9 Acne Influencers on What Confidence Means to Them

"You don't get confident from clearing your skin," Bankson told POPSUGAR. "You get confident by standing up despite your insecurities and ripping through them where it hurts and scares you the most. Confidence is knowing that you have the power inside of you to overcome every negative thought that tries to work its way into your head, and acne or not, smile vibrantly."

"Being confident in your skin starts with accepting yourself at your core," Kushner told us. "As we age, our skin is going to change and constantly shift, but our soul — that's forever. Take confidence and develop your worth in WHO you are as a human, not WHAT you currently look like."

"I started surrounding myself with people who were a lot more loving and supportive, and my confidence sort of sprung up from that," Wait told Cosmopolitan about how she overcame her insecurity with having acne.

"For me personally, my acne has taught me so much about self-confidence and loving yourself because it can be so mentally debilitating some days," Kathleen told POPSUGAR. "I've learned to just accept that my skin is not perfect and that's just fine! A majority of people don't have flawless skin, so I always try to remember that I'm not the only one. Being confident in my own skin ultimately comes down to accepting the fact that acne is a part of me, but I sure as hell don't let it run my life."

According to our interview with Renee, "Dealing with acne is hard, but dealing with acne on camera for thousands of people to see is even harder. Social media has become a place for 'perfection,' but sometimes seeing something REAL is so much more refreshing. I decided to share my acne story online to hopefully reach someone else who is also dealing with severe acne. As someone who's tried every acne product under the sun, I wanted to use my YouTube channel to share products that really work. Showing the progress of my skin gives people hope, proving that acne is temporary and does not define who we are."

"Confidence to me is to have the courage and strength to start believing in yourself," Crawley told us. "To do all of the things you were once afraid of."

"Being an influencer with acne reminds myself and others that everyone has flaws, and that's OK," Immanuel told POPSUGAR. "It's what makes us human. For so long there have been influencers that look absolutely perfect, but for me and so many others with features socially defined as flaws to be set on that high platform gives a type of reassurance, which is so important for everyone to promote self-acceptance."

"I spent so many years covering it up, having it affect my day, affect my life and affect my mental health but now I embrace it as it is part of who I am," Northcote said in an interview with Teen Vogue about why she started the #FreeThePimple movement.

"When I developed acne, my self-confidence tanked," Ford told The Independent when asked about her battle with acne. "I felt incredibly low, and self-conscious about it. To now see other women proudly sharing their skin makes me so happy — and I am waiting for the day where it is no longer 'taboo' to post a bare-faced image — but completely normal and natural."