What does acne-positivity mean? And why do we call Common Clouds an acne-positive brand? Let’s break it down!

1. Removing shame and stigma surrounding acne

Here’s some facts. As many as 90 % of all people experience acne at some point. It’s most common in teenagers because of changing hormones, but around 40 % of adult women get hormonal breakouts as well (post-pill acne, PCOS, pregnancy – you name it, we’ve been there).
So why is something so common still surrounded by shame and stigma? We want to create a safe, inclusive space to talk about skin without judgment. By teaming up with our in-house skin doctor, Dr Anahita Ghorbani, we will bust myths that create stigma around acne, like it’s because of poor hygiene or eating chocolate.

2. Normalising pimples by showing real, unfiltered skin

We promise to never retouch our models' skin, and try to cast as many different skin types as we can to our campaigns. But let's be brutally honest – when casting for our first campaign shoot, only ONE of the major modeling agencies in Stockholm had a model with confirmed acne in their books. Keep an eye on our socials (IG and TikTok) where we will cast models for upcoming shoots, or email us on hej@commonclouds.com

3. Changing the language around acne and skin

Bad skin. Flaws. Imperfections. Good skin. STOP. We don't want to hear it ever again. Skin is just skin, you know. It can have conditions for sure – like pimples, redness, pigmentations and so one – but it should NEVER EVER be described in emotionally charged words like good, bad, perfect and so on. We even find a problem talking about "normal" skin, as that implies that all other skins are "un-normal". Skin should feel comfortable and healthy, but healthy skin can still have visible pores, occasional pimples and so on. The idea of perfection is constructed. We are tired of the filtered, perfected world that makes people feel crap about themselves. Enough!
One last thing. We will never tell you to FIGHT your pimples. It's not a war. It's just your dear human skin trying to tell you something. Listen kindly and don't judge.

4. Recognising acne’s impact on mental health

Mental health issues, like depression and anxiety, are more common in people dealing with acne, as well as social isolation and a poor self-image. Acne is the most common skin condition in the world, yet it makes people feel lonely and bad about themselves. If  your skin affects your mental health, seek medical help. 

5. Being real about what skincare can do

As a brand, we will never ever claim to cure acne. By EU regulations, we aren’t even allowed. Let’s be real. Severe acne often requires medical treatment. What we can do, however, is to create calming pimple patches that can be used on both the occasional whitehead OR to protect inflammation-prone skin. Our pimple patches Cloud Patch and Moon Patch are non-drying and don’t contain any ingredients that can clash with your topicals or meds.

PS. You know how we say that where others see pimples, we see clouds? By that we mean that clouds are normal. They come and go. In the sky, in life, in our brains and on our skin. Their fleeting nature is a part of life and that is kind of beautiful.

NOTE TO SELF!
You're skin constantly changes, but your worth as a human being is always the same.