It’s no secret that we love all our Loungers just the way they are. Fresh faced, bare skin, beautifully you. But, we love it even more when we see others sharing the same love, support and encouragement too, which is exactly what Jess Mackenzie is doing.
Skin-fluencer and yoga instructor, Jess has suffered with acne for more than 5 years and has taken to Instagram to share her story with others to help them feel empowered and confident in their own skin and we’re all for it.
According to the NHS, approximately 95% of people aged 11 to 30 are affected by acne to some extent, which just goes to show if you’re suffering with acne, you’re not alone.
Whether you have textured skin, clear skin or the occasional breakout, we love you all, no matter what. To shine a light on the realities of living with acne, see what Jess had to say below. Let’s just say, she’s pretty incredible…
HEY, JESS!
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
I’m Jess, a yoga teacher and influencer living happily in Scotland's capital, Edinburgh. I’m an avid traveller and love being active and out in nature. My ideal weekend would have to include a long hike with my girlfriend followed by a cold water swim. I always encourage my friends and followers to be self-loving and lead a unique, happy, healthy life!
YOU’VE BEEN SO OPEN ABOUT YOUR ACNE ON YOUR PLATFORM WHICH IS TRULY INSPIRING TO SEE. WHEN DID YOU START TO SUFFER WITH ACNE AND HOW DID YOU MANAGE IT?
I previously suffered with mild acne for over 4 years, it then progressed into very severe acne in 2020 due to stress and grief. Over the years, I’ve tried every possible prescribed antibiotic pill and topical treatment but nothing was successful at eradicating my acne. I finally resorted to a very strong acne medication called Accutane last year and I was fortunate that it cleared my skin.
It was certainly challenging to manage my severe acne. My skin was so inflamed and painful that I had to lie with ice packs on my cheeks in bed each night. So many people are ashamed of their acne and hide their skin's condition, which makes the battle feel very lonely. This is what inspired me to share my journey on my platform. No one should have to feel alone on their skin journey.
HAVE YOU ALWAYS FELT CONFIDENT IN YOUR OWN SKIN?
Unfortunately not. I had always been very insecure about my acne prone skin. In May last year, I hit rock bottom with a lack of self-confidence and an abundance of self depreciation and it was this all time low that forced me to turn things around and begin my journey to finding self love!
WHAT OR WHO INSPIRES YOU?
I’m constantly inspired by the #acnecommunity on social media for urging me to keep things real and share the most authentic moments of my journey. Anything authentic inspires me! I recently unfollowed any accounts which posted overly edited images of their face or body because I find consuming this type of content to be very harmful for our mental health. My feed is now full of a variety of natural, unedited beauties that inspire me to join them!
DO YOU THINK MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO CHALLENGE STEREOTYPICAL BEAUTY IDEALS?
Absolutely! I would love to see more real bodies and real skin in the media! I believe photoshop is extremely harmful to our mental health and I would love to see less air-brushing and more skin pores, acne scarring, stretch marks and tummy rolls on EVERYbody. After all, authenticity will always be more beautiful!
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT LOUNGE AS A BRAND AND WHY?
I love that Lounge is helping to redefine beauty by hiring a variety of naturally beautiful models and ditching photo editing. Keep showing us the real skin texture, the stretch marks and tummy rolls, we love to see it! Lounge is Comfort Made Sexy and I always feel my best in my matching Lounge sets! The Blossom Balcony Set in Cobalt Blue is my absolute favourite.
WHAT ARE THREE THINGS YOU’RE GRATEFUL FOR?
I’m grateful for my acne journey for inspiring me to love the skin I’m in. I’m grateful for my cheerleaders: my girlfriend, sisters and best friends for their endless love and support. I’m incredibly grateful for my body and my health and that I get to live every day without limits.
Wow, we think that we can all agree that Jess is truly inspiring and her words are words to live by. You deserve to live every day without limits and you deserve to feel beautiful just the way you are, because you are exactly that, beautiful, and we wouldn’t change you for the world.
We love you, Loungers, always.