Here’s How Lucy Hale Deals With Her Cystic Acne

Needless to say, when you star on a show called Pretty Little Liars, your skin plays just as a big a role as your scene-stealing character. Lucy Hale, who plays Aria Montgomery on the hit Freeform series, understands this all too well. She also knows the struggles of handling cystic acne as an adult.

In an exclusive interview, Hale spoke to Byrdie about the struggles of hormonal acne after age 21.

“The day I turned 21, my skin just went nuts," she said. The change seemed to have come out of nowhere. The now 27-year-old actress noted that she had a clear complexion as a kid. Handling acne as an adult was a struggle she didn’t see coming.

Since that initial breakout, she’s had ups and downs with her skin. Though, according to her Byrdie interview, she’s finally found a routine and the right products to keep everything in check. Among her tips she recommends double cleansing. “Double cleansing is what it's really about for me,” she said. On heavy makeup days, Hale uses DHC Deep Cleansing Oil ($28) to remove makeup. She then follows that up with Restorsea Reviving Cleanser ($65) and her Clarisonic, to ensure her pores are clear of excess makeup. Though she warns not to over exfoliate. As for her preffered exfoliation product of choice? She uses Lancer The Method Polish ($75) twice a week to keep skin bright and refreshed.

Hale also confessed to being a huge fan of SkinCeuticals and regular facials. “I'm a huge fan of SkinCeuticals. I want everything. It's so expensive, but it's worth it. SkinCeuticals moisturizer and eye cream are great,” she said. "I'm really diligent about facials. If I can go once a week, I'll do it."

While Hale chatted plenty about her favorite prods and beauty routines, she also spoke a lot about overall health. It turns out she’s a SoulCycle fanatic claiming it helped transform her mind and body. “I go home, and my dad’s like, ‘You L.A. hippie with your crystals and your SoulCycle!’ I always used to make fun of those people, but now I think it’s just magic.”