25+ Celebs That Suffered With Bad Skin When They Were Younger and Have Embraced Their Insecurities

Lili Reinhart, star of the ever-popular Riverdale, recently posted a picture of herself makeup-free, face dotted with acne medication. The caption read: “Hi, I’m Lili. I’m 21, a Virgo, Cali Girl, and I have cystic acne. Hmu.”

She joked that this would be on her Tinder profile, but her message was crystal-clear: be proud of your imperfections! If Lili herself can post a candid photo of her acne for millions to see, then you can certainly go out into the world without trying to cover up your natural beauty.

Constance Zimmer is another actress who isn’t afraid to show the world her real skin every now and then, just to remind us that she’s human too. She recently shared a post on Instagram showing off her natural beauty, zits, blemishes, and all.

The caption read, “If you’re wondering how my day was, I think the break out on my face tells a pretty obvious story.” The caption went on to thank a skincare company for providing Constance with some products. But to keep it real, Zimmer included “#notanadjustsometruth.”

If you scroll through Miley’s Instagram profile for just a few seconds, you’ll notice that she’s not only an amazing singer but also a zit cream connoisseur who enjoys occasionally subbing in different formulas to fight flare-ups.

One of her most exotic skin care products happens to be minty-fresh toothpaste. If we’re being honest, we’ve all tried the toothpaste on a pimple hack before, and it’s nice to see someone as aloof and elusive as Miley Cyrus using it too.

As we mentioned earlier, acne doesn’t take your age into consideration. Once you’ve reached puberty, your body’s hormones become unpredictable and all-consuming, causing all sorts of difficult and uncomfortable changes throughout your body. Acne is one of these changes.

Mindy Kaling knows this as well as the next person. She’s bravely bared her blemishes on Instagram plenty of times before and isn’t afraid to joke about her acne journey. She even captioned one post, “That zit cream in your 30s life. At least I’m not going on the Tonight Show later.” Spoiler alert: she was.

Even Jedi have to deal with acne. Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, recently shared her skin struggles with the world, including the difficulties of endometriosis and her complexion.

She told the world that she’s “tried everything: products, antibiotics, more products, more antibiotics. And all that did was leave my body in a bit of a mess.” Since then, the actress has turned to more natural remedies, including a turmeric mask which turned out to be a hilarious skincare fail. We’ve all been there, Daisy.

We often expect content from the Kardashian-Jenner family to be about perfection and flawlessness, but many members of the family open up about their natural beauty. Take beauty mogul Kylie Jenner, for instance, who often shares her skincare and makeup routines.

She often posts ‘before’ pictures of herself getting ready to have her makeup team work their magic. But, before the first brush touches her skin, she applies a skincare lotion to her blemishes and pimples, and she isn’t afraid to show that to the world.

Having to go out into the world during an acne breakout – whether it be to run errands or to head to the office – is an inevitability. Luckily, most of us will never have to worry about the paparazzi capturing us from every unflattering angle.

Lucy Hale isn’t so lucky, but she was able to make light of the situation with her witty post, “When you’re caught with zit cream and a really chic outfit.” And she was right – her outfit was chic, and she had zit cream on.

Suki Waterhouse is another supermodel who isn’t afraid to show the world her natural beauty, blemishes and all. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t passionate about taking care of her skin and looking her best.

In fact, she’s so serious about her pimple-eradicating routine that she’s enlisted the help of her best friend and company co-founder, Poppy Jamie, to join in on the acne cream fun. She recently wrote on Instagram, “Spot the spots.”

We all remember Kaley Cuoco from her days on The Big Bang Theory, especially how beautiful she was (and still is) on that show. But even someone as naturally blessed as Kaley has had to deal with acne.

Kaley has said in previous interviews, “I had acne as a teen, and it made me so insecure to be on camera – not a good thing when you are on a television series.” Yet, she stepped onto set every day with confidence, inspiring millions.

When it comes to dealing with her acne, R&B artist SZA prefers to take a more natural route. Though she’s often known for her flawless skin and excellent makeup, she’s no stranger to sharing a candid picture of her natural skin with the world.

She’s said, “I have cystic acne, so I use a Manuka honey mask to combat it and hemp oil to smooth out the surface of my skin. Don’t get discouraged with your skin when it doesn’t do what you want it to do.”

This multi-talented legend says that she started getting breakouts around the same time that she entered the spotlight. She’s explained that sweating, lights, and makeup had negative impacts on her skin, especially during Dancing With the Stars.

One of Julianne’s most notable jobs was as the spokesperson for Proactiv, and to this day, she still includes their products in her skincare routine. She also speaks highly of using natural methods to deal with stubborn acne.

Supermodel Brooklyn Decker is known for her candid nature when it comes to sharing her life’s more unglamorous aspects on her various social media platforms. She might be one of the highest-rated models out there, but she deals with acne like the rest of us.

In an interview, she told reporters that she fought acne for nearly 20 years, struggling with any product she used drying her skin out. Interestingly, she credits pregnancy for clearing her skin up.

Victoria’s Secret model Taylor Hill often receives praise from her Instagram followers for her transparency regarding her imperfections. She says that she’s struggled with acne for a long time due to hormones, traveling, and constantly wearing makeup.

While she tends to keep her acne under control in favor of her career, she doesn’t make a habit of using editing tools to conceal her blemishes. She wants the world to know that everyone goes through needing to deal with acne and that it doesn’t make you less beautiful.

Former Disney star Bella Thorne has seen her fair share of red carpets and the intense, unwavering scrutiny that comes with them. Being a celebrity means you’re always in the spotlight, even when you have acne and wish you didn’t have to be in the limelight.

Bella says that the first time she started to get acne, she “started to see all these little bumps under [her] skin.” That made her feel very insecure. These days, she’s more than happy to share her natural, blemished skin with the world.

Someone as famous as Chrissy Teigen is always in the public eye, but that doesn’t stop the model from openly discussing her pimples on Instagram stories. She’s so unashamed, in fact, that she enjoys zooming in on her blemishes to give her audience a good look.

She’s said in her Instagram stories that she “fully believes that if you show the good, you’ve got to show the bad.” It’s good to see that she’s normalizing this kind of transparency with the world, helping her fans feel more confident.

Dua Lipa is known for looking flawless at all times, whether she’s on stage performing for millions, strutting down the red carpet, or dancing in a music video. But the Grammy winner is also known for sharing selfies of her bedtime face, with freshly-applied acne treatment.

She says that her skincare routine is quite a methodical one. It involves a cleansing cream before applying various creams and probiotic serums. There’s no doubt that she’s inspired a few skincare routines around the world.

For as long as she’s been in the spotlight, Selena Gomez has made a point of being vulnerable and honest with her fans. The former Disney star turned world-famous musician, says that it’s often her work that causes her breakouts.

She says that her chin suffers the most since she holds her microphone as close to her face as possible. Even with her breakouts, Selena is no stranger to posting no-makeup selfies to her Instagram.

As a teen, Mandy actually had great skin, which is an uncommon trait for young people. She says that her acne began to develop as an adult. After constantly receiving compliments on her skin throughout her life, she says it was all the more traumatizing when her acne began to crop up.

She said that nothing worked, even after trying tons of treatments and attending dermatology appointments. That’s until she tried Proactiv. These days, she’s very open and honest about her skin and acne.

In one of her most recent interviews, Chamberlain spoke about her difficult journey with acne. She says that she fully understands just how tough having acne is and how difficult it is to deal with.

That’s why she’s so open and honest about her skin and why she doesn’t shy away from posting a makeup-less selfie every now and then. She’s teaching young people around the world how to be comfortable with themselves.

World-class talent Keke Palmer has given her followers an up-close and personal view of her journey with PCOS-related acne. She says that she tried “everything,” and even went on Accutane twice in an attempt to deal with her acne.

She’s letting the world know that her acne never stopped her. She advised that anyone dealing with PCOS will be able to get through it.

As someone who grew up in the spotlight, Martin is no stranger to showing the world every aspect of what it means to be a teen – and that means having pimples, too.

In her Instagram story, Martin “welcomed” her new blemish rather than trying to hide it. She zoomed in on it and decorated it with an emoji, showing her fans that breakouts are nothing to be ashamed of.

As you may already know, the show Euphoria follows a group of teenagers through their high school journey. So, when Barbie arrived on set one day with a few pimples, the producers decided to emphasize them.

She says that she was breaking out for the first few episodes and none of the makeup artists attempted to get rid of the pimples. She said that the general consensus was that because they were playing teenagers, it would make sense to show the breakout. They were right!

Katy Perry prides herself on being an open book, and her Witness album is a true testament to this fact. Whether it’s about her acne, body hair, or relationship with makeup, she’s always ready to share with the world.

She’s said that she has acne scars and that they make her feel self-conscious. Still, she frequently makes public appearances, whether online or in a paparazzi shoot, rocking her natural beauty.

While Smollett may have been out of her acne journey for a few years now, she’s spoken openly about her experiences with acne in the past. She said this came to a head when she was shooting Friday Night Lights. The Texas heat, food, her hormones, and her stress caused some pretty severe breakouts.

It just goes to show that acne can be caused by everything and nothing. The only thing we can do to deal with it is accept it as part of our lives.

After struggling with her skin for years, Bekah Martinez from The Bachelor says that she’s finally found a way to help with her acne. She recently shared before-and-after pictures of her skin, revealing her blemished complexion.

In the following shot, which was of her after her treatment, her skin was nearly perfect. She credits this incredible transformation to her finally getting on top of her gut health. Bekah encourages her fans to do the same to help with their acne.

The famous host of E! News is also no stranger to dealing with acne and is very public about her skin journey online. She’s even admitted that wearing a mouth guard and putting on pimple cream might not be the most flattering thing in the world.

Yet, she’s not ashamed to showcase her taking time for herself and caring for her skin. She’ll often post selfies of her natural face to show the world that not everything is lighting and flawless makeup.

The star of Being Mary Jane has had her fair share of acne troubles in the past, and she’s certainly not afraid to let the world know it. When unveiling her new hairdo, she captioned the picture, “Loving the new do… my zit also loves it.”

She clearly has no qualms about letting the whole world see her real skin, and for that, we applaud her. The world needs more role models who aren’t afraid to showcase their natural beauty.

Olivia Culpo has said before that she used to struggle with cystic acne. She said she hated having to try to cover it up – mostly because of how painful it was. This is, we’re sure, quite a relatable problem for millions around the world.

Olivia says that after she became serious about her skincare, she was able to clear her acne up. So what’s her big secret? According to Culpo, drinking a gallon of water daily helped clear up her skin. We don’t necessarily recommend this – speak with your doctor first!

It’s not just the ladies who are embracing their natural blemishes. Plenty of men struggle with acne as well, and that includes many celebrities. Like the one and only Justin Bieber, who, despite what the internet might want us to believe, also deals with acne.

The world-famous pop star showed his acne off on his Instagram story for his followers and fans to see. He even went as far as to point at his spots with his finger, leaving no room for guesswork. He captioned the photo with “Pimples are in,” and he’s right.

Supermodels are more like us than you might think. Even someone who seems as untouchable and flawless as Kendall Jenner herself deals with acne on a regular basis. She’s certainly not afraid to let the world know about her imperfections.

Skin stress wasn’t going to stop the 27-year-old model from walking her walk on the Golden Globes red carpet. After receiving praise from a fan for her confidence in the face of skin shamers, she had this to say, “Never let that [stuff] stop you.”

Even the Emmy-winning actresses among us deal with acne breakouts from stress, and that includes Rachel Bloom from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. She shared a picture of her skin emergency with the caption: “The middle of shooting the season is peak time for my hormones to run amok due to a hectic schedule.”

She even challenged her fans and followers to look out for the blemish on-screen. Of course, that’s a task easier said than done, especially with TV makeup. Yet, it was still an inspiring moment to see Rachel share a candid picture of her real skin.

Lorde may never be royal, but she’ll definitely always be one of the most real celebrities out there. She gained international fame when she was just 18 and has since always been open and honest about her personal life, including her appearance.

She’s so committed to showing her real self, in fact, that she’s called out professional photo editors for smoothing her complexion. Most recently, she posted a picture of herself on Instagram before doing her skincare routine, showing the world how her natural skin looks.

When Brie Larson isn’t saving the world as Captain Marvel, she’s constantly keeping things real on her Instagram. There’s no doubt that the actress is beautiful, but, like anyone else, she’s not without her flaws, and she’s not afraid to show the world those flaws.

When a blemish appeared during a red carpet photo shoot, rather than trying to hide it, she owned it. She wrote, “When you’re stressing over a zit, so you put on too much cream before bed and wake up to a giant dry spot, but you gotta get your photo taken anyway.”

One of Hollywood’s most famous actors, Dakota Fanning, knows exactly what it’s like to have to deal with acne on a regular basis. After all, she’s an actress who has to wear makeup for hours on end for months at a time.

Yet, she still has a sense of humor about her blemishes, writing on Instagram, “Forever bruised knee caps, Mario Badescu pimple cream, and a […] colonial nightgown = A BANGING TUESDAY NIGHT.” More power to you, Dakota!

Paris Jackson wants her fans to know that they shouldn’t have to feel self-conscious or ashamed of their imperfections, whether they’re dealing with acne or stretch marks. She understands that these blemishes are a natural part of being human.

She Tweeted, “Don’t be insecure about your acne or stretch marks. You know what else has spots? Pizza. And everyone loves pizza.” As usual, Paris was right. Everyone does love pizza, so why can’t they love themselves?

Though she may have had a perfect, flawless complexion during her days on Twilight, Kristen Stewart has certainly had to deal with acne in the past. While we didn’t get to see much of it in the early 2000s, she’s been open about her acne journey in the past.

The former Twilight star says that Proactiv has been her go-to for her whole life for keeping her skin clear. She says, “It really, really works for me. I’ve used it since I was a teenager, a young teenager.”

Olivia Wilde has told the public before that she’s been dealing with acne for years, throughout her 20s and even into her early 30s. She said that, during that time, she tried to solve the problem by saturating her skin with harsh treatments and regular dermatology appointments.

After many years of uncontrollable breakouts, Wilde says that the thing that really helped her clear her skin up was true dedication to a healthy, natural, long-term skin care solution. So, if you’re feeling hopeless about your skin, remember that there’s always a way to see improvement.

Even someone as close to flawless as Rihanna has had to deal with acne throughout her life, especially during her pregnancy. The singer says that when she gets an acne flare-up, she “overdoes the water” and cuts out all adult beverages.

She also says that lipstick is an essential part of her look, as it draws attention away from any flaws. That’s a good chunk of knowledge from someone who owns one of the most successful makeup companies in the world – Fenty Beauty.

Ruby Rose has no time for acne shamers. She never hesitates to let them know that having acne is a normal part of being alive that everyone goes through. Responding to unsolicited criticism of her skin, she posted a selfie captioned, “Yeah, it sucks… for me.”

“One side of my face is clear, and the other is a mess. Dermatologist says it’s from the bacteria all over the phone from interviews.” It’s hard to come by this level of honesty in Hollywood these days, and we applaud Ruby for it.

When Emma was just 17, she suffered from difficult hormonal acne, for which she was put on the infamous Accutane. Then, after she turned 20, she began to experience stress acne during the filming of Easy A.

The actress says that these experiences made her realize how embarrassing and debilitating it can be to have cystic acne. These days, she enjoys posting a causal no-makeup selfie to showcase her natural beauty – blemishes included.