The Easy Acne-Fighting Trick Ashley Benson Swears By—And You Should, Too
By Sarah Kinonen. Photos: Getty Images.
As someone who spends her days fighting off "A" in the fictional town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania—with a full face of makeup on—and her nights jet-setting around the globe for various red-carpet events, Pretty Little Liars actress Ashley Benson cares a lot about her skin. But with that kind of lifestyle, she kinda has to. Which is why you've probably seen one or two zit cream-covered selfies come across her Instagram feed or have watched her sheet mask up before a long flight on Snapchat to help keep breakouts at bay.
But her most recent skin-saving products include the range of zit-fighting products from Differin. (ICYMI, Differin is the acne-fighting treatment that was once only available by prescription, but you can now buy over the counter—and has a slew of companion products.) Benson also happens to be the new face of the line, so we figured with skin that glow-y and clear—and a schedule that jam-packed—she'd have some skin tips worth Pinning for later. We got to chat with her about her entire skin-care routine along with her insanely gorgeous bob.
Give us some real talk: Tell us everything about your struggles with acne. "When I was younger, I never really dealt with it that much. I had clear skin (I don’t know how.) But I think as I started working more, and having makeup on 24/7, traveling, and red carpet events, I had to be made up, and that’s when I started to see it affecting my skin. Acne is obviously an unfortunate thing to deal with, and it makes you feel like everyone is staring at you, so I partnered with Differin because my fans are [around ages] 12 to mid-20s, maybe older, but in that time period, you’re getting acne, and it’s cool to finally share a product with them that they can afford and feel good about themselves."
I'm sure being filmed with high-def cameras just added to your stress (and stress breakouts).. "Oh, yeah. We’re like, ‘Don’t get this thing on my face. I will only look this way!’ We’ve definitely always said that because it is HD, if it’s a huge screen, your face is right there. And I’ve watched and thought, ‘Oh, my skin looks so bad.’ But at the end of the day, there’s nothing you can do, and that’s why I’ve been so open about it, to my fans. Everyone gets acne and it is what it is." "
"If I [do get a stress breakout], put a a super-super hot towel on [the pimple]. If It’s inflamed, it’ll go down—at least for me—and the towel also clears the [redness](http://www.allure.com/story/how-to-treat-skin-redness) away. On set, they always steam our faces. If they have to, they’ll just [pop it], but if not, they do that and put a little bit of oil on it so it doesn’t dry out. I also don't touch it."
And about your new hair...Did you and co-star Troian Bellisario plan your matching bobs or what? "No! It’s so funny. I went pink, and then she went pink. And then when she cut her hair, I cut my hair. But I had to cut my hair because I wanted to get rid of my extensions, and my hair was at that weird length that if I didn’t cut it, it wouldn’t look right if I took them out. So I cut a few inches off."
You're constantly switching up your cut and color. What are your favorite hair treatments? "Coconut oil. And Kérastase makes a great hair mask. But I think any hair mask, to be honest, is really, really great for your hair. I’ll wet my hair and put a mask in it and leave it in a bun all day long—like all day, sleep in it, and then wash it out the next day—and my hair just feels so smooth. I’m a true believer in hair masks."
Preach Ashley, preach.
This story originally appeared on Allure.
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