Meet Ariel Markham, the creative force behind “Acne Appreciation with Ariel.” In this exclusive interview, Ariel takes us on a journey through her personal experiences with acne, from societal pressures to self-acceptance rooted in spirituality. Discover how Ariel’s passion project aims to reshape beauty standards and empower individuals struggling with acne through positivity and inclusivity.
“Could you share a bit about your personal journey with acne and how it led to the creation of “Acne Appreciation with Ariel”?”
“Fix your face” “You won’t be able to impress people” “You won’t be pretty”
Those three statements are what precisely made me start this passion project, and I’ll provide a brief timeline from each corresponding declaration: Familial pressures through the years 2016 to 2020, birth control side ef ects in the year 2021, and one eventful and final dermatology appointment in 2022.
My most recent youtube video titled CONFESSION | MY ACNE JOURNEY | TRIGGER WARNING BELOW details these experiences more thoroughly but ultimately the culmination of these events led me to revamp all my social medias (Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube) as a blog of how I felt about acne, though not just mine, but for any individual who happens to be suffering from the perspective that acne is “disgusting,” “ugly,” and all other harsh adjectives.
More recently, I have added to this little passion project of mine an ambitious mission to incorporate the acne community into the beauty industry, not just to advertise products to get rid of, but to add to one’s unique appearance.
“What inspired you to combine acne awareness with spirituality in your project?”
My spirituality aligns with Buddhism and such beliefs include appreciation of suf ering, disapproving towards materialistic items, and that everything changes, thus nothing is truly permanent.
This may be a stretch on my part but that is my attitude toward acne and all its encompassing realms (medications to cure and get rid of, feeling and emotions associated with having such issues, and understanding that acne in contemporary society doesn’t truly leave given hormonal and agricultural devices).
“Can you tell us about some of the struggles or challenges you faced while dealing with acne and how you overcame them?”
For all my strengths and positivity, there were times where I was brought down low with immense struggle over my identity as an Asian and having acne.
As observed in the media, Asians are reputable for having clear, milky white skin, with not a speck of inflammation, and such appearance is desired, thus bringing about my stress and otherwise hesitation to move forward with “Acne Appreciation with Ariel.”
I am Half-Filipino and this side of my ethnicity I truly wanted to embrace with my brown hair, my flat nose, my almond eyes, and my non-existent tanned skin–instead I have a pale, acne-ridden appearance.
This was a bit of a struggle to be comfortable with myself and display my ethnicity, but the Eastern values of Buddhism significantly helped me realize that I was, in that way of practice, still Asian, even if I fail to present that beauty standard that is so admired by both sides of the world.
“What advice would you give to others who are struggling with acne or dealing with self-esteem issues related to skin conditions?”
I’m going to be quite informal here so please bear with me and my casual speech: Babe, listen, positivity goes a long way.
Change your mindset as much as possible. Don’t ruminate too much.
Take care of yourself, don’t destroy. Speak well wishes to yourself, not ill.
I understand the difficulty with acne: You wish to have that clear skin, you wish to have that smooth texture, that balanced complexion, that perfect face, but please understand that you’re human, you’re not perfect, and no one demands you to be!
Embrace your own characteristics as much as possible, your different hair color, your eye color, the shape of your lips, the shape of your nose, and of course, your skin, you are your own person!
“How do you balance your work with “Acne Appreciation with Ariel” and other aspects of your life, such as family, hobbies, and personal wellness?”
I’m a bit embarrassed to say that my performance with “Acne Appreciation with Ariel” on all platforms has been slow going. I’m about to enter my senior year in university and the course-load piles higher and higher, but thankfully it’s all about positive psychology and mental health, thus such studies within these fields I can easily apply to my personal viewpoints with acne.
However, on days when I have no scheduled lecture to attend to are the days when I do self-portraiture in pursuit of my mission. I wake up barefaced and take a few portraits–at some point I put on my daily makeup and I take more portraits. This action specifically reflects my appreciation of whatever kind of constellation of acne is littering across my face that day, week, or month.
Looking back on my self-portraits always makes me feel, for lack of a word, giddy. Sometimes I’ll exclaim out loud, “that pimple near my lip looks like a beauty mark, cute!” or “wow, that acne scar looks like a flower, how pretty!”
Little mentions of positivity like that further drive my appreciations and content with my appearance, and moreover my gutsy mission of incorporating the acne community into the beauty industry.
“What role has self-care played in your journey, and what self-care practices do you find most beneficial?”
Self-care to me is all about positivity in the form of appreciation.
I appreciate my acne for adding uniqueness to my face. I appreciate my acne for not being harmful on a health level. I appreciate my acne for pushing me into my desired career profession. I appreciate my acne for being able to inspire others.
“How can people connect with you and support your mission through your website and social media platforms?”
Instagram and Pinterest specifically have formulated this one dream of mine in regards to the ever-evolving digital and commercial world: Inclusivity of the acne community in the beauty industry.
It seems that models with acne, no matter how severe, are only being used for advertisements of getting rid of acne, not characterizing it as a uniqueness to one’s appearance.
Through my efforts of posting photographs of myself (wetherby the assistance of other photographers or of self-portraiture) with the application of makeup on and moreover not concealing my acne, I hope to persuade the idea, and furthermore my mission, that acne can apply to one’s beauty, not remove it. Through my digital presence, I hope that I garner attention from those intrigued, inspired, or interested in working with me to create a community that’s all about appreciating acne, not abhorring it.
