Summer House’s Amanda Batula gets real about acne and depression…

“You really have to trust the process. It took about three months for me to see big results.”

Jul 08, 2025

This summer is markedly different from last year’s. I’ve alluded to this before, but let me say it clearly: I’ve dealt with depression for most of my life, but last year was particularly difficult, with the worst of it beginning in July. It ebbs and flows without warning, but I’m (mostly) fine now.

Big changes that made a difference: seeking out a therapist and psychiatrist. Easy, simple things that helped: sitting in the sun (yes, I have a favorite bench in the city); long walks; reading. And while I’m not necessarily one for reality TV—though I’m unapologetic about my love for Love Island (UK, because I’m a purist)—Summer House became a big comfort during that time. (If you’re not familiar, a group of friends share a house in the Hamptons. That’s it.)

You can imagine then why it was pretty thrilling to get invited on a trip with Face Reality (the boutique, acne-focused skincare brand) and their ambassador and Summer House star Amanda Batula, who’s very open about her struggles with acne but also about her experience with depression. I said yes, obviously, and spent a couple of days in the Catskills with her and the brand team.

Below, we sat down to chat about living with depression, how she manages her acne, and the importance of facials (we share a facialist!).

DB: You were pretty open with your struggle with depression online, but as someone with a large platform, I could understand why you wouldn’t be—while there should absolutely be no shame around mental health, people have the capacity to be cruel. What inspired you to speak up?
Amanda Batula: Depression is genetic, and it runs in my family. There wasn’t one big event that caused it. At the beginning, I kept trying to figure out what was going on with me—why I wasn’t getting back to people, why I wasn’t interested in anything, why I didn’t want to leave my couch, why I didn’t have energy or drive anymore. When I realized I was struggling with depression and could take steps to address it, it was a huge relief—I wasn’t just being an asshole; there was a reason for my behavior. And that wasn’t an excuse, but it was an explanation. That’s why I felt so open and eager to share what I was going through.

I understand why it felt important to put a name to what you were experiencing, because depression snuck up on me, too. All of a sudden you realize you haven’t left your apartment or talked to a single person in days—and asking for help feels so difficult.
Definitely. I was so depressed that the last thing I wanted to do was make a doctor’s appointment and actually go. I went on Hers and took their questionnaire fully thinking I had anxiety. The results said I was severely depressed with mild anxiety. I didn’t see that coming. They sent me a prescription, and the fact that I could do it all virtually made it so much easier to address. I see a psychiatrist now, but that was a big hurdle because I didn’t want to be judged. I know that might sound ironic because I felt comfortable talking about my depression publicly later, but it was harder to digest at first.

You’ve also mentioned that you found it easier to talk to someone who wasn’t as close to you. I understand that, too.
You’re already feeling depressed and down on yourself. The last thing you want to do is burden—or feel like you’re burdening—someone else with what you’re going through. The important thing is just to talk to someone; they don’t have to be in your immediate friend circle. That’s why I’ll never stop talking about depression. The amount of people who have messaged me to say thank you for being so open was surprising. Some even told me that just me talking about what I was feeling made them realize they were also depressed and needed help. You never know the impact you can have.

The important thing is just to talk to someone; they don’t have to be in your immediate friend circle.

Besides talking to your doctor and starting medication, were there other things that helped during really low periods?
Doing the most simple things—like sitting on the couch with my dog—makes me happy. Part of dealing with depression is giving myself the grace to do “nothing,” to sit on the couch and not feel like I have to meditate or be productive to feel better. That stuff is great if it helps you, but if I’m feeling like crap and want to order a hamburger or watch a movie, and that’s what’s going to make me feel good, then I’m going to do it—and I’m not going to be hard on myself about it. Of course, you can get stuck in that cycle, but you can give yourself a set amount of time to collect your feelings and veg out.

Remember: This won’t be forever.

Were you dealing with your acne at the same time as your depression?
That was another layer. I had been on birth control for 10 years, went off, stopped getting my period, lost a ton of weight, and then started breaking out like crazy. There were all these major changes happening in my body, and at one point—which I’m sure added to my depression—I ended up locking myself indoors. I didn’t want to go out. I didn’t want people to see me like that. Now I’m literally posting photos from my most insecure moments.

Before you found your now facialist Madalaina Conti, who I also love seeing, and Face Reality, what were you doing to address the issue?
I was seeing a dermatologist and taking spironolactone, which helped a bit with my hormonal acne. It definitely tamed things—I didn’t have those big cystic breakouts anymore; they weren’t as deep or painful—but I still needed to manage regular breakouts.

Similarly to birth control, spironolactone can be amazing but it’s not a permanent solution. It can just mask the problem. Once you stop taking it, your skin can go right back to where it was. What’s your protocol now?
Paige DeSorbo, my Summer House castmate, had worked with Face Reality. The line did wonders for her skin. Paige influences me all the time—I look up to her in a lot of ways—so I figured, if it worked for her, I was happy to give it a try. Face Reality emphasizes working with facialists—they have Ceritifed Acne Experts—and Madalaina was one in my area. I see her once a month for extractions and more intense treatments like peels.

I always double cleanse at night with the creamy cleanser and the ultra gentle gel cleanser. Then I use a moisture balance toner and the hydraremedy serum. I also have a sulfur spot treatment if I’m breaking out. And I’ll use the 10% acne med in the areas that typically flare up. Since it has benzoyl peroxide, I had to build up a tolerance so I could wear it overnight—before, I’d wash it off before bed. No moisturizer at night because it can counteract the acne treatment.

In the morning, I splash my face with cold water, use the salicylic+ serum, 11% mandelic serum, hydraremedy serum again, clearderma moisturizer, and spf 30. It’s all very straightforward and easy.

You really have to trust the process because everything kind of looks the same at first. It took about three months for me to see big results.

That’s why it’s so frustrating to go on an app like TikTok and see people promise that if you buy a certain water filter or product, your skin will magically clear up in days. That’s not how acne works. But I get it—when you’re desperate, you want to try anything that might help.
And honestly, that’s why it’s been so great to work with an aesthetician. As a regular person, you can end up doing more harm than good by mixing products and treatments that don’t play well together. But I can ask Madalaina if something actually works or if I’m just wasting money. Sometimes she’ll tell me to skip it, but when she approves, she’ll then tell me how to incorporate it into my routine.

We both clearly agree there’s no shame around acne, but you were filming Winter House while going through it. If you’re in a vulnerable place and want a little coverage—like you did for filming—are there products you recommend?
The Nars soft matte concealer pots did a really good job for me. I had four different shades that I mixed together and set with the Laura Mercier powder and Kosas cloud mist. Now I love Westman Atelier’s vital concealer—I use a little brush to apply it just where it’s needed. It does an amazing job covering up but still makes my skin look super natural. It doesn’t look cakey at all.

x DB