Ow, ow!

Jessica Alba sizzles on the cover of Maxim’s September issue, posing in a bikini and soaking wet shirt. The “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” star stuns in a sexy (and sandy) photo shoot and opens up to the magazine about fitting into Hollywood standards.

“If you put your whole identity behind this business, it’s brutal,” the 33-year-old mother-of-two told Maxim. “It chews you up and spits you out; it spits out a lot of people.”

Despite the pressures, Alba tries to stay confident in herself and what she stands for.

“I don’t want to talk about my issues. But I definitely feel like I tackled something and came out the other side. Everything that led up to all this was worth it,” she said. “I’m really comfortable in my own skin. And I’m not apologizing for myself.”

Read Jessica Alba’s full interview and see more photos when you pick up Maxim’s September issue, on newsstands Aug. 12.