Montana Cox opens up about her struggles with problem skin
LOOKING at Australian model Montana Cox, it’s hard to spot a single blemish. So why is the 23-year-old the face of a new acne device in Australia?
LOOKING at Australian model Montana Cox, it’s hard to spot a single blemish. The girl glows.
But despite being pimple-free, the Melbourne-born beauty, 23, has become the new face of Neutrogena’s Light Acne Therapy Mask — a device created to treat mild to moderate facial breakouts.
Sitting across the table from winner of Australia’s Next Top Model in 2011, the collaboration seems a like an odd match.
“Neutrogena came to me and I was really excited about the product,” she told news.com.au.
“I’m a model so I need to have smooth skin and clear skin all the time. It was a really exciting collaboration and I’m really excited to be a part of it.”
Cox says her job as an international model means she breaks out “all the time” — but admits she never suffered from acne the way her long-term partner, Jamie Valmorbida, did as a teenager.
“I would always suffer from pimples growing up, like any teenager would,” she said.
“I never had cystic acne ... but I’d have pimples under the skin, and that was enough for me to not feel great about myself and say ‘I don’t want to go to school today’.
“My boyfriend had really bad acne and he would go to parties and not even think about talking to some people because he’d just be thinking they are looking at his face. It was really soul crushing for him to have that.”
Cox, who now lives in New York while Mr Valmorbida is in Melbourne, said her experience with problematic skin “is a stab to anyone’s confidence”,
“Even when I have it now, and I go in to shoots with bad skin — I don’t want to go in to the shoot because it’s my job to have great skin all the time.
A spokesperson for Neutrogena said despite her clear complexion, Cox’s description aligned perfectly with the new product.
“The reason we have chosen to partner with Montana is she embodies the Neutrogena brand,” the spokesperson said.
“That real authentic, natural, beautiful person and that woman who we’d like to see what’s possible.”
In a statement, a spokesperson on behalf of Neutrogena said Cox is a “perfect ambassador for the mask.
“Montana is an international model who suffers from breakouts as she’s constantly travelling, shooting and wearing makeup,” the statement read.
“She’s a perfect ambassador for the mask, as the device is specifically targeted at people who have mild to moderate acne.”
“It is a stab to your confidence when you do have bad skin,” Cox added.
“With flying my skin gets dry, I touch my face all the time and I break out with different make up products, it’s nice to know I can have something to prevent it.”
Earlier this year, retail giant David Jones ended their relationship. But Cox says the decision enabled her to focus on more work overseas — despite the international market having different expectations that homegrown agencies.
“The US is very different,” she said.
“I’ve always found it is a bit more pressure. Australia is very healthy body image, and really pushes that. Overseas is a bit of a different story.
“I personally haven’t had too many issues ... but sometimes they will measure you up and ask you to lose an inch or two.
“You get told things all the time by different people, but I just see it as people want what they want and if you don't fit that criteria it’s nothing against you. It’s just not what the client wanted, so I’ve never taken it to heart.”
