Neutrogena puts science above virality with 'Break the Rules' campaign. The Kenvue brand is using similar tactics to competitors CeraVe and Dove in an effort that spans TV, social, creators and experiential. Published July 15, 2026 Dive brief: * Neutrogena announced "Break the Rules," a brand platform that looks to elevate science-backed solutions over the information consumers glean from social media, artificial intelligence tools and peers, according to a press release. * The platform debuts with a campaign centered on retinol, a popular skincare ingredient. The creative begins rolling out Wednesday and will run nationally on TV and digital channels including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. * The retinol campaign is informed by search data and social listening. Future "Break the Rules" efforts will include creator partnerships and experiential activations, including at Lollapalooza, where the Kenvue brand is the official skincare and suncare sponsor. Dive insight: Neutrogena is asking consumers to "Break the Rules" around skincare, challenging the insights found across the internet in favor of dermatologist-backed science. The approach is similar to that of L'Oréal brand CeraVe, which has paired education from doctors and culturally centered entertainment to build a $2 billion brand. Founded in 1930, Neutrogena has its own bona fides in the space. "Neutrogena has helped pioneer dermatologist-developed consumer skincare," Chris Riat, global Neutrogena brand leader, said in a statement. "Break the Rules is us putting 90 years of expertise to work where consumers need it most, helping move them past the noise and advancing their beauty routines both in terms of aesthetics and clinical efficacy." The first "Break the Rules" campaign supports Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Regenerating Cream. Retinol is one of skincare's most searched-for ingredients, with 60,000 average monthly searches, according to the brand. It is also a hot topic on social, with 17,000 posts from U.S. consumers about the ingredient across TikTok and Instagram in the first five months of 2026, per Pulsar data cited by Neutrogena. The campaign is built on the tension between consumers wanting retinol's results without the irritation that sometimes comes with the acidic ingredient. A 30-second hero video centers on a montage of a diverse set of models as a voice over says common skincare myths like "don't smile too big" and "don't sleep on your side." A woman then laughs off this advice and says, "Don't age by the rules." A board-certified dermatologist adds, "Biohack your skincare routine." The tone is similar to that of campaigns from Unilever brand Dove as part of its long-term "Real Beauty" brand platform. Publicis led all strategy, creative, design, commerce, influencer, social and media for the launch, per a brand spokesperson. Along with running across TV and digital, Neutrogena will extend "Break the Rules" with tactics that have become de rigueur for brands, including creators and experiential. The brand will help refresh consumers and provide sunscreen at Lollapalooza, the music festival scheduled for July 30 to Aug. 2 in Chicago. Previously, Neutrogena has worked to engage consumers around culture in campaigns around '90s nostalgia and the #steamybooktok trend. Kenvue had a strong Q1, with net sales increasing 4.5% and net sales in the skin health and beauty segment of which Neutrogena is a part increasing 8.4%, per an earnings report. Kimberly-Clark's acquisition of Kenvue is expected to close in the second half of 2026.

Dental leaders call for prevention to move from 'afterthought' to frontline care at Smile Month 50th anniversary panel. Dental leaders, educators and future members of the profession have called for a stronger focus on evidence-based prevention, clearer patient communication and greater collaboration across the oral healthcare workforce during a special panel event marking 50 years of Smile Month. Hosted by the Oral Health Foundation, the discussion brought together voices from across dentistry to reflect on the progress made in oral health over the past five decades - and the challenges still facing the profession. A recurring theme throughout the panel was the need to move prevention from the margins of dentistry to the centre of patient care. Speakers highlighted the importance of giving both patients and dental professionals clearer, more consistent guidance on evidence-based prevention and daily oral health routines. Supporting this ambition, the Oral Health Foundation is partnering with Kenvue on behalf of Listerine to help turn the latest clinical consensus on dental plaque biofilm management into practical advice for both patients and the wider dental team. The partnership will develop new patient education materials and chairside support tools for the dental team. The aim is to help professionals communicate prevention advice more clearly and consistently, particularly around daily oral hygiene routines and the role of adjunctive plaque control. The initiative follows a landmark professional consensus supported by the Oral Health Foundation, the BSP, BSDHT and BADT, which reinforced the importance of evidence-based prevention strategies and clearer public understanding of oral disease prevention. Speaking at the panel event, Dr Fiona Sandom, a dental educator at Health Education and Improvement Wales and former President of the British Association of Dental Therapists, warned that prevention is still not receiving the attention it deserves within the system. Dr Sandom said: "Students feel the system is reactive and that prevention is almost like an afterthought rather than being at the forefront. "We talk about prevention, but we do not give it a consistent approach, and it is still secondary." The panel also highlighted the need for the profession to improve how it communicates prevention advice to patients and communities, particularly as oral health inequalities continue to widen. Professor Iain Chapple, Professor of Periodontology at the University of Birmingham, stressed the importance of translating evidence into clear and practical guidance for patients. Professor Chapple said: "The biggest behaviour change challenge Dentalhealth has is not in its patients. It is in its own behaviour. "We need clarity and a very clear message that people do not feel is going to change every five minutes." The discussion closely reflected a growing movement across dentistry towards more consistent, evidence-based prevention messaging, including greater awareness of the role of adjunctive plaque control in daily oral hygiene routines. Professor Chapple added: "Mechanical plaque removal with fluoride toothpaste remains the foundation, but in some cases chemical agents in toothpaste and mouthwash absolutely have a role to play." The event also explored the future role of the wider dental team in delivering prevention and improving patient access to care. Preetee Hylton, former President of the British Association of Dental Nurses, said the future of dentistry must be more collaborative and prevention-led. Ms Hylton said: "Dentalhealth all contribute as a team to prevention, communication and patient safety. "We have to start right at the beginning - educating mothers, going into communities and intervening earlier, not simply delivering restorative dentistry once disease has developed." The panel repeatedly returned to the importance of taking prevention beyond the surgery and into communities where oral disease and inequalities remain highest. Dr Sandom added: "We need to take prevention out to the community rather than making patients come to us for prevention." The event also addressed the growing role of industry collaboration in supporting oral health education and improving public understanding of evidence-based prevention. "Our industry partners have wonderful ways of improving health literacy in the community," said Professor Chapple. "Whether it's Haleon or Kenvue, we have the same objective - to improve oral health." The discussion comes as the Oral Health Foundation continues its work with partners across dentistry and industry to help improve patient understanding of evidence-based prevention strategies and support more consistent oral health messaging across the profession. Smile Month, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, remains one of the UK's longest-running and most recognised oral health campaigns.

Kenvue study highlights consumer demand for sustainability in products. Report underscores the growing expectations for companies to build sustainability directly into products they bring to market. June 22, 2026 Associate Editor A recent global consumer survey found shoppers are willing to pay an average of 9.7% more for sustainable products despite ongoing inflationary pressures. The finding underscores how growing expectations for companies to build sustainability directly into the products they bring to market. Happi Top 50 Company Kenvue, maker of brands including Aveeno, Listerine, Neutrogena and Zyrtec, released its Healthy Lives Mission report, which includes a focus on more sustainable product design. This year's report marks a year since the initial launch of Kenvue's Sustainable Innovation Profiler (SIP), a patent-pending software tool designed to help product teams evaluate environmental impacts during the product development cycle. With its real-time information and integrated approach, the tool is driving critical impacts for key Kenvue brands across formulation and packaging. Measures of environmental performance. The team recently released an abridged methodology to demonstrate what the tool uses as criteria to measure environmental performance and impact during product development, rather than after products are ready for consumers. Integrated into Kenvue's innovation process with more than 600 product developers trained to use it, the tool combines four distinct measures of environmental performance: Product Environmental Footprint, which evaluates products across 16 lifecycle impact categories, including climate change, water use, land use and pollution; Product Carbon Footprint, which assesses cradle-to-grave greenhouse gas emissions; Green Chemistry, which evaluates ingredients based on aquatic environmental impacts, renewable sourcing and emerging scientific concerns that could affect long-term ingredient viability; and Packaging Circularity, which measures factors such as recycled content, material efficiency, recyclability and potential recycling disruptors. The methodology has been applied across multiple product categories and regions, providing product developers with practical, science-based insights to help improve environmental performance across both formulations and packaging.