It’s easy to assume our favorite celebrities have perfect skin when endlessly scrolling through their Instagram feeds. But many of them, like the rest of us, struggle with acne and other skin conditions.
Though some celebrities remain tight-lipped about their chronic skin problems and the forms of treatment they use to achieve a flawless complexion, not everyone has remained mum.
Ahead, these 13 stars dished a number of skin secrets to keep breakouts at bay, as well as the surprising home remedies they use to get rid of pimples.
“I take collagen pills, drink Kangen water, apple cider vinegar and take SuperFood by Dr. Schuzles [sic] daily,” Aiko wrote on Instagram in March, when explaining to her followers how she maintains her clear complexion. “I [used] to have cystic acne due to ovarian cyst. The b.c. [birth control pills] helps with that.”
Jhené Aiko
"There is this focus on skincare and having a great base that I’ve learned from both sides of my family,” the Grown-ish star told Byrdie. “That starts with eating well, and using cardamom to cleanse is part of it. Cardamom is great for you and has a number of skincare benefits. One of the only ingredients in Persian tea is cardamom. So it’s really about finding those things, whether it’s a tea or juice, that help supplement your skincare routine through your diet. It’s about making sure that you internally take of yourself, that you focus on fixing more than what’s externally visible."
Yara Shahidi
"When you have chest and back acne, it really makes you feel self-conscious and you have to be careful about what you wear so that it doesn't show," Zendaya told TWIST Magazine. "My mom and I would go to the store and get a bunch of different products to try. She always told me to never pick at my zits or touch them because that would make them worse."
Zendaya
“When I feel like my skin has had it, I cut all the alcohol completely and overdo the water,” the ‘Lemon’ singer revealed to Elle magazine in 2014.
Rihanna
“I won't sit here and say I've never had a pimple, but I try to have a really great diet, you know, lots of vegetables and fish,” the Dirty Computer singer explained to Glamour magazine. “And I think stress plays a huge part too. I'm a believer that the more I'm giving, the happier I am, and the more beautiful my exterior will be.”
Janelle Monáe
"I was shooting Friday Night Lights in Austin, and with the humidity, the great Texas food, the hormones, and the stress of me planning a wedding, my skin was freaking out," the former Proactiv spokesperson told PopSugar. Bell credited getting adequate sleep, incorporating Proactiv into her beauty regimen and drinking plenty of water for her now acne-free skin.
Jurnee Smollett Bell
"One of my beauty secrets is—whenever you can—try to wear no makeup at all,” Jackson told J-14 magazine. “Putting tons of makeup on is not good for your skin. Try green tea facials or a mud mask. I use them every night, and I get great results.”
Skai Jackson
Though the singer started the #NoMakeupMovement in 2016, the former Proactiv spokesperson has battled acne and blemishes in the past. Beyond Proactiv, Keys also cleared up her skin by cutting out eating and drinking dairy. "When I first got pregnant [six years ago with her son, Egypt], I started to eliminate dairy from my diet and drank a lot more water, which made a huge difference to my skin," Keys told Elle UK.
Alicia Keys
"For someone who’s acne-prone, that’s coming from the overproduction of sebum and bacteria, which will then cause inflammation, this machine [TEI SPA OxyDerm High-Frequency Ozone Facial Tool] can be used at home at night to kill bacteria, and I use it everyday," Browning shared with New York magazine’s shopping guide, ‘The Strategist.’ "I know not everyone can, but I’ve been loving it."
Logan Browning
Ever wondered how Beyoncé woke up like this? The superstar entertainer maintains her flawless skin with Aquaphor, a multi-purpose healing ointment that protects and soothes extremely dry skin. Beyoncé told Elle magazine that she goes to "bed looking totally greasy."
Beyoncé
Normani Kordei
"[My acne was] one hundred percent hormonal, and it was really bad, like huge blisters on my face," the Riverdale star revealed to PopSugar. Murray swears by birth control, the IS Clinical Cleansing Complex cleanser and CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser to combat cystic acne.
Ashleigh Murray
Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock told TWIST magazine that she always takes off her makeup before bed to maintain her radiant complexion. Also, she recommended using cleanser, toner and moisturizer. "Like, I never used to tone, but it closes your pores and since doing that my skin has gotten a lot better," Pinnock said.
Leigh-Anne Pinnock