Breakouts haven’t disappeared. They have just become harder to see. Over the past decade, the visibility of breakouts has changed. Not because they occur less, but because they are increasingly concealed. Pimple patches are now worn as accessories. Social media platforms normalise filters that smooth skin in real time. Content that once reflected breakouts openly has been replaced by curated, controlled representations of skin.
The result: breakouts are still widely experienced, but rarely shown. This shift has consequences and research indicates that:
- 63% of adults report feeling self-conscious in public because of problem skin
- 90% of young women report using a filter or editing their photos before posting on social media, contributing to increasingly unrealistic appearance and skin expectations
Blemish-prone skin is often characterised by concerns such as excess oil, enlarged or congested pores and uneven skin texture. Breakouts are often framed as something to eliminate quickly. Less attention is given to understanding what they are, why they occur, and how they evolve over time.
Biologically, breakouts are driven by multiple factors:
- Increased sebum production, often linked to hormonal changes
- Build-up of dead skin cells leading to clogged pores
These processes are common, particularly during adolescence and early adulthood and can present differently across individuals and over time. Despite this, misinformation persists and breakouts are frequently attributed to poor hygiene, diet, or personal habits, claims that are not consistently supported by scientific evidence.
The Ordinary’s latest campaign, the Pore Playground, is designed to reframe how blemish-prone skin is seen and understood. It addresses common misconceptions about breakouts by providing clear, evidence-based explanations of their underlying mechanisms, highlighting their complexity rather than simplifying them into a single cause. Using language that is intentionally playful, sensorial, and sometimes uncomfortable, it explores common characteristics of breakout-prone skin, from congestion to angry breakouts to post-breakout marks, with the objective of making them easier to understand and reducing the emotional burden associated with breakouts.
This approach reflects a simple idea: everyone’s face is a pore playground. Breakouts are not uniform. It shifts. It develops. It resolves. And it often returns.
Supporting Different Types of Breakouts
A filtered view of the appearance of breakouts has meant there is a distorted representation of the different types of breakouts a person can experience. By drawing attention to the nuances behind different blemishes, from what causes them to how they present on the skin, the campaign aims to encourage a more informed and honest dialogue around breakout-prone skin. The Pore Playground spotlights a curated selection of formulations from The Ordinary, specifically designed to target the unique needs of each type of breakout, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to education, representation, and tailored skincare solutions.
- Salicylic Acid 2% Solution for blackheads and clogged pores
- Sulfur 10% Powder-to-Cream Concentrate for angry breakouts
- Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% to control excess oil
- Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution for Post-breakout marks
Together, these products are positioned not as a single solution, but as part of a broader, customisable approach, addressing treatment, maintenance, and post-breakout concerns. This reflects the understanding that breakouts are a journey rather than a fixed condition, and that no two experiences are the same, requiring tailored, evolving care.
The campaign launched globally on 28th July 2026, across digital platforms, retail environments, and experiential activations.
