Social media users regularly applaud celebrities when they post a filter-free video or a photo without makeup, but one TikTok user recently got mixed reactions when she attempted to show off her own natural face.
Earlier this month, influencer Courtney Ball took to TikTok to give her followers a look at the "raw face" of a 28-year-old "who hasn't had any 'work' done."
As the camera zoomed in on her freckled complexion, Ball grinned, winked and added the following caption to the screen: “Wrinkles, freckles, sunspots, imperfections, breakouts, discoloration... all very normal.”
Sadly, some social media trolls failed to absorb the feel-good message and left negative comments ranging from, "Someone needs a hat," to "The sun is eating you up."
“Stay out of the sun jeez woman,” someone else wrote, while another replied, “don’t look a day over 40 👌.”
Ball says she wasn't surprised by the negative comments, but adds that she didn't take them to heart.
"I’m confident in the way I take care of myself, who I am and usually let negativity bounce off," she tells TODAY.com over email.
However, Ball was disappointed to see that complete strangers felt the need to spread so much negativity.
"It is quite baffling to me to see how negative people really can be, especially towards one another," she says.
Luckily, a flood of positive comments joined forces to drown out the haters.
“Why is everyone being so mean? I hope I look as good as she does when I’m 28 she’s so pretty,” one TikToker wrote.
Another person commented: “People saying she looks older are obviously conditioned by social media what a 28yo should look like She looks gorgeous and her age ❤️."
Ball says she originally decided to post the video because we rarely see an unfiltered glimpse of each other on social media these days.
"I thought it might be a refreshing reminder in the online space to those who feel the pressure of getting work done (as I have many times at 28), that they don’t need to just because those around them have. They can rock their natural beauty," she says.
Ball's video quickly went viral and has amassed over 8 million views. And while the positive comments now far outweigh the naysayers, the TikToker still felt compelled to post a few follow-up videos to set the record straight on a few points.
Most notably, she was eager to address critics who claimed that she must not wear sunscreen because she has so many freckles and sun spots.
"For those who don’t know me personally, of course they would assume I don’t wear sunscreen. So (I posted the videos) mainly to make it a point that I do wear sunscreen," she says.
In one of her follow-up videos, Ball told her followers that she certainly "made some mistakes" with her skin care routine over the years.
“I was a very naïve young girl when I moved to a very tropical climate, therefore I did not know how to properly take care of my skin. I thought I was invincible, apparently,” she says in the video.
While pointing out the areas of her skin that "need some help," Ball explained that the dark spots under her eyes are due to her life as the mother of a toddler. She added that crow's feet are genetic in her family and said she's had many freckles since birth.
From there, Ball felt inspired to reiterate the message from her original video.
"True beauty radiates from inside. No amount of SPF, (plastic surgery), cream, retinol, etc. can make you more ‘beautiful.’ It comes from within," she says.
This sense of confidence was hard-earned for Ball, who once struggled with body dysmorphia and eating disorders.
"As a young girl, I was so fixated on being perfect, so with age I have realized that’s just not reality. To put it short — I did the work it took to learn how to love myself," she explains.
If Ball has anything to say about it, her followers will feel a little bit more comfortable in their own skin after watching her videos. And so far, she's received plenty of positive messages from total strangers.
"Just hearing from real people that this one silly little video shifted their negative perspective about themselves into a more positive one made it all worth it to me," she says.
Looking ahead, Ball says she's even more inspired to post positive content on TikTok and she also has a few words of wisdom for her haters.
"Get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature. Don’t worry so much about wrinkles. Live your life," she says.