An acne positivity influencer shares makeup-free photos to inspire others to love their skin

Acne positivity influencer Jess Mackenzie shares makeup-free photos of herself on Instagram to inspire others to be comfortable in their own skin.Jess Mackenzie

• Jess Mackenzie used to cover her acne with makeup and filters on social media.
• But the 24-year-old, who lives in Scotland, changed her perspective when she stumbled on Instagram's #acnepositivity community.
• A few weeks later, Mackenzie posted a makeup-free picture for the first time and received a flood of support.
• Now she's become an acne positivity influencer, and hopes to inspire others to feel comfortable in their skin.

Jess Mackenzie was searching for inspiring before-and-after acne photos when she stumbled on a picture that would completely change her perspective on skin.

It was a model without any makeup on, proudly showing her pimples, pores, and scars. Underneath was a hashtag that Mackenzie, 24, had never seen before: #acnepositivity.

"I spent all night scrolling through photos of real skin," Mackenzie, who lives in Scotland and has had severe cystic acne for the last four years, told Insider. "I felt very overwhelmed, like I had found a whole new Instagram."

After that, Mackenzie became an acne positivity influencer in her own right, sharing her story with more than 19,000 followers. She talked to Insider about her journey with her skin, and how she finally learned to be comfortable in it.