I Tried Lili Reinhart’s Acne Brand Personal Day

Having acne sucks. Sure, we’re in an era where skin issues are more accepted than they were back when I was a teenager, but when you’re dealing with breakouts far into your twenties (and thirties, in my case), well, that just isn’t fun for anyone. 

Actor Lili Reinhart has been very open about her skin struggles throughout her career, and turned those lemons into lemonade with her new skincare line, Personal Day. Personal Day is formulated for acne-prone skin types and is the result of years of research and testing by Reinhart and a team of dermatologists, estheticians, and even therapists. Because acne isn’t just something that shows up on your face—it can also take a toll on your confidence and mental health.

Read on for all the details from Reinhart herself, plus my first impressions and review.

The Inspiration

“[Acne] is something I’ve dealt with since I was 12 and the problem only got worse as I got older,” Reinhart tells Byrdie. “I tried everything, from lasers to LED lights to Accutane, but it was really once I started paying attention to what I was using on a daily basis where the biggest difference was made. It was a lightbulb moment that really was the birth of Personal Day.”

Reinhart calls her brand “a skincare support system” for those with sensitive or acne-prone skin. “[It is] packed with powerful ingredients chosen with intention and free from anything that can cause breakouts,” she explains. The brand also aims to be “a resource and community” for people dealing with low confidence and other mental health effects of acne. “Sometimes acne is a lifelong struggle that can make you feel very low and alone—and I have the deepest empathy for that feeling,” says Reinhart. “My hope is that Personal Day can be the catalyst for open and honest conversations around acne and provide a sense of solidarity and empowerment for those who are on their own skincare journey.”

The Formulas

Personal Day launched with a curated lineup of five products: a cleanser, acne tonic, moisturizer, peel, and calming mask. The products come in stylish green packaging that feels both sleek and natural; they’re cheerful but not cloying on your shelf, making your daily acne routine feel like a calming oasis versus a medicated chore. 

The hero products in the line are the Doing the Work Salicylic Acid Treatment, which helps fight acne and brighten skin, and the Dive Deep Mevalonic Moisturizer, which works to repair skin at the molecular level, produce collagen, strengthen the skin barrier, and help reduce hyperpigmentation. 

But wait, what’s mevalonic acid? According to Dr. Mamina Turegano, a triple-board-certified dermatologist who serves on the Personal Day board of experts, it’s a multitasking ingredient that helps with acne, barrier function, and anti-aging. “It is functionally a growth factor that drives your skin to repair at the molecular level, create more hyaluronic acid and collagen, and boost the skin barrier,” she explains. On the acne side, mevalonic acid may help with “regulating sebum production, protecting against bacterial overgrowth, and reducing inflammation.” 

Personal Day is formulated without common acne-triggering ingredients, explains Dr. Turegano. These include “cocoa butter, coconut oil and its derivatives, lanolin and its derivatives, petrolatum, silicones, isopropyl palmitate, laureth-4, stearic acid, and myristyl myristate.” Alcohol, SLS, and certain fragrances may also be irritating and thus disrupt the skin barrier, which can “make the skin more susceptible to acne,” she says. The brand can also be used in conjunction with acne medication or topicals prescribed by your derm.

Like I noted above, Reinhart has been refreshingly open about her struggles with acne and mental health, and the two can go hand-in-hand. “Stress and anxiety can show up on our skin, with cortisol increasing oil production and worsening breakouts,” explains Dr. Courtney Tracy, licensed psychotherapist and a member of Personal Day’s board of experts. “This creates a loop where the stress of a breakout makes the skin condition worse, and the worsening condition triggers more stress. A breakout can feel like losing control over your appearance, leading to frustration, sadness, or even a sense of hopelessness.” As someone who has dealt with really bad breakouts that even the heaviest concealer and foundation couldn’t hide, I relate—and I know how lonely and isolating it can feel to struggle with your skin when it seems like everyone else has a pristine complexion. 

My Review

I’ve tried a lot of acne products in my time, starting with good old Clean & Clear and Proactiv in my teenage years. Since my mid-twenties, I’ve been dealing with persistent hormonal acne, save for periods where I took medication for it. My skin has never really been what you’d classify as “good,” and I appreciate when stars like Reinhart and Keke Palmer talk about their acne issues. Thus, I was intrigued by Personal Day right from the jump. Could this be a celebrity skincare brand that actually works for people who don’t have access to derm treatments and lasers?

I tested the entire line over a period of four weeks; though I have a lot of redness, my skin is currently pretty clear, with breakouts typically timed to my cycle popping up around my nose and chin. (It may not look clear, but trust me!) I used the full suite of products almost-daily, save for the Even Keel Resurfacing Peel and Everybody Stay Calm Recovery Mask, which I used once during my testing period. My skin is pretty used to peels, so the resurfacing mask didn’t make a huge difference right away, but it would be a great intro product for someone who has less familiarity with active ingredients.

The Dive Deep Mevalonic Moisturizer was a standout; it’s in a pump-top tube, so you touch as little as possible, which is important for acne-prone skin types. It’s lightweight enough for daily use but still nourishing, and layered well with the rest of my routine with no caking or pilling. I also loved the Full Clarity Cleansing Powder, a powder-to-foam formula that removes oil, dirt, build-up, and makeup without overdrying. Just shake a bit into your wet hands, lather it up, and cleanse. (I took it on a weekend trip because it travels very well.) Using it was fun, and after cleansing, my skin felt balanced but clean.

Dr. Turegano is a fan of Doing the Work Salicylic Acid Treatment because of its “multipurpose ingredient list” of salicylic acid and smoothing acids like lactic and malic acid. The formula also includes azelaic acid, zinc, and niacinamide for their soothing, smoothing, brightening benefits. Though the ingredient list is packed, Doing the Work is gentle and doesn’t strip or dry out skin; I used it three nights a week and didn’t notice any redness, dryness, or flaking. 

Personal Day products retail from $24 for the cleansing powder to $38 for the moisturizer, so they fall right in the middle of the skincare spectrum. The cleansing powder and moisturizer have already become a must-have for me, and I’ll be reaching for the treatment whenever I feel some bumps and breakouts coming on.