For those unfamiliar with Alix Earle’s rise to fame, one of the main reasons the 24-year-old TikToker captivated millions was her openness about her lifelong struggle with acne. Years after her social media explosion, she continues to use her platform to normalize skin texture as part of beauty—and her latest Instagram post is a perfect example.
On Thursday, February 13, the University of Miami alum shared a series of unfiltered photos to her Instagram grid, showing how different lighting, angles and makeup can alter how skin appears. The post comes just days after a TikTok video of Earle on the red carpet began circulating, with users critiquing her skin in the comments. She addressed the conversation head-on in her caption:
“My skin this week,” Earle began. “All the same – just different lighting, angles, makeup. There was a post of me this week from a carpet where the comment section was appalled looking at my skin bc you could see the acne and texture on my face. As someone who has struggled with acne their whole life this is actually pretty clear skin for me. But I think it’s important for others to see (bc social media is a highlight reel) that just bc someone’s skin looks perfectly smooth and flat in a photo .. doesn’t necessarily mean it is. Texture, pores, acne, redness, scarring is all normal and it’s real. Realized I talk abt this stuff on TikTok but never on here so wanted to start the conversation & just normalize real skin & its beauty.”
Naturally, the comments section quickly filled with praise for her transparency. “You’ll never understand how much this means to me,” one person wrote. Another chimed in, “All the struggling acne girls thank you for this!”
