Charli D’Amelio Says It Took ‘A Lot of Growth’ to Feel Comfortable in Her Skin (Exclusive)
Charli D’Amelio, who partnered with CeraVe to debunk myths around acne, is opening up about her skin journey to help others: the "power is in knowing you’re not alone"
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Charli D’Amelio admits that her relationship with her skin has had its ups and downs.
“While we were filming season two of The D'Amelio Show [premiering Sept. 20], my skin was so irritated and sensitive. As someone who has obsessive-compulsive tendencies, I also picked my skin a lot — that took a while to step back from. I was very insecure,” the viral TikTok dancer turned reality television star and influencer tells PEOPLE exclusively.
At the time, she even felt “helpless” because, no matter what she did to treat her skin, nothing seemed to work.
“My face was just bright red. It was too painful to put makeup on, but I had to do this big interview that I couldn't miss,” she recalls of grappling with the severity of her skin while filming her family's Hulu series. “I watched the episode back and thought, ‘There's no way this is going on TV.’”
Fast forward to now, and the Dancing with the Stars winner says she “doesn’t feel any type of way” towards her imperfections these days. She's also ready to get real about her skin struggles to encourage others — especially teens who make up a large part of her following — to feel comfortable in their skin.
Sara Kerens/AP Images for CeraVe
Charli D'Amelio attends CeraVe's Acne Academy event in New York City.D’Amelio isn’t tackling this feat alone. She recently partnered with CeraVe to help debunk myths around acne at the brand's Acne Academy event in New York City on Sept. 13.
“I would say the entire stigma around acne as a whole is so damaging. I’ve had a lot of people talk about [my acne], even to my face, not even realizing how it might make me feel,” she tells PEOPLE, adding that getting to this point "took a lot of growth." She continues: “Now when I get a pimple, it really isn't the end of the world.“
She believes that the more everyone openly embraces — and openly discusses — this “very natural part of life,” the stronger the "power is in knowing you’re not alone.”
Sara Kerens/AP Images for CeraVe
Charli D'Amelio takes the stage to talk about her skincare journey at CeraVe's Acne Academy event in New York City.Related: Dixie D'Amelio Has 'No Regrets' About Sharing Her Mental Health Journey on' The D'Amelio Show'
At 19, D’Amelio is only starting to discover what works for her skin.
“My favorite thing to do after being in full glam all day is to take my makeup off. It just makes me feel so refreshed and like a whole new person.”
She never skips moisturizing with her “number one” — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion — and has learned that healing her pimples over time, rather than popping them immediately, is better for the long-term.
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She also gets advice and recommendations from her mother, Heidi. "We have our calls and go through our new products and we send each other all the links, which is really fun,” D'Amelio says.
At this point in her career, D’Amelio has close to 200 million followers watching her every move online. However, she says that everything isn't always picture perfect, and there’s beauty in knowing that, at the end of the day, everyone is human.
“It’s so important to know that all of your favorite influencers and celebrities that you think are perfect, might deal with the same things [you do]. Everyone goes through something with their skin at one point. I've been through it and I know how horrible it is at the moment, but I'm so happy now that I was open about it because it makes me feel good knowing it might help someone else who’s feeling the same way.”
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