From acne scars to clogged pores, Natalie O’Neill seems to be everyone’s go-to content creator for all things skin. Her videos exploring the world of facial products have earned her over a million loyal followers across her social media. But the real question is: does she ever have her own skin struggles?
Upon entering the name ‘Natalie O’Neill’ into TikTok’s search bar, the top videos and comments all echo the same positive sentiment.
“She is a skincare queen”, one says, followed by another, stating “she has SAVED my skin”, and “there is no one I trust with my skin more.”
From beginning content creation in 2022 to gaining 100 thousand followers in her first year, O’Neill is a “no-frills” skincare enthusiast and content creator who posts advice about most skin-related issues you could imagine.
But Natalie, 30, had her own fair share of skin struggles before becoming recognised online.
“At 17, I went to the doctor and they just said, “You have acne.” and I remember thinking, so is there anything I can do about that? I didn’t feel heard, and when my skin started acting up, I felt like I had no other option but to figure it out by myself.
“Then when I turned 18, my skin started becoming more unpredictable”, she said, “I remember going into college, seeing myself in the mirror, and then just going home because I couldn’t look at it, I didn’t want to see it.”
“When you’re getting breakouts, you don’t feel in control. You just feel like you’re going to wake up with five new spots, then make them go away, but then more are going to come and it’s just a horrible mental mindset. I also have PCOS, which I didn’t know I had at the time.”
Polycystic ovary syndrome, commonly known as PCOS, affects one in every ten women in the UK, and symptoms can include excessive hair growth, as well as oily skin, which can lead to increased acne.
“I think having PCOS doesn’t always mean you’ll have acne, but it means you’re much more likely to. You could live the exact same life as somebody else and you’re the one that gets acne because there’s a number of different things happening hormonally.” Natalie said.
She has more recently struggled with perioral dermatitis, an inflammation of the area surrounding the mouth, which can commonly affect women of all skin types.
Read more Your Stories: Rosacea: My Journey of Healing – Radiance & Embracing the colours of our skin: our journeys with vitiligo – Radiance
Actress Amanda Seyfried spoke out earlier this month about also having the condition, and has been praised by fans for her honesty online.
Natalie said: “I love Amanda Seyfried. It’s really annoying, (perioral dermatitis) I’m not going to lie. It sucks because I’ve had so many friends get it too, and I’m thinking “that’s s*** for you” because it does go away, but very rarely fully goes away.”
It normally shows up as small pink rashes or spots around the mouth, although the exact cause is unknown.
“Mine has gotten better now. I know how to manage it, and it’s just one of those things you can always feel in the background. I said to my housemate the other day, “I’d actually really like my face to stop tingling. That would be great. It would be really nice if I could just go to bed and not have a tingling moustache.””
Some of Natalie’s highest-viewed videos include debunking viral skincare trends, but she too once fell victim to believing random remedies when it comes to improving your skin.
“I used to put lemon juice on my skin to lighten my freckles. I didn’t like them at all, the irony is that I don’t have any freckles anymore, and I actually wish that I had them now. I also used to make face masks out of baking soda.”
And no, this doesn’t work as a skincare hack, so please don’t try it at home.
However, Natalie provides some actual advice for those struggling with their skin confidence.
“Everyone’s always trying to make their skin ten out of ten perfect, and really most people’s skin is nine out of ten, and hormones are going to give you some off days too. Stop trying to get your skin to be even better, because there is a ceiling to it being worth it.
“You’re going to have the rest of your life to use skincare, but when you’re younger you’re never going to realise that. Your skin now is probably the youngest it’s ever going to be. So enjoy having young skin!”
See, even the ‘queen of skincare’ herself struggles with her skin – it’s totally normal!
If you need further information on the conditions in this article, check out our expert advice page for guidance.
Disclaimer: Natalie’s content is not medical advice.
