suffered from “gigantic zits”. She told the magazine that she couldn’t cover them as they were so big.
“They stuck out and we tried [to hide them],” she added. “When I started working and wearing more makeup, my skin got a lot worse.” As a learning experience, the HBO star revealed that decided not to pick her skin because it spread.
The HBO star also shared what she’s learned along the way. “I never believed that when people told me that. Then I learned that if I pop zits, they travel,” she added. Well, that is something we all do, but hey, it’s a big no! Maude’s pro tip: never hit the bed without a clean face. Ensure that all that makeup comes off before you go to sleep!
7. Cameron Dallas
American internet personality, Cameron Dallas, best known for “Chasing Cameron”, struggled with severe acne issues during his teenage days. The 28-year-old singer shared in a 2018 interview that he used to photoshop his pimples because he was extremely self-conscious about his appearance.
He even admitted to using his sister’s products to get rid of his acne, but nothing worked. However, today he has soft and clear skin. Cameron revealed that after he started using a product called X Out, he started seeing changes in his skin. X Out was a one-step acne treatment product by Proactiv, which was later discontinued by the manufacturer.
8. Zendaya
Euphoria star Zendaya is yet another person who constantly suffered from breakouts. In 2018, Zendaya tweeted: “My hormonal breakouts popping up every month unwelcome, just when I think I got my skin on lock.” If you remember, in this year’s episode of Euphoria, Zendaya was seen with a cluster of pimples, and people wondered if they were for real, or just meant to display her character. Well, I think they were real, and the gorgeous star was okay to flaunt them.
9 Camila Cabelo
Cuban singer Camila Cabelo also opened up about her skin struggles in 2018. She revealed that she was so conscious about her constant breakouts that she’d go to bed and wonder what her skin would look like in the morning. It was the time when she realized how bad skin plays an important role in hitting one’s self-confidence.
Not only this, but she revealed how her breakouts affected her self-esteem during Fifth Harmony’s first concert tour. She said: “I literally sat in the bus crying because I felt so ugly. “I didn’t even want to look at myself in the mirror.” Noo! Now, the 25-year-old star just pokes fun at them and urges her fans to do the same.
10. Mindy Kaling
The Mindy Project star suffered from acne issues even in her 30s and has been extremely vocal about the same. While Mindy Kaling loves sharing her red-carpet looks, she has been brutally honest with her no-makeup selfies.
Previously, she shared a picture on Instagram wherein the 42-year-old actress was seen covered up in zit crema. “That zit cream in your 30’s life. At least I’m not going on the Tonight Show later today,” she wrote in the caption.
11. Mandy Moore
American singer Mandy Moore is a bit of an exception to the above celebrities. The “Candy” singer used to have extremely clear skin during her teenage days. However, she suffered from acne issues as an adult.
“People were always very complimentary about my skin. But that made it all the more traumatizing when I hit 22 or 23, and out of nowhere, my skin started breaking out literally overnight,” she revealed in an interview. However, it was Proactiv that worked on her skin. Apart from this, she also advises using Biologique Recherche’s VIP o2 mask.
12. Lorde
New Zealand singer Lorde, whose Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, feels the pain of those who suffer from acne. The 26-year-old star has previously shared a series of photos of her acne-prone skin, calling out people who say mean things to those who suffer from acne problems.
In a humorous IG video, Lorde said: “Acne light with the magical tones.” The singer then talked about her years-long struggle with acne issues. She joked, “For real though, acne sucks. Do you know what also sucks? When you’ve had acne for years and years and years, done all the drugs, tried all the things, and people are still like, ‘You know what worked for me, is moisturizing!'”
13. Adwoa Aboah
Model Adwoa Aboah took things to the next level when she shared her acne-prone skin on Instagram in 2019. Adwoa wrote in the caption that the images were meant for her to look at and “obsessively scrutinize” throughout her “up and down battle” with her acne-prone skin. She openly spoke about how she struggled with unhealthy skin.
14. Ethan Dolan
Internet personality Ethan Dolan called out critics while sharing his acne selfie in 2020. He also shared a letter wherein he said that he was shocked at how people were mocking his acne.
The star, who mostly has breakouts on the head wrote: “it just makes me think…so many people deal with acne, I can just imagine the comments they get about their appearance daily.” He concluded in his letter: “If you’re struggling with your skin, no matter how severe your conditions may be…I encourage you to embrace it.”
15. Chrissy Teigen
American model Chrissy Teigen, who is married to John Legend, opened up about her acne frustration in a previous Instagram story. “I fully believe that if you show the good, you’ve got to show the bad,” she said while showcasing her pimples. “This is bad. What’s going on with my skin? What’s happening? Vacation?”
The Bottom Line
A December 2021 study from the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology “evaluated acne in 172 physicians during the Covid-19 pandemic and found that “45% reported their acne worsened, 27% reported relapses and over 7% indicated that they had acne for the first time.”
Well, adult acne is a real thing and most people are suffering from them, courtesy of hectic schedules, stress, unbalanced diet et al. Even though it’s possible to address your diet, stress and marks don’t disappear overnight. Mild cases of acne can be treated with over-the-counter cleaning or products containing, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid or retinoids.
However, remember that nothing works overnight. “For many people, over-the-counter products alone don’t suffice. If you’re not getting improvements in six to eight weeks, see a board-certified dermatologist,” says Elbuluk, director of the USC Skin of Color and Pigmentary Disorders Program. Personal advice, inculcate yoga and other forms of exercise in your daily routine.
