I Wore Zero Makeup and Washed My Face in Front of 5,000 People: My Skincare Story and Struggles

I wore absolutely no makeup and washed my face in front of a 5,000 person Facebook and Instagram live audience..

Earlier this year, I modeled for the USA launch of the skincare brand, Pele’s Grace! It was such a fun experience, and a big step for me…

If 17-21 year old me had this exact same opportunity, she wouldn’t have taken it.

Why? Growing up, I had good skin and then when I turned 17 it was as if genetics said, “that’s enough fun for you, here is everything you’ve been missing out on.”

*queue hormonal/cystic/every type of acne plaguing my skin*

The timing couldn’t have felt worse - but is there ever a good time for bad skin? I was modeling more, and became extremely self-conscious about what my friends and people in the industry would think of me having bad skin. I tried EVERYTHING to fix it (time/money at the dermatologist, creams, antibiotics, you name it), and NOTHING worked. It was so frustrating and it wrecked my self-confidence in all areas of my life.

So, this post isn’t to tell you about a beauty routine or promote a skincare product that instantly worked magic because honestly, the best thing for my skin was to give it time. I’m thankful that my skin did a 180 from those days, but it’s definitely not perfect. In fact, just this week I had a bad flare up.

Through it all, I did become better educated on how to listen to my body + create a routine to manage the everyday care/occasional flare ups with my skin, and I'd be happy to share if you find yourself here too.

BUT what I’m really here to say is, acne wrecked my self-confidence because I LET IT.

I let what I thought everyone ONLY saw become the ONLY thing I saw about myself and it was so distracting...to me. So hey, if you find yourself struggling with your self-image, remember this:

Your life is measured so much deeper than just skin deep - there is so much more to you that makes you, you. Embrace the many multi-facets of you instead of focusing on the one thing you are struggling with.

And if you are currently breaking out or _____ symptom is happening to your body...embrace it too. Your body is at work and telling you to pay attention to something that is going on internally. Take the time to listen to what is happening and learn from it, but make sure to still live your life fully and wonderfully. That's all. #discoveringdaly

- Cathleen

Huge thank you to the Pele’s Grace team for allowing me to be a part of this launch! It was an amazing experience with amazing people and products!