Kendall Jenner is opening up about the backlash she received after announcing that she was the new face of Proactiv after years of struggling with acne.
Speaking to Allure for the magazine’s March cover interview, Jenner opened up about the unrealistic standards of beauty and her own struggle conforming to those rules, including a battle with acne that took a major toll on her self-esteem.
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“I was feeling good about myself, and then when people say mean things I’m like, ‘I know I have a zit. I know I’m breaking out. You guys don’t have to keep pointing it out. I obviously see that, but let me live,’” Jenner said, recalling her 2018 Golden Globes appearance, in which several blemishes were visible on her face, leading to a slew of comments on social media.
In January, Jenner revealed that she was supporting others going through a similar struggle by becoming the new face of Proactiv, a skincare brand that has sported a number of other celebrity faces. Attempting to relate to fans who “have seen me struggling with acne,” her message largely fell upon deaf ears, who criticized Jenner’s promoting of the announcement in the days leading up to it.
The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, along with her mother, Kris Jenner, had teased a “big reveal” in which Jenner would “share her most raw story,” leading many to believe that she would open up about her anxiety or something else that she had not been as open about. After making the announcement, she faced fierce backlash from those disappointed with the reveal.
The criticism, as with criticism directed at her in the past, hit Jenner hard.
“I have cried endlessly for days because of things people have said to me, and I’ve had to become stronger through it,” she continued. “I mean, don’t get me wrong: I am not superhuman. I definitely feel, and the things people say online are very hurtful. You also just have to live your life and not pay attention to it. I think it can get pretty unhealthy if you really are deep in it and paying attention to it all the time. I think that that’s what can really mess you up.”
Explaining that she started struggling with acne at 14 and has had “an ongoing battle with it” in the years since, Jenner said that she is “in a good place right now” despite the backlash, largely thanks to her self-care routine that includes Transcendental Meditation and an Everlasting Comforts humidifier with an essential-oil tray.
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