Beyond the Breakout: The Story Behind Simply Skin

Hi! My name is Brenna and I am a 17 year old high school student from Florida. In the summer of 2024, I started an initiative called Simply Skin. 

Simply Skin club members at Jupiter High School smile behind 115 skincare kits that were donated to The Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach County.

Like many teenagers my age, I spent years facing a wide variety of skin challenges—most notably acne. However that only scratched the surface, as I transitioned through puberty and grew from a kid to a teen, I found myself lost, overwhelmed, and deeply struggling with skin issues like keratosis pilaris, facial redness, blackheads and, of course, severe acne. 

My skin impacted far more than just my appearance. It shaped how I felt about myself, how I showed up around people, and how confident I was doing the simplest things—like going to school or hanging out with friends. Rather than being just one part of me, my skin became something I felt I had to hide.

 I have memories of middle school from around the time when I began to experiment with makeup and skincare (probably around 7th grade). I would wake up each morning and smear my face with concealers and foundations just to cover up the red dots and marks that, for most, looked like a few pimples, but for me, represented my self-worth.

 Instead of talking to a dermatologist or doing real, scientific research online, I used social media as a way to absorb information. With that, came overcomplicated, harsh, and expensive routines with up to 10 products that I was putting on my face every morning and night. My body and soul felt exhausted, and every day I saw no change—if anything, my skin was just getting worse.

My skin became something I was truly ashamed of. I felt isolated, embarrassed, and hopeless—like I was wearing a mask I couldn’t take off.

 My skin journey has been far from perfect— and there’s no such thing as “perfect skin” to begin with. I’ve learned that real skin has bumps, grooves, pores, and imperfections. Skin isn't the filtered, airbrushed, and glass-smooth look that it is portrayed as on social media. Skin is imperfect, it is dynamic, and it is alive. It is the largest organ in your body and it helps you do all kinds of amazing things like feel, sense, sweat, and regulate temperature. Your skin is powerful, it can grow, repair, and heal without you even thinking about it. Sure, skin is amazing, but it is far from perfect.

As I began to reflect more and research the science behind skin, I realized that while you can’t erase imperfections, you can support and protect your skin with science-backed, gentle routines and you can work towards combating hormonal skin changes like acne. 

How? By working with your skin, not against it. 

One night during the summer after my freshman year of high school, my best friend Bailey and I had a sleepover. We were up late talking—as girls do—and we both opened up about our skin struggles. We both deeply struggled with acne; it profoundly affected both our physical and mental health. 

And we talked about the problems we saw in the way teenage skin was handled and discussed. We touched on the highly expensive and inaccessible skincare product industry and the overwhelming amount of misinformation about teenage skin on social media. 

We also noted the amount of harmful and overexpensive products being pushed to teens by online influencers and how overwhelming the slew of information all felt. Lastly, we talked about the stigma around skin and how rare it was for teens to open up about their skin struggles and share how they were actually feeling. 

We realized that we couldn't be the only ones feeling this way—So many teens must be struggling with their skin and self confidence… 

So why is no one talking about this?

 From there, Simply Skin was sparked. 

As we spoke with more friends and peers, it became clear: teen skin issues are extremely common, and they impact more than appearance. They affect self-esteem, emotional wellness, and social confidence. But no one was truly talking about it in a real, honest way.

 So we decided to start something that would. 

Simply Skin's goal is to provide clean, teen-friendly skincare products to underserved teens in the community while spreading science-backed skin health education in order to promote confidence and wellness for all teenagers. We aim to make skincare accessible, not exclusive—helping teens feel supported, understood, and confident in their skin without shame, pressure, or perfection.

At the time this blog post is being written, Simply Skin has been operating for just over a year. So far, we’ve donated over 2,000 skincare kits, including cleansers, moisturizers, sunscreens, acne treatments, and healing ointments. These kits have gone to local organizations like The Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach County, The Lord’s Place, and Edna Runner Tutorial Center.

 We also participated in the 2025 Palm Beach County Back-to-School Bash, helping prepare over 1,500 students in Belle Glade for the school year by providing hygiene kits and school supplies. Thanks to incredible partnerships with CeraVe (donating over 15,000 products) and Waters Edge Dermatology in Jupiter, we’ve been able to scale our impact.

Simply Skin now operates at Jupiter High School and Dreyfoos School of The Arts with over 75 active members who assist in assembling kits, writing personalized notes to teens who receive them, and participate in skin health education. 

More importantly, they’re part of a community working to de-stigmatize skin struggles—and turn insecurity into empowerment.

Watching our community grow has been truly heartwarming. I’m so proud of what we’ve built, and even more excited for what’s ahead.

Whether your skin is clear, oily, red, dry, bumpy, acne-prone, or anything in between—you’re not alone.

Simply Skin isn’t just about skincare. It’s about self-care, science, and support—for every teen who’s ever felt unseen in their own skin.

With love, 

Brenna