13 celebrities with acne struggles just like us normal folks

Famous people are just like us, which means despite the photoshop and professional makeup jobs there are still a lot of celebrities with acne and who struggle with a variety of skin woes. Since we face a constant flurry of perfectly-curated media, it’s healthy to remind ourselves that even the most gorgeous and privileged among us deal with monthly hormonal breakouts or constant flare-ups of cystic acne. At the end of the day, skin is just skin and it doesn’t care who you are, it will do its thing (which unfortunately isn’t always to our favor).

Rather than unfairly comparing ourselves to heavily-edited images of strangers, we’d rather settle into real talk and share some of the celebrities who have opened up about their skin struggles. Hopefully, this knowledge will help you feel less alone in your skin care journey. In the least, it might further humanize one of your favorite celebrities who previously seemed untouchable. After all, who wants to idolize people who are completely unrelatable (boooring).

As you read this, we encourage you to pour yourself a hot beverage and settle into your couch whilst imagining how flawless you’d look if you had access to celebrity makeup artists and professional lighting. We’re all in this skin game together — some people just have better resources.

Here are some celebrities who know the acne struggle all too well.

1. Lili Reinhart

While the Riverdale star absolutely glows in her role as Betty, she recently shared with HelloGiggles that she struggles with blemishes and uses a daily acne cleanser as part of her routine (we are still unsure of the brand). So the next time you see Betty killing it, just know that she’s working hard to figure out her skin regimen like you are.

2. Katy Perry

The “California Girl” herself may look picture perfect, but she’s been very open about her acne woes, her love of Proactiv, and the important role a healthy diet plays in maintaining clear and happy skin. “Bad skin really made me want to hide. I’d wear makeup to bed or stay in if I had a bad breakout,” Perry said. Luckily for us, she hasn’t let those feelings hold her back.

3. Bella Thorne

Bella Thorne has been really open about her struggles with acne, and now as the face of Biore skin care, she’s excited to share and experiment with products to treat blemishes that she can share with her fans. One of her favorites is the Biore Acne Charcoal Scrub ($7.59). In this Instagram caption she writes, “It’s only our society and social media outlets like this one that tells us we have to have “perfect skin” to be considered socially acceptable. I’m here to tell you rn FUCK THAT. I’m going to show my skin for what is it and own it. No matter what any1 says.” AMEN.

4. Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus has a pretty amazing Instagram track record full of photos of her wearing zit creams, pore-cleansing masks, and even finding creative ways to cover up zits (glitter and flowers are a go-to). It’s pretty refreshing seeing such a high-profile pop star confidently own her skin care routine like that.

5. Lorde

Another one of our pop faves who knows the power of a good zit cream is none other than Lorde herself. She’s shared Instagram photos of her acne treating process in a casual DGAF way we love so much. “In Paris with my zit cream on,” she writes.

6. Kendall Jenner

Just because the Kardashians are known for impeccable skin, doesn’t mean they’re immune to getting a stress breakout. Kendall Jenner has had her fair share of acne flare-ups and deals with it during especially pressure-filled times such as Fashion Week. Just like the rest of us, she knows all too well how skin likes to freak out when we need it not to.”I had such bad acne when I was younger. It completely ruined my self-esteem – I wouldn’t even look at people when I talked to them. I felt like such an outcast; when I spoke, it was with my hand covering my face,” Kendall told Glamour.

7. Cameron Diaz

The poster child of health, Cameron Diaz, has been pretty open about the importance of a balanced diet. She’s shared how her intense junk food phase set off a period of hormonal acne following her teen years. “I didn’t realize all that fried, greasy, processed artificial crap was setting off a hormonal surge that sent my skin into crazy town,’ Diaz told Medical Daily. Obviously food can affect people differently, and Cameron figured out junk food and her skin didn’t get along.

8. Rihanna

When RiRi’s not busy being the queen of Fenty Beauty, she also understands the struggle of a hormonal breakout. She once told Star Magazine about how she expects her period breakouts like clockwork.”I have an ugly day every month; pimples on my face, I’m fat and in a bad mood. It’s more like an ugly week.” We feel you girl.

9. Rachel Bloom

The brilliant Crazy Ex-Girlfriend creator Rachel Bloom knows how to write a smart and funny show that hits on the many realities of being a woman. In keeping with her open persona onscreen, she’s not afraid to share her skin struggles offscreen. Bloom shared a very relatable Instagram post while shooting the show that revealed her stress breakout. “The middle of shooting the season (around episode 8) is peak time for my hormones to run amok due to a hectic schedule. Try to spot the bloating, fatigue and zits and win a prize! (But hopefully you won’t thanks to @srollertaylor).”

10. Lucy Hale

The Pretty Little Liars star is no stranger to a good zit cream, and she has a sense of humor about the struggles of treating acne in the public eye. She once shared a papparazzi photo on her Instagram that shows her donning zit cream and captioned it: “When you’re caught with zit cream and a really chic outfit.”

11. Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling shares her whole skin care routine (which includes LASERS) in her hilarious book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? And Other Concerns, and she’s also joked about how annoying it is to deal with acne in her 30s on Instagram. “That zit cream in your 30s life. At least I’m not going on the Tonight Show later today,” she wrote.

12. Kerry Washington

While it may seem near impossible to spot a blemish on Scandal’s Olivia Pope, Kerry Washington told Elle how her secret to staving away blemishes is all about the science. “I’ve always understood the connection between science and skin. I’ve been seeing a dermatologist since I was 6 years old for eczema. I really believe in exfoliating and I also use a red light for dealing with bacteria.” Basically, Washington has been on her skin care game since day one.

13. Britney Spears

One of the best things about Britney Spears is that despite stardom at a young age, she always keeps it down to earth. When it comes to her skin, Spears told Hollywood Life that laser resurfacing and a sugar-free diet are the ways she’s combated adult acne.

We hope this list makes you feel less alone in your skin care journey, we’re all out here trying to figure it all out too.