Lili Reinhart On Her Intimate Mental Health and Skin-Care Secrets

Actor, acne advocate and founder of skin-care brand Personal Day, Lili Reinhart, shares her wellness rituals.

Healing Powers

“I work with different healers, so when I was feeling down a few weeks ago, I booked a Zoom with this woman I’ve been working with for years. I’m a Reiki Master, but when I want to pull out the big guns, I go to people who consider themselves channelers or psychics.”

Skin-Care Solutions

“I use Personal Day every day, top to bottom. I didn’t want to create products that I wasn’t going to be proud of using. I also try to do monthly facials with my aesthetician Sarah Ford for help with extractions. I try not to look at my own skin in harsh lighting because then I pick at it, so I leave that to the pros. I also like LED light.”

Micro Manage

“Every now and then, I do microneedling. I’m trying to do it as long as I can before I venture into Botox. There’s no shame in Botox, but I’m just trying to hold off as long as I can. Wrinkles don’t bother me. It’s more about making sure my makeup looks good, and nothing settles into lines if I can help it. I’m not afraid to see my skin get old, but microneedling helps smooth things out.”

Great Outdoors

“We underestimate the power of nature. Whenever you go to a body of water or on a hike, you’re always like, ‘Wow, I need to do this more.’ You never do one of those adventures and think, ‘Well that sucked.’ Making space to do more activities or spend more time outside connected to something that’s not man-made is good for our mental health. I’m in Williamsburg right now [at time of press], so I get to walk by the water, and I think that’s a beautiful little gift to have. It’s just a peaceful moment in my day.”

Balancing Act

“I like to start my mornings with an iced oat latte and a pastry of some sort. I’m about to go shoot in Montreal, and I’m very excited because I know they’ll have amazing pastries. They’ll probably roll their eyes at my iced latte, but I’m American, what can I say? I just love a pain au chocolat or a glazed donut.

I’m trying to be more conscientious about what I eat. I say that as I’m talking about lattes and donuts, but I’m trying to make sure that the meals I do have contain enough protein to give me the energy I need. I’m not relying on carbs to get through the day, because, with inflammatory issues, you don’t want to rely on sugar or carbs, even though it’s a challenge.”

Support Team

“I stay in touch with my therapist and psychiatrist. I have wonderful people in my life. I reach out to my boyfriend and my mom when I’m feeling bad. I think it’s helpful for the people in your life to know when you’re more sensitive or likely to be triggered. I’m fortunate to have the most supportive partner. He made a world of a difference when I felt sick.”

Community Mindset

“The acne community, or the vocalization of acne awareness and how it affects your mental health, is louder than it’s ever been, and I think TikTok has really helped. There’s more empathy for the experience. There’s more support available, and that was a big pillar of Personal Day. I wanted to create a line that helped people with skin like mine, and bring in that mental component. Anyone with acne has experienced the mental effects. I was looking for a brand that acknowledged the hardships of it on your mental health, so I wanted to bring that into Personal Day.”

Advocating for Yourself

“My grandmother passed away last year, and she was a big catalyst for me talking about my physical health. She was an 80-year-old woman telling doctors something was wrong, and they were blatantly ignoring her. It turned out she had ovarian cancer, so she had to fight for her symptoms to be taken seriously. It was only because she didn’t take no for an answer that she was even diagnosed. I come from a line of women who are vocal about when they don’t feel well. I try to be vocal about what I’m going through, and that tends to get me answers because I don’t stop fighting and I don’t let doctors gaslight me.”