How Selena Gomez is celebrating World Mental Health Day

The Rare Beauty founder doubles down on her commitment to increasing young people’s access to mental health services

Growing up in the spotlight with roles as a child actress on Barney and Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place, Selena has culminated an impressive portfolio as an actress; she currently stars as the lead alongside industry veterans Steve Martin, Martin Short and Meryl Streep in the award-winning TV series Only Murders in the Building.

Over the last decade, she has also found success as a musician, reality TV personality on her own HBO Max show Selena + Chef, and most recently, a beauty entrepreneur. Founded in 2019, Rare Beauty shot to viral fame and earned US$60 million in revenue in its first year, according to Nylon.

However, Gomez is determined to show the ups and downs in her journey to the top. Over the years, she has always talked candidly about her mental health struggles, from navigating the constant scrutiny of her personal life to learning to live with an autoimmune disease and dealing with bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression.

In fact, Rare Beauty began as a way to “break down unrealistic standards of perfection” for herself and her millions of young fans around the world. Alongside this mission statement, Gomez founded the Rare Impact Fund in 2020 with a mission to raise US$100m in the next ten years to expand access to mental health services and education for young people worldwide.

Above LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Selena Gomez attends as she hosts the Inaugural Rare Impact Fund Benefit Supporting Youth Mental Health on October 04, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Rare Impact Fund)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Selena Gomez attends as she hosts the Inaugural Rare Impact Fund Benefit Supporting Youth Mental Health on October 04, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Rare Impact Fund)

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In 2023, she doubles down on her commitment to the initiative with the inaugural Rare Impact Fund Benefit gala, where her celebrity friends donated coveted items and experiences, from a movie night with Paul Rudd to Lionel Messi’s signed jersey and VIP tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert, to raise money for the cause.

“I created the Rare Impact Fund with the goal of increasing access to mental health services and education for young people, which is something I wish I had when I was younger,” says Selena Gomez, who believes the mental health crisis is “one of the most serious issues facing young people today”.

In celebration of World Mental Health Day on October 10, Gomez has also pledged 100 per cent of Rare Beauty product sales to the Rare Impact Fund to help in her mission to de-stigmatise mental health and steer discussions in the beauty industry—and beyond—toward acceptance and positivity.