BARE-FACED TRUTH

You should drink more water.” “Have your tried cutting out dairy?” “You just need to simplify your skincare routine.” 

On behalf of all humans who struggle with skin difficulties/disorders, I kindly ask you to stop giving skincare advice when it hasn’t been asked for. Not only does it make us painfully aware of what can be our deepest insecurity, but it also reinforces to us the idea that our skin isn’t okay, that it’s not normal and suggests we aren’t good enough as we are. 

I’ve struggled with acne for the majority of my teenage and adult life. First thing in the morning is spent in front of the mirror, assessing if my skin has become any smoother overnight. I’ve cancelled social events because of severe breakouts, and I’m emotionally scarred from the time one of the boys in high school called me ‘pizza face’. It’s an ongoing battle and one that seems never-ending. 

Yet, despite the constant ups and downs, the past few years have become a little easier and not because my acne has cleared up. I’m on a mission, alongside many other brave voices, to see skin difficulties be embraced as normal, and I’m doing this by simply talking about it. 

I now regularly share images of my bare face on social media, and I’m taking the time to talk with my followers about the struggles having acne comes with. My bumps are still an insecurity, yet they don’t dictate my happiness as much as they used to. Through speaking up, I have found a very large community of people who understand, and acne has started to lose its power over me. 

So I encourage you, when you talk to someone about their skin difficulties, remind them first and foremost that it is common, that it’s normal, and they are accepted just as they are.