Banish Founder Daisy Jing Wants You to Flex Your Confidence

Do you still get acne? How do you feel about it now?

I still get acne, of course. I will probably always get it [laughs]. Probably, I’ll be like an 80-year-old with acne. But you know what? Having acne has allowed me to create this brand and, furthermore, has allowed Banish to give back people’s confidence. When I get a pimple now, it’s like, ‘Oh! No big deal. Now I have a reason to show on social media how to treat this pimple. Before, it was so traumatic for me if I had acne because I knew it would leave a scar no matter what. But now, I feel more prepared. Now I know I can use the Banisher to help with the scarring afterwards. I’m armed with these products.

Did you ever imagine you would be excited to share your acne with such a large audience?

Never, never, no. It’s still really hard. What is that called…imprinting? As a child or as a teenager, you’re imprinted to hide your skin. So naturally, that’s what comes to me all the time. Sometimes, if I don’t feel like I’m having a good skin day, I want to put a big mask over my face or put a hoodie on. But I think it’s almost like exercise. You have to practice, right? Practice putting yourself out there, practice being a little bit uncomfortable and practice being confident. It doesn’t come easily. I also think me having imperfect skin has honestly helped with the brand because people can relate. They can relate to my story. They can relate to my scars. They see I’m a real person. They see I still break out.  So, I always say, ‘OK, Daisy. When you show your skin, people can relate to you, so don’t be scared.’

Do you have any suggestions for someone who’s struggling with their self-confidence because of the way their skin looks?

I would say look at our social media account. Look at our warriors’ accounts. They’re huge social media influencers who have made a following showcasing their acne. So just [realize] that you’re not alone.You’re part of this amazing community. And then, [take] that focus away from what you don't like about yourself to what you do like about yourself. Do your hair, do your eye makeup, fashion or just figure out something that you can focus on. Focus on the positive.

We also created our Banish Battle Book, and this year, we included it free in every purchase of our Starter Kit. It's a planner to help you divert the attention away from your acne and to other positive aspects of yourself — because you’re so much more than the way you look.

How does it make you feel to see people’s before-and-after photos and hear their success stories from using Banish?

The before and afters are great to see, but I think what makes me the most excited is people who are like, ‘Oh my gosh. For the first time, my fiancé saw me without makeup,’ or ‘Post-COVID, I used to always have to wear a mask — not only for COVID, but to cover up my acne. Now I feel confident where I can go out and not have that and not wear layers of makeup or any makeup.’

That makes me the most happy — that people are able to bring their power back. Because when you have acne, you feel so powerless. But they’re like, ‘You know what? My skin has texture. That’s okay. That’s normal. I’m not going to let that stop me from living my life.’ That is what I love to hear. That is why I do what I do.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.