I Tried Alix Earle’s Acne Skincare Line — & Have Lots Of Feelings About It

I wasn’t at all surprised when Alix Earle launched her own skincare brand. I’m not a hater, so my first reaction was genuine excitement on her behalf. Yes, the beauty industry — and especially the microcosm of influencer-led brands — is already bursting at the seams, but as someone who’s dealt with acne myself, I’ve always appreciated how open Earle has been about her skin journey. That alone doesn’t necessarily mean you’re qualified to start your own company. But if you have both the resources and a deeply engaged community, it would almost be foolish not to explore it.

Moments like this are when I’m especially grateful for my job. As a lifelong beauty lover turned editor (who underwent her own Accutane journey at 19), I don’t take for granted that I get a front-row seat to test new brands and products for a living. So when my pistachio-green Reale Actives PR box landed on my doorstep, I did what anyone would do: I immediately tore into it and lined everything up on my bathroom counter. Four products at launch felt good — enough to establish a clear point of view without veering into “more for the sake of more” territory. 

The range itself, formulated in part with Earle’s own dermatologist, Dr. Kiran Mian, is anchored by its so-called “Reale Standards” — essentially the brand’s Ten Commandments (there are nine, for the record). Some are what you’d expect from any modern skincare line — vegan, cruelty-free, free of synthetic fragrance — but others reinforce its positioning as an acne-focused brand. Think: non-comedogenic formulas (meaning they shouldn’t clog pores) and products that are dermatologist-developed, tested, and approved. 

First up is Get Bare, a cleansing balm powered by squalane, green tea extract, and cica — a trio that signals soothing, hydrating support while melting away makeup. Then there’s Pore Power, an LHA (lipohydroxy acid, a surface-level exfoliant) and BHA-infused gel cleanser designed to brighten and gently resurface but remain mild enough for daily use. 

Go Deep, an 8% mandelic acid serum, is the clear hero of the lineup — the silver bottle sets it apart from the rest of the brand’s signature green packaging, and targets tone and texture with a focus on brightening and resurfacing. Rounding things out is Dew More, Reale Actives’ moisturizer, which leans into barrier support with lactobacillus ferment and ectoin, alongside tried-and-true hydrators like glycerin and ceramides. It also contains shea butter — arguably the most divisive ingredient in the mix, especially for acne-prone skin, but more on that later. 

Prices range from $28 for the cleanser to $39 for the serum, with a set including the full routine clocking in at $118 (which knocks $14 off the à la carte price of all four products). Based on what I test regularly, it lands on the more accessible end of prestige — a noticeable step up from drugstore, but not quite luxury. 

After testing everything for a little over two weeks, I was overall impressed by the brand. That said, the cleansing balm was the weakest link for me. It gets the job done — it removes makeup effectively, and I do appreciate the twist-up packaging (far more sanitary than digging my fingers into a jar) — but the texture and overall experience felt just fine. I had to massage it in more than I typically do with other balms to melt off every morsel of makeup, and it left behind more residue than I prefer (which, yes, comes off in step two of my double cleanse, but still). At this price point, there are simply better options out there. 

From there, though, things only improved. The gel cleanser was a standout, especially when I paired it with my Foreo Luna 4, which helps really work the formula into my skin and ensures I’m leaving it on long enough to actually do something. As someone who gets especially oily around the nose and chin, I appreciated the one-two punch of lipohydroxy acid (an oil-soluble derivative of salicylic acid) and willow bark extract (your BHA here). Together, they deliver a deep clean that decongests without getting that dry, tight post-wash feeling. 

Then there’s Go Deep, the 8% mandelic acid serum. Mandelic acid isn’t typically a first-line ingredient for treating acne (unlike salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, both of which treat active breakouts), but it is increasingly being used for brightening and exfoliation. In the long term, it can help treat hyperpigmentation and prevent flare-ups from happening. I’m already biased here — mandelic acid is one of my favorite exfoliants for its ability to gently resurface while delivering noticeable brightening. I’ve gone through multiple bottles of Sofie Pavitt Face’s Mandelic Clearing Serum (also with 8% of the namesake ingredient), and I have to admit that Reale Actives’ version holds its own as an affordable alternative. It didn’t sting or irritate my skin at all, and the addition of soothing ingredients like cica and arginine, alongside brightening licorice root, all get a green flag from me. 

Last but not least: Dew More, the moisturizer that’s been quietly stirring debate online thanks to its inclusion of shea butter — a somewhat controversial ingredient in acne-focused skincare due to its oily consistency at room temperature (our beauty director steers clear of it herself).

According to Ramón Pagán, a cosmetic chemist, product developer, and co-host of the Divine Skintervention podcast, nuance matters. “Shea butter is a great moisturizing ingredient and can provide a lot of positive attributes, even at low concentrations,” he explains. But there’s a catch: “It’s composed of a mixture of fatty acids — primarily stearic and oleic acids — which, at higher concentrations, can be associated with pore-clogging potential.” Personally, it’s never been a breakout trigger for me (I have plenty of others, just not this one), and at lower concentrations, it’s not automatically a red flag.

Even with the inclusion of shea butter, I found that this was a pretty lightweight moisturizer; it’s definitely not heavy or slippery under makeup. Actually, it reminded me of a slightly thicker version of Rhode’s Peptide Glazing Fluid. During the colder, drier months, I could see myself using Dew More morning and night, but since it’s already heating up here in Texas, I’m going to likely use this as my PM moisturizer and stick to my Neutrogena Hydro Boost SPF 50 for AM.  

If we’re judging purely on formulas, there's not necessarily anything groundbreaking — but that doesn’t mean it’s bad, either. As I said, I had an overwhelmingly positive experience with the products. Did it radically transform my skin? No. But also, I didn’t necessarily need it to. I’m 32, with very few fine lines and wrinkles thanks to genetics and wearing sunscreen daily, and I deal with the occasional, generally manageable breakout. I think the value in Reale Actives is, of course, getting to experience a piece of Earle’s world and her POV on skincare. (Put it this way: A Dior lip balm isn’t just another lip balm, right?)

It also helps to dissect value based on the formulas themselves: “Looking at the moisturizer, I see it focusing on barrier support,” Págan says. “That being said, I see a lot of ingredients I wouldn't consider necessary. You see a lot of humectants [essentially water magnets that help skin retain moisture], fatty acids, natural moisturizing factors, but also a lot of ingredients supporting user experience and haptics.” In other words, this isn’t your typical, prescriptive acne-targeted skincare line — but rather more of an acne-friendly routine that still feels luxurious and sensorial.

“Looking at the ingredients list, a serum is going to be my main point of investment as it's a leave-on with a treatment focus,” says Págan. “I see a good range of ingredients for blemishes, but as with most of the line, I don't know if it warrants the price point.” 

This routine will likely resonate most with people like me (and Earle), whose more aggressive breakouts are behind them, and who are now focused on maintenance, plus addressing lingering pigment and texture. The noticeable absence of heavy-hitting acne treatments, like a salicylic acid spot treatment or sulfur mask, feels intentional (though I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that those are eventually in the pipeline). 

Of course, no single brand is going to work for everyone — there’s no such thing as a universally loved skincare product — and no one, including Alix Earle herself, is suggesting you overhaul your entire routine in favor of Reale Actives. If the goal were to recreate a Proactiv-esque three-step system, this would look very different. Instead, the approach feels more supportive than prescriptive. As Págan puts it, “In a routine that leans on acne-targeting actives — which can often be irritating and drying — it’s equally important to support skin hydration and the barrier.” 

All in all, I think Reale Actives isn’t overpromising anything, but is it trying to make acne sexy, or help you get rid of it? On Reale Actives’ website, a brand mission statement reads, “Reale Actives is here to make acne care fun, sexy, and understandable!” In my experience, though, “fun” and “sexy” are probably the last two adjectives I’d use to describe how I felt when my skin was at its most inflamed. For many people, acne isn’t just skin deep — it can be painful both physically and emotionally. To me, Reale’s messaging feels disconnected from reality at best, tone deaf at worst — especially when it’s framed as “fun.”

It also brings up a bigger question. Is this idea of acceptance only embraced when acne isn’t particularly severe? On the other hand, as the skin positivity movement leaves a lot to be desired, I genuinely hope Earle believes she can help shift the conversation by keeping acne visible and talking about it. Whether or not future imagery is more forthcoming when it comes to featuring models with active acne remains to be seen — but I for one would find that genuinely, refreshingly real(e).