"Riverdale's" Lili Reinhart has had cystic acne since she was 12, but she's trying not to let it define her. In her high school years, it caused her to have "slight body dysmorphia" and avoid mirrors for months at a time. Now, she's using her platform to help other acne-havers feel alright about their skin.
Back in April, Reinhart shared a jokey photo of her acne-cream-dotted face with the caption, "Tinder profile: Hi I'm Lili, I'm 21, a Virgo, Cali-girl and I have cystic acne. HMU." In another Instagram Story posted just last week, the actress took a more serious tone. "Adult acne story time," she began, going on to describe how she'd spent the day at a photo shoot with a broken-out forehead. "All I could think about when I was in front of the camera were the pimples on my forehead," she wrote. "These breakouts shatter my confidence every time they appear," she continued. "I'm not sure if or when I'll ever be able to accept my skin as it is. It's problematic. It scars easily. It's painful." She then called upon her followers to talk about their acne struggles using the hashtag #breakoutbuddy. (It hasn't quite gone viral — so far, there are 654 posts.)
In September, not-so "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" Rachel Bloom posted a selfie featuring two hormonal zits that would make Dr. Pimple Popper rub her hands together in delight. "The middle of shooting the season (around episode 8) is peak time for my hormones to run amok due to a hectic schedule," she wrote. "Try to spot the bloating, fatigue and zits and win a prize!"
On May 6(ish), beauty influencer Ingrid Nilsen woke up to a big, fat, juicy pimple. On May 7, she decided to 'gram it. "It hit me last night that this pimple is a physical manifestation of all the work I did last week," she reflected. "I pushed through nerves, anxiety and some of my biggest fears to strive for something I've always wanted to do. I'm proud of that and if this is my body's way of saying 'We did it, but MAN I'm tiiiiired!' then I'm proud of that, too. Our bodies are so complex. They work hard for us every day, whether we notice it or not, so try to be generous with yourself. Meet yourself where you are right now and sink into the gratitude of the breath you just took. That's your body telling you you're good enough...because you're alive." (Again, somewhere, Dr. Pimple Popper's fingers are itching.)
Also fighting to end clear-skin tyranny is actress Ruby Rose. Last December, Rose took to Instagram to share her recent acne struggle, which, per her dermatologist, was a direct result of using her cell phone for promotional interviews for "Pitch Perfect 3" and sleeping on hotel pillows. (Rough life.)
In an Instagram Story showing her broken-out right cheek, Rose addressed fans and acne-bullies alike: "This acne belongs to me, not them, and you are welcome to it. I never thought I'd see the day I'd leave my beautiful country balling my eyes out," she wrote. In a second post, she added, "Yeah it sucks...for me. I don't see how it's bothering so many others? But I'm a human. It happens...one side of my face is clear and the other is a mess."
