Pamela Anderson opens up about why she decided to ditch makeup

Pamela Anderson is baring all about leaving makeup behind.

The model and actress, who rose to fame on "Baywatch" before becoming one of the world's most familiar faces, made headlines in September when she attended Paris Fashion Week without wearing makeup. Now, Anderson is entering the beauty space with her new brand Sonsie, a skincare line, but she says her bare face isn't for publicity.

"I don't think you should give me the credit of it being a stunt because that's not how I think," Anderson, 56, told Allure in an interview published Thursday.

Anderson's choice to publicly reclaim her identity comes after she told her side of the story last year in a buzzy Netflix documentary "Pamela, a Love Story" and in her memoir, “Love, Pamela." The projects followed 2022's limited Hulu series "Pam & Tommy," about Anderson's stolen sex tape with M?tley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.

Pamela Anderson's bold no-makeup look and the 'natural beauty revolution'

"My name gives (even) me a false impression of myself. Without context my name (suggests) a wrong image. I've been on this journey, from Playboy to Baywatch — all these Halloween costumes, I like to say — and now come back home to self-love and self-acceptance," Anderson told Allure.

Throughout her career on "Baywatch" and as a model, Anderson was often photographed in bikinis with heavy makeup.

"I've always felt like there’s a little monster inside of me that I need to get out, I need to share. I've been trying and I've begun to feel closest to it," she said, "and it's peeling back everything and trying to remember what my original thoughts are," Anderson said. "It's not just about makeup, taking off the mask, but it's about why am I here, what's my purpose, why do I resonate with people, can I help in any way?"

More: Pamela Anderson reveals why she ditched makeup. There's a lot we can learn from her.

Anderson made the choice to ditch makeup for herself, but said it wasn't to make a "political" statement.

"I would come back from the shows wearing all these clothes and a big funny hat and everything and there were all these paparazzi, and then I went in one door and changed into my jeans and T-shirt and no makeup and walked out the door right through the same crowd that had been chasing me and no one noticed," she told Allure.

Anderson previously opened up about her choice in an interview with Vogue France back in September, stating that she doesn't "want to compete with the clothes."

"I'm not into the makeup look right now," she continued. "My mom always told me, 'At some point in your life, you're not going to want to wear makeup on your skin,' and she's right. You kind of have to challenge beauty sometimes.”

Anderson told Vogue France she hopes that by not wearing makeup she can help show the ways women can express themselves.

"I'm not trying to be the prettiest girl in the room," she said. "I feel like it's just freedom. It's a relief."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pamela Anderson talks wearing no makeup