Alix Earle’s acne has long been part of her brand.
Ms. Earle, a TikTok star with 8.3 million followers on the platform, rose to prominence by posting videos in which she spoke openly about her life as a college student at the University of Miami, including her struggles with her skin. This week, Ms. Earle debuted a skin care line called Reale Actives. (The unusual spelling is an anagram of Earle.)
“A new standard for acne-prone skin,” the header on the website reads, the words laid over video clips of a nearly nude Ms. Earle modeling the products as water rains down onto her face and body. The products — including a cleanser, a moisturizer and an acid serum meant to help even out skin texture — quickly sold out online. But even before they became available for purchase on Tuesday, some critics online questioned whether Ms. Earle was the best person to sell a consumer skin care line.
Some social media users called out Ms. Earle’s past use of strong prescription medications like Accutane to treat her acne, criticizing her for selling over-the-counter products after appearing to have success with prescription ones. Others criticized some of the ingredients in the products, such as shea butter, claiming they might be irritating for acne-afflicted skin.
“I can’t be launching a skin care company because I’ve done Accutane three times,” Ms. Earle said in a TikTok video responding to some early critics. “So I’m just a big fat liar,” she added, appearing to mimic her detractors.
“I knew this question was coming, so let me walk you through my skin journey,” she said, showing photos of her acne over the years and detailing the development of her product line alongside her dermatologist. Representatives for Ms. Earle declined to comment for this article.
Rachel Carlisle, a lifestyle content creator, said she felt that Ms. Earle’s foray into skin care seemed “authentic.”
“She’s been very vulnerable online,” Ms. Carlisle, who is 29 and lives in Biloxi, Miss., said, adding that she felt Ms. Earle had “built up trust” with her candor about her personal experiences with skin care. That honesty can help combat the cynicism and fatigue some people feel when they see an influencer promoting a new product.
Ms. Carlisle said she had received the Reale Actives line, which is being sold for $118, in a free P.R. package sent by the brand. (An initial impression: She liked that the products did not have strong scents.) A former nurse, Ms. Carlisle said that she felt people were unfairly criticizing Ms. Earle’s use of other prescription treatments. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all medication,” she said of Accutane, a brand name of the oral retinoid isotretinoin. “You don’t use it alone,” she added.
Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe, a cosmetic doctor in London, said she was interested to see how Ms. Earle and Reale Actives would use social media to help educate buyers about how to use the products properly.
“I’ve seen time and time again with patients that I consult with over the years, that they just do too much to their skin,” Dr. Ukeleghe said. “They’re cocktailing acids in the hope and desire that they’re going to somehow get clear skin. The intention is correct, but there’s an art to it.”
Olivia Markley, a 23-year-old content creator and aesthetician in Atlanta, said she wondered if the stigma around not having clear skin had negatively affected Ms. Earle’s debut.
“There’s definitely a stigma, like if you have acne, you shouldn’t be giving out skin care recommendations,” Ms. Markley said, describing times in her own work she had faced a similar reaction.
“People were like, ‘Why would I take a recommendation from you if you actively are breaking out?’” she said. It was still too early to judge the Reale Actives products, she said. (Like Ms. Carlisle, she received them free from the brand.) “I’m continuing to test it,” Ms. Markley added.
Nicole Glenn, 27, said she had struggled with acne and had previously taken Accutane. Products similar to the ones in Ms. Earle’s line ultimately helped her, she said.
“In my opinion, the way that she came out with this line truly was from the heart, because she dealt with all of that pain for all of those years,” said Ms. Glenn, an agronomist who lives in Owensboro, Ky.
Still, she recommended anyone looking to improve their own skin see an acne specialist before trying anything new.
Madison Malone Kircher is a Times reporter covering internet culture.
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