Selena Gomez is being recognized for turning a deeply personal mental health journey into a broader conversation about healing and self-understanding. For Gomez, however, mental health does not seem to fit neatly into the language of arrival. The singer and Rare Beauty founder describes it less as something she has conquered and more as something she continues to learn, examine and work through.

After years down the line, the 'Lose You To Love Me' singer has understood that healing does not have a finish line. 

Selena Gomez's understanding of mental health has changed alongside her, with the pop star acknowledging that there are still parts of herself she is learning to understand. She credited her dialectical behavior therapy work and therapists as part of that process, while also emphasizing the importance of developing coping skills independently. More than that, rather than presenting one solution, the singer described the work as something she keeps returning to.

“I think for me, I still am discovering certain parts of my brain and my attitude towards mental health is constantly growing,” Gomez told PEOPLE in her interview for the inaugural Beauty Impact Award. 

“So it's every day. I think I see the light every day. I just get closer and closer and keep chasing it,” she says. 

Part of her coping mechanism also seems to be the people around her, if not social media. Speaking to PEOPLE, Gomez revealed she has experienced unconditional love from people who did not always understand what she was feeling, but still made her feel seen and loved. 

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It is this very personal evolution, beside the larger mental health mission Gomez has spent years building through Rare Beauty, that has the honor being handed to her. 

PEOPLE announced Gomez as the recipient of its inaugural Beauty Impact Award on September 16, 2026, honoring her mental health advocacy through Rare Beauty and the Rare Impact Fund. The award recognizes beauty-industry figures whose work extends beyond products to create broader social impact.

Gomez launched Rare Beauty in 2020 with mental health advocacy built into its larger mission. The Rare Impact Fund followed with a $100 million fundraising goal over 10 years, while Rare Beauty committed 1% of product sales to the initiative. The fund has since raised more than $30 million, supporting youth mental health organizations and initiatives across five continents.

Yet the recognition ultimately circles back to the same idea the 'Rare' singer describes in her own journey: progress is not necessarily a finish line. It can be the daily decision to keep learning, keep building coping skills and, as she puts it, keep chasing the light.

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Do you agree with Selena Gomez on her personal coping skills? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.