Three years ago, Alix Earle was posting viral “get ready with me” TikToks while attending the University of Miami. Today, she has an estimated net worth of $20 million, her own podcast, and an upcoming Netflix reality show about her family. She was a runner-up on Dancing With the Stars and in a Super Bowl halftime show. She’s amassed nearly 15 million social media followers. Fans love that she treats them like confidantes, letting them in on both the glamorous and messy parts of her life. They also really, really love the candid way she shows and talks about her acne.
After three separate bouts of Accutane and years of persistent breakouts, Alix, now 25, finally took her skincare journey into her own hands and created Reale Actives, a line catered to acne-prone skin like hers. After years of development, Reale Actives is officially debuting next week at RealeActives.com with a cleansing balm, gel cleanser, moisturizer, and mandelic acid serum. The acne-friendly formulas are housed in pastel-green bottles, and the mandelic acid serum in a sleek chrome bottle—designed to blend effortlessly with the rest of your bathroom products, without looking overly clinical or medical.
“When you have serious acne, skincare doesn’t feel fun or cute,” she told me, dressed head-to-toe in businesswoman chic, when we met back in December to discuss the brand. “I could never walk into Sephora and just grab any of the viral products because I was worried they’d break me out. I want this brand to change that for other people.”
Alix knows her line won’t be a cure-all for her or her millions of followers with acne, but that’s kind of the point. “Real you is perfect you” is our mantra,” she says. “That’s really how the brand’s name originated. You have to learn to love your real skin. If that means you have some imperfections, redness, texture, or pores, that’s a beautiful thing. Be patient with yourself. I’ve found that the moment I truly accept those imperfections is often when I start to see the most improvement.”
We discussed this and so much more, including her personal skincare journey and experience with Accutane, the truth about lifestyle habits and breakouts, and her future as a founder beyond TikTok.
What is your first beauty memory?
In middle school, when I was a dancer and trying to learn how to apply a smokey eye, I’d go to CVS, get a bunch of fun and metallic eyeshadows, and play around in that space. Beauty was always something I loved. Part of the reason I even liked doing dance was so that I could get dressed up and experiment with makeup.
Around that age, I also started struggling with acne, which was a big deal for me. My mom would help me cover my skin before school, but I went to a Catholic school where we weren’t allowed to wear makeup, so I was always getting in trouble. I think I started to dabble in beauty and makeup earlier than some of the other kids my age because of my skin.
Can you tell me about being on Accutane? What was that like for you?
I started dealing with acne in middle school, and I could never find the right solution. Whether it was medicine or skincare, my acne would just ebb and flow. Throughout high school especially, I was constantly comparing myself to other girls, even my friends, wondering why their skin didn’t look like mine. I questioned everything. “Do I need to switch my birth control? Is that going to help?” I went through so many doctors, processes, and products.
Going into college, I had a period where my acne was worse than ever. It was cystic acne all over my face and neck, and I felt so insecure, especially starting at a new school and meeting new people. A doctor suggested Accutane. It felt scary because I was moving away from home and beginning a new chapter, and it’s a serious medication with a lot of potential side effects. I wasn’t sure how I would react.
I went on it, then off it, and, six months later, had to go back on for another round. That round got messed up because I didn’t fill the prescription on time—you have to take a blood test every month, and the whole process is mentally exhausting. Going into my senior year of college, I started it for a third time. By then, I felt so beaten down that I had to do it again and didn’t understand what was wrong with me. I began vlogging and talking about the experience, and that ended up kick-starting my career online and leading me to where I am today.
What did you think was missing from the skincare industry that you wanted to achieve with Reale Actives?
After I graduated from college, I knew I wanted to start my own company, but at that point in my life, I actually didn’t like skincare at all. I initially disliked the idea of starting a skincare brand because I had always been skeptical about skincare. It wasn’t fun for me, I didn’t enjoy it, and I never felt like I found products that truly helped.
That’s when it clicked that maybe there was a white space. When you have serious acne, skincare doesn’t feel fun or cute. I could never walk into Sephora and grab the viral products because I was always worried they’d break me out. I was using prescription products from my doctor in white, clinical-looking bottles. I wanted to merge those two worlds: really great, efficacious formulas in fun packaging, with a brand the everyday girl could see herself in. It’s something I wish had existed when I was growing up.
Do you have any advice for someone going through an acne journey, whether they’re in their ’20s or middle school?
I think my biggest advice is to be patient with yourself and with your skin. There will be times when it’s not perfect, and it’s definitely not going to be perfect overnight, even if you’re using the best products. You have to learn to love your real skin.
That’s really how the brand’s name originated. “Real you is perfect you” is our mantra. If that means you have some imperfections, redness, texture, or pores, that’s a beautiful thing. I’ve found that the moment I truly accept those imperfections is often when I start to see the most improvement.
Which product from the line are you most excited about?
I keep going back and forth with my favorites, but I’m gonna go with the mandelic acid serum. That’s probably my favorite. When I was experimenting with different skincare, mandelic acid was one of the few ingredients that really worked for my skin, and it wasn’t something I had heard much about before. I always felt like the focus was on salicylic acid.
What lifestyle changes have you made that positively impact your skin?
Of course, I try to do the little things, like washing my makeup brushes, changing my Beautyblender, and switching out my pillowcase every few days. Those small habits definitely help my skin. I also think being in a good mental state makes a difference. But there are also times when, no matter what I’m doing, what headspace I’m in, or how many things I’m trying, my skin will still flare up or break out. That’s just the reality of what I deal with. For example, if I go out and have a drink with friends, I’ll see comments saying I should stop drinking and that it will clear my skin. Drinking is one piece of a much bigger puzzle, and it’s not something I’m doing every day. I don’t want to stop living my life and doing fun things because of my skin. Beyond the products and ingredients, sharing that message feels really important to me. It’s about embracing your own skin and not putting your life on hold because of it.
Who is your beauty muse?
I’ve always loved Hailey Bieber. I think she is really smart and has built such an empire in the beauty industry, which is incredibly inspiring. That said, there are products and trends, like her glowy no-makeup look, that I felt like I couldn’t dabble in. I wish that could be me, but my skin just wasn’t at that point.
What does the next year have in store for you?
I’m really focusing on everything Reale Actives. I’m so excited that we’ll be in person with everyone and building out the community. We have offices in L.A., and it feels like a whole new chapter for me. I’m excited to keep talking about the brand, sharing it, and stepping fully into this new journey as a founder while showing more of this side of myself. I’ve kept this a secret for a while, so it’s going to be really fun to finally have it out in the world and be able to share it with everyone.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Lead image: All clothing Gucci, earrings Pandora.
Styled by Jessica Neises.
Jasmine Hyman is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about the latest beauty trends and must-have products. Her most prized beauty possessions are a meticulous skincare routine and salon blowouts. You’ll also likely find her in bed reading a good book or endlessly scrolling TikTok (spoiler: it’s usually the latter) while listening to Harry Styles’ entire discography on repeat. Follow her on Insta to be inundated with pictures of her meals.
