#AcneUnfiltered: Honest and Real Stories of Struggling With Acne

June is Acne Awareness Month, and we’re getting real about skin and the many emotions that can come with it. We enlisted three influencers to take our “Mask Off” challenge, removing their makeup and sharing their acne stories.

The influencers: YouTuber Bianca Renee and Instagrammers Kali Kushner and Rachel Crawley, each have struggled with different types of acne and are working to get to the root cause of their acne and spread awareness, thus letting their followers know they are not alone.

Adult acne is on the rise, and 32 percent of women over 20 and 20 percent of men over 20 suffer from acne. Still, it is largely misunderstood and mistreated. Scroll on to hear these women’s personal acne stories, the emotional toll of this skin condition, and the tools they’ve used to manage it.

Rachel Crawley @ASprinkleOfHealthyAndBeauty

Rachel Crawley struggled with acne for four years before finding a diet that helped clear up her skin. Along the way, she tried countless products, diets, and nutrient balances with no success, and it took a toll on her confidence and her health. “Acne is not only something we see physically, but it affects us mentally as well. I want you to know you’re not suffering alone,” she says. Getting comfortable with her bare face was a big part of accepting herself and feeling beautiful in her skin. “I truly believe sharing our struggles will help other people on their own journey. It’s so import we support, respect, and love each other no matter what.”

Bianca Renee @MzBiancaRenee

For Bianca Renee, acne has been a harsh reality since middle school. “I’ve dealt with having severe acne for over 10 years, so I know and understand that it doesn’t just affect you physically but also emotionally and mentally,” she says. “I’m currently at the beach with no makeup on. You might be thinking, ‘You’re at the beach, why would you wear makeup?’ Well, as someone who’s always struggled with acne, this is actually a huge deal because I’m usually not comfortable with my bare skin.” She spent thousands of dollars trying treatments from Proactiv to lasers without success. Now, after managing her hormones, she’s developing a sense of comfort in her skin. She hopes she and her followers can “help each other feel comfortable in our own skin and love our true, natural selves.”

Kali Kushner @MyFaceStory

When Kali Kushner was 20 years old, she started to get severe breakouts for the first time. She avoided the dermatologist out of embarrassment before realizing that she needed professional help to treat her acne. After six months on Accutane, she seemed to be cured, only to find that a year later her acne had returned. Now Kali uses organic skincare products and a low-inflammation diet to manage her chronic adult acne. “Cystic acne is a serious skin condition that many people don’t realize affects you mentally as well as physically,” she says. “I think it’s important to never be afraid to show your #AcneUnfiltered, because it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Read more from Yahoo Beauty + Style:

• Even Olivia Munn Had Acne. Here’s How She Made It Go Away.

• Cutting Out Added Sugar Cured Yvonne Strahovski’s Cystic Acne

• Bella Thorne Says Controversial Acne Medication Made Her Depressed