Alicia Keys has spoken of her years-long struggle with acne, saying she felt she had to hide her “bumps and scars” in public.
The US singer, 39, largely gave up wearing make-up around 2016 in an attempt to beat the skin condition.
She told Glamour UK she had ended up in a “crazy cycle” of using make-up to cover her acne which only made it worse.
However, she is now launching a range of skincare with E.l.f. Beauty, called Keys Soulcare, to help others who have suffered with acne and skin conditions.
She said: “I’ve always had a challenging time with my skin and having to figure out how to manage it and be in the spotlight.
“Having to constantly be in this crazy cycle of putting on make-up to cover the bumps and scars, and then because I had make-up on under the hot lights, there were more bumps and scars.
“I felt like I had to hide everything and I felt really self-conscious.
“I struggled so much in my skin and really even being clear about my self-confidence and self-worth.
“So, it’s a dream come true, (as) I’ve always wanted to create something (like this) because I wanted something that would work for me when I was having difficult times; that would make me feel great and that was also good for me.”
Discussing the idea behind her range, she added: “I’ve been thinking about the concept of Soulcare and what it means to take care of yourself – your mind, body, soul and spirit; to create a ritual to uplift yourself. We need that now more than ever.”
The musician, from Hell’s Kitchen, New York, recently launched a one billion US dollar fund to support black American businesses and communities in association with the US National Football League (NFL).
She said: “As an artist, I’m always thinking about how I can use my platform to further racial equality.
“Our goal is to empower black America. I can’t believe how many years of systemic racism we have to unravel, and come to terms with, and fight against, and redesign, and recreate.
“I feel like we have to literally force people to understand and to rethink how things are happening, how they’re running, who’s in charge, who we’re creating opportunities for.
“And at this point, I just think that it’s so deeply woven into the fabric. It’s not OK.”
Read the full interview in the Glamour UK autumn/winter 20/21 print issue available now.
