CREATE & CULTIVATE — From teen drama darling to beauty founder with a mission, Lili Reinhart is a shining star that reminds us authenticity is everything.

While millions first fell in love with her on Riverdale, Reinhart’s latest chapter is all about turning personal struggle into purpose with Personal Day, her acne-focused skincare brand built on honesty, empathy, and actually effective products.

After years of battling breakouts under the glare of Hollywood cameras and 16-hour glam days, she decided to create the kind of skincare experience she wished she had growing up: one that doesn’t shame you for having acne, but supports you through it. Personal Day feels refreshingly honest, and in a world that glamorizes the constant pursuit of perfection, it’s just what we need. Read about Lili Reinhart’s journey in her C&C 100 interview below.

You’re no stranger to the C&C100 list. We’re super excited to have you again. Since the last time we spoke, you’ve launched your new skincare brand, Personal Day. How does it feel to add entrepreneur to your resume?

It’s something that I didn’t ever see coming. I don’t think I ever had an intention to be an entrepreneur. And it was actually something that when it was first presented to me, I rejected out of the sort of fear of becoming another trope-y celebrity brand. It’s not something I wanted to do. So it honestly started off as a “not interested” situation until I found something that actually had a lot of meaning for me that I also knew could help a lot of people. It was a gap in the market that hadn’t been filled at the time.

So it was really only until there was a lightbulb moment of Personal Day and what the brand could bring to the market as a differentiator that it actually started to make sense to me. And so to have that — I guess I use the word founder more than entrepreneur because that’s what people say to me — being a founder is really cool, and I feel really proud of it.

You’ve openly spoken about your acne journey and trying to find solutions that worked for you. What was it like managing those concerns while constantly on camera, and how did that impact you both on-screen and off?

It was really tough. I’ve had acne since I was 12, but my first big experience dealing with consistent acne while working was on Riverdale. It was nine months out of the year shooting with makeup on my face for 16 hours a day, and that obviously wreaks havoc on your skin.

I remember specific days from literally 10 years ago being on set. I remember one day where I had a huge cystic pimple in the middle of my forehead, and I just felt so awful. I woke up that morning and said to myself, “This is going to be a horrible day, and I cannot wait to get this over with.”

I know the mental toll acne takes. It’s so debilitating and can interfere with truly every aspect of how you go about your day. I think you see acne brands throwing products at you with this fake promise of curing your skin forever, and I wanted Personal Day to be more accepting of the journey itself and also provide mental support because I know how awful it is. I wasn’t really seeing a brand that said, “I get it.”

Because I do. Acne is incredibly mentally difficult to overcome. I think there’s a difference between accepting something and trying to romanticize it. You can be confident with acne, but you can also feel bad about it. Some days I would have a pimple and feel terrible. Other days I’d feel okay. There’s a large spectrum there, and accepting the whole journey was important for Personal Day.

What’s something about building a skincare brand that people don’t talk about enough?

I think it’s the emotional aspect. That was a really important pillar for Personal Day. It had to have emotion behind it because there is no person who experiences acne without an emotional experience attached to it.

Whether you’re crying or just feeling less confident, there’s something emotional there. When I’m going through a breakout, there’s a sense of desperation and deep frustration. I’ve cried many times over my skin.

As a founder, I wanted to have empathy and make sure the brand reflected that. I actually want empathy to shine even more powerfully through our messaging as we continue to grow. I really want to expand on the mental health component because I think it’s often left out of the acne skincare space.

Did you raise capital to launch Personal Day? And if so, what surprised you most about that process?

The whole process of becoming a founder was such a learning experience, so I really had to rely on other people, which is important. You have to surround yourself with the best people.

We did raise capital to launch the brand, and we were very intentional about who we partnered with. They had to understand the emotional connection. My ears definitely perked up when I found out someone I was talking to had struggled with acne because then I didn’t have to explain what it feels like.

Honestly, I didn’t go to business school. I didn’t go to college at all. So I had to rely on people who knew a lot more about this than I did. I think it was important to acknowledge that I wasn’t walking into the room as the person who knew everything. I’m the student in the room. I have ideas, I have experience with acne, I have empathy and a fan base — but I have to trust the business people around me with the experience I don’t have. Yeah. You have to acknowledge when you’re not the smartest person in the room, especially me, because I don’t have a business background. I’m the first person to admit that.

What does success look like to you now versus when you first moved to LA to act?

It’s weird. Success feels like a ladder that keeps getting taller and you never fully get to the top and appreciate the view because you’re always trying to keep climbing.

If you had told me 10 years ago where I’d be today — career-wise and having a business — I would’ve thought, “Wow, I’ve achieved so much.” But in the moment, it can be hard to recognize that because there’s constant pressure to do more, make more money, book bigger movies.

Especially in Hollywood, there’s this constant competition. But now, success to me is maintaining a healthy lifestyle and work-life balance. When I’m not on set, I’m fully focused on Personal Day and my production company. When I am shooting, I have to rely on my team.

I think success is remembering to stop and actually look at how far I’ve come instead of constantly climbing a ladder that doesn’t really have a top.

What’s something you would do more of if you had more time?

If I didn’t have a fear of airports and flying, I would fly home to my family more. I wasn’t always afraid of travel, but over the last couple years I’ve gotten more anxious about it.

I get jealous of people who live close to their families. I moved to California when I was 18, so I’m very far from my family geographically even though we’re really emotionally close. I would love to be around them more.

What is something you will not sacrifice in the name of success? Have you ever had to turn down opportunities in order to stay aligned with your vision and values?

Totally. I’ve turned down a lot of money for brand deals because I really ride or die for authenticity. As someone whose job is to play other people, I find it nearly impossible in my real life to lie or portray anything that isn’t genuinely me. It’s honestly to a fault.

In the beginning of my career, if I was offered a brand opportunity with a check attached, I’d say yes because I didn’t know any better. But now I feel privileged enough to make conscious decisions about what aligns and what doesn’t.

Especially now that I have my own brand, it feels muddy to promote other brands. I’ve turned down a lot of opportunities because I want my focus to stay on Personal Day. I don’t want someone discovering I have a skincare line and then seeing me post a completely different skincare product. There always has to be a “why.” Otherwise I can’t authentically show up for it.

What do you think makes Personal Day such a game changer for people who experience acne?

I think it’s important to note that when Riverdale first came out 10 years ago, I was being sent PR products for the first time in my life and I was trying everything. If something was sent to me and I Googled it and found out it was $200, there wasn’t a thought in my mind that it could be bad for my skin. Then years later, I realized those products weren’t formulated for people like me.

The term “acne-safe” is almost a marketing tactic sometimes. We’re trying to redefine that in terms of being non-comedogenic. We have a blacklist of ingredients that we formulate without that aren’t pore-clogging but are also great for your long-term skin health.

Our products are dermatologist-developed and we work closely with Dr. Mamina and my personal esthetician, Sarah Ford. We’re not trying to romanticize acne because we understand the real experience of it and the weight that comes with it. We’re really trying to create the most effective OTC formulas.

And I’m so proud when people DM me saying the products changed their skin. I was looking at my DMs last night and a 50-year-old man messaged me saying he’d never found anything that worked for his skin except Personal Day. My 20-year-old cousin said she’d never been complimented on her skin before until using it.

That’s honestly a better compliment to me than someone complimenting my acting because I used the opportunity and exposure I had to put something meaningful into the world that actually helps people.

Rapid fire POP QUIZ:

The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is:
Kiss my dog.

If I had one more hour in the day, I would:
Pick up a hobby. I love painting but I only do it like twice a year. I’d love to spend more time doing something creative with my hands.

A song that describes the era I’m in right now is:
“Sunny Side of Heaven” by Fleetwood Mac.

My current obsession is:
Pizza. My boyfriend just had a movie come out called Pizza Movie, so we’ve been eating pizza every two days. I’m in my pizza era.

Three words to describe the legacy I want to leave behind:
For Personal Day: trustworthy, compassionate, effective.