Alix Earle has given fans an honest glimpse into her everyday morning routine. The 23-year-old influencer is the latest guest star to take part in Elle’s “Waking Up With” series, revealing her morning rituals, her go-to workout to start the day, and, of course, her current skin care routine—which happens to include a 2024 NewBeauty Award Winner.
The TikTok star has openly discussed her journey with adult acne on social media over the years, documenting both her successes and setbacks, along with the treatments and products she trusts for her skincare journey. Among them: the Vivant Skin Care 8% Mandelic Acid Serum ($73).
“It has a little dropper so I’ll do one on my forehead and one on each cheek,” she told viewers while applying the serum. “This has really helped with clearing up my skin, getting rid of any blemishes.”
The face serum, which is formulated without alcohol, fragrance, or essential oils, boasts a blend of brightening, firming, and antibacterial ingredients. The star ingredient is—you guessed it—mandelic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) praised for its gentle exfoliation and antibacterial properties that help combat acne-causing bacteria.
The serum also uses niacinamide (also known as vitamin B3), lauded for its role in regulating acne-triggering sebum production, its anti-inflammatory properties, and its ability to fade post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from acne scarring.
The Mandelic Acid Serum isn’t the only product she’s raved about from Vivant. Earle’s also a fan of its toner, though she didn’t specify which of the brand’s five formulations she uses. For those dealing with acne, Vivant recommends its 9% Mandelic Acid 3-In-1 Toner ($69) which features mandelic acid and witch hazel, an astringent, among its key ingredients.
During the video, she admitted that using a toner is still relatively new to her. Earle told viewers that she’s consistently amazed by how much makeup, residue, and impurities come off her face after swiping a cotton pad moistened with toner across her skin. “I don’t know how I wasn’t using one of these before,” she said.
Earle credits her TikTok success to her candidness about her acne struggles. (Worth noting: The University of Miami alum has 6.6 million followers and counting on the video sharing platform.) She delved deeper into how her openness contributed to her success during an interview with Howard Stern in May of last year.
“When I started out, I had no idea and I was trying to be picture perfect,” she said, referring to her mindset when she began posting on the app. “I thought that was the way to go. Then it honestly was the summer when I was at probably at my lowest point. I was dealing with a bunch of acne and I started posting about it.”
She shared a particular moment when she realized that honesty was the best approach to connect with her followers. “I had a brand video due and my manager was like, ‘Okay, Alex…’ and I was like, ‘I cannot do it.’ My acne was so bad, I could not post it,” she told Stern.
“Then I thought, ‘Wait, what kind of like message am I sending out here?’ It was so scary posting the first video with my skin raw without makeup. I refreshed it for like 30 minutes. I thought people were gonna say mean things, and then it was just an overwhelmingly nice, positive, supportive community.” The rest is history.
