How Keke Palmer Conquered Her Skin Struggles and Found Confidence

Remember Akeelah and the Bee star, Keke Palmer, who’s graced the big screen for years? Bet you do! The A-list actor who seems to have all her acts together has had her fair share of skincare woes, including acne. For someone so confident, it’s surprising that she was once insecure about her skin. So, what’s her story? Here’s the nitty-gritty of her acne journey.

In December 2020, the American actor made headlines when she went bared-faced in front of her million of Instagram followers to reveal her struggle with adult acne. This was quite a shocker, especially for someone in the entertainment industry where appearance matters. In her post, she spoke about PCOS being the reason behind the incessant breakouts.

“ My skin has made me sad many nights but I do not give up on myself. I know this is not me and my body has been looking for help,” she wrote, revealing she tried Accutane twice. “To all the people struggling with this please know you’re not alone and that you are still so fucking fine! MY ACNE AINT NEVER STOPPED ME. But we don’t have accept this.”

By 2022, Keke still hadn’t found a lasting solution to her acne, telling her followers, “All these years and all these inventions, you can't figure out how to take the beautiful skin from my ass and put it on my face?” When push came to shove, the Nope star decided to take matters into her hands, and started a simple skincare routine.

“I try not to have, like, a 15-product plan kind of deal,” she explained. Keke mentioned her skincare routine is just a cleanser, retinol, sunscreen, and exfoliant. Beyond skincare, she also became more intentional about her mental health, adopting wellness practices like journaling and scheduling time to sleep.

While disclosing her acne struggle helped her confidence, she’s continuously working on it. “I never like to try to be defined by any one thing, whether it be my skin or whether it be something else that I'm struggling with,” she stated in an interview.

In 2022, Keke revealed she was expecting her first child with then-boyfriend Darius Jackson, and the pregnancy had some unexpected results when it came to her acne. “The reason my skin is clear is because I’m pregnant with a baby right now … The baby has cleared my skin up, she said in an Instagram video. “The way my baby already looking out for me.”

Through her journey, Keke has become a role model, encouraging people to embrace their flaws and turn them into strengths. Her advocacy for skin health and confidence resonates with individuals worldwide, fostering a community of self-acceptance and empowerment. “As females, we need to advocate for ourselves because everything [in society] is kind of a rule-of-thumb by males,” she told InStyle. “ But it shouldn't be weird for us to talk about our health issues or demand what we need when we go to the doctor.”

In a world of picture-perfect stars, Keke’s acne journey reminds us that we all are and should be kind to ourselves. In her words, “You are the author of your beauty, and no one can take that away from you.” Let that be your mantra.