Can We Stop Bringing Up Everyone On Love Island's Acne?

Cosmopolitan

7 days ago

'His acne is his karma,' writes a Redditor about Nicolas Vansteenberghe, a contestant on season 7 of Peacock's Love Island USA. 'The whole time I was looking at that fuck ass pimple and just laughing at it,' another chimes in. On another thread, someone noted islander Taylor Williams was wearing a slew of pimple patches on his face. 'Lend one to your bro,' they said, referencing Nic's breakout. (And when he finally does stick on a pimple patch, people pointed that out too.) On TikTok, Facetune's editing out Nic's pimple with the caption, 'the nerve he had to dump Bella-A with this bombshell on his face…' People shared a gazillion videos highlighting islander Austin Shepard's breakouts. 'Anyone else wish they could pop these, or am I insane?' one person wrote. 'Nasty pimples,' another added.
The presence of acne makes sense to me. The humid climate in Fiji, new products, sharing a bed with someone new, constant face-to-face action, heightened stress—all of the above are the perfect recipe for breakouts. But what doesn't make sense is why someone's zits are such a cause for ridicule and speculation at our big ages?
It's uncharted territory seeing acne on TV when it's not a plot point. There aren't really any other reality shows without producer intervention (dabbing on some concealer or powder whenever a contestant has a zit or a lil excess shine). Over the years, we've gotten a few episodes of Summer House that showcased a few breakouts on Paige DeSorbo and Amanda Batula—both of which resulted in partnerships with acne-friendly skincare brand Face Reality. But on Love Is Blind, The Bachelor, The Ultimatum, Temptation Island, Are You The One—I've never seen a contestant with an angry zit on their face.
Love Island is really in a league of its own, showing us very real and up-close shots of people without professionals glamming them up. Throwback to Ronnie Vint on the U.K. version last summer after he'd washed the Toppik fibers out of his scalp before bed, unveiling a hairline that was much farther back than we'd seen earlier in the episode. And even when the islanders do have makeup on, it's all done by themselves. We see women meticulously apply a face every morning that's intended to look "light and natural," before spending all day in the sun, followed by another full-beat routine before nighttime in the villa. Before bed, we watch our islanders indulge in their skincare routines: removing their makeup with cleansing wipes, shaving in the mirror, combing a spoolie through their eyelash extensions, and wrapping their hair up in a silk bonnet.
I love seeing those moments because it's a reminder that these are all real people who've signed up to have their lives and emotions broadcast in 4K. Look, I get it: When you sign up for reality TV fame and the potential to win $100,000, you put yourself at risk for audience commentary. The contestants on season 7 are getting that criticism far more than any other season of the USA franchise, and even more than I've noticed in U.K. seasons past. But the incessant remarks about the islanders' skin this year prove that we still have a really narrow view of acne—one that believes it's embarrassing, something we can control, and, worst of all, makes a person gross and unattractive.
It's frustrating, and something I thought, as a beauty editor with a face of acne as I'm typing this, we'd gotten past. Acne is, first and foremost, a hormonal bodily response. When your hormones fluctuate—like during puberty or on your period, or truly, at any given time, based on my personal experience—your sebaceous glands kick into overdrive, which mix with dead skin cells and bacteria and clog your pores. It's almost entirely out of your control and due to genetics. It's most definitely not a karmic response for breaking things off with a romantic interest. Sure, there are intervention tactics, like washing your face every night, exfoliating with a salicylic acid toner or serum, or seeing your dermatologist for prescription topicals and medications. However, there's no cure whatsoever, and a zit can pop up at any time—especially when you've suddenly found yourself in a love triangle in Fiji.
No one's immune to breakouts. So why do we feel the need to point it out when we see one on Peacock? Maybe Nic and Austin aren't our favorite islanders, but who really cares if they've got acne on their faces? If we want to watch all the crash-outs and connections and drama, we've also gotta deal with the other very-human aspects of reality stars, including the potential zit on their face.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.