Pimple patches really do work —these are the 6 best ones
While there are plenty of great things about fall, my skin is not one of them.
Almost like clockwork, my skin begins acting out almost at the exact moment the first leaf falls, becoming a blend of dry patches and nagging spots.
As I've gotten older, I've learned how to keep my skincare consistent for a mostly-neutral result, but there are still times when I'm particularly stressed or my routine slips and a friendly reminder appears in the form of a pimple. In the past this would cause additional stress, but luckily there's one beauty staple I turn to to attack unexpected pimples and reduce their impact in just one night.
Enter pimple patches. My favourite is the Hero Mighty Patch — and I've tried enough brands to know this one is the most effective.
Hero Mighty Patch
First impressions
The first time I used a pimple patch was the day before I was flying out to meet my mom and sister for a trip. A couple of days before the flight, I woke up with a large spot on my chin — which was no surprise given the stress around travel earlier this year. I made a trip to my local Sephora and quickly stocked up on blemished skin saviours. After cycling through serums and acids, I didn't notice much of an immediate improvement until I decided to wash away the other products and apply a pimple patch.
It was midday when I applied and while I may have looked especially funny running my pre-trip errands with a patch on my chin, I was desperate for a solution. Plus, these small miracle workers are designed to blend with your skin so, unless you're really staring, it's hard to even tell you're wearing one. Six hours later, I removed the patch to find the spot was much more flat and less inflamed than earlier that day.
That night, I cleansed and applied another patch, falling asleep with hopes the spot would be magically gone by morning. When I woke, I removed the patch to find the spot was almost undetectable. The best part? Despite the concentrated patch of pimple-targeting skincare, the area around the blemish appeared healthy and moisturized — no traditional drying or scarring of the usual acne-attacking skincare.
While it's said pimple patches work best on whitehead pimples, I've used these patches on those painful, under-the-skin spots and found them to disappear before ever coming to a head. While the patches are more like small, magical stickers, you should pair their use with a good skincare routine and healthy diet to keep your skin healthy.
How do pimple patches work?
There are plenty of pimple patch brands to choose from but they all have a similar formulation. The small, concentrated dot of medical-grade hydrocolloid, a fluid-absorbing gel, extracts pimples overnight for a visible improvement by morning. While it may not be solution for acne, pimple patches are an easy way to visibly improve blemishes in 6-8 hours.
The targeted approach also means your skincare is directly resolving the affected area. Plus, these patches stop you from picking at pesky blemishes and the ingredients shield skin from scabbing and scarring.
While there are different kinds of pimple patches, they all have a similar usage and effect. You can find micro-point patches that have small, hyaluronic needs that dissolve into skin to penetrate the affected area — and sometimes the ingredients will differ slightly to include salicylic acid. Pimple patches are safe to use on all skin types.
How to use a pimple patch
Another reason these patches have become a skincare staple for me? They are so easy to use. As in they're essentially the "set it and forget it" of beauty products.
Before bed wash your face as usual. Forgo the rest of your skincare routine and apply the patch to the affected area. Then apply the rest of your products, making sure to avoid the area with the pimple patch.
Go to bed and 6-8 hours you'll find the patch has changed to a more opaque colour. Gently remove the patch and discard — you'll find the spot has greatly reduced or is completely gone. Below are the pimple patches I've tried and loved.
Hero Mighty Patch Invisible
The details: While the original Hero Mighty Patch is my most favourite patch, the invisible variation can be worn throughout the day without attracting too much attention. The discreet nature of this patch means you can work on problem areas throughout the day as well — and while they're not completely invisible they give a slightly blurred effect to make the blemish less obvious.
Peace Out Salicylic Acid Acne Healing Dots
The details: Peace Out uses a combination of retinol, hydrocolloid, salicylic acid and aloe vera extract to target and soothe the problem area. These patches work fast and leave skin looking better than ever. That said, I found the Hero patches to be more adhesive to skin. I worried this patch would slide around during my sleep.
Rael Beauty Miracle Patch
The details: Rael Beauty offers three different sized stickers according to the area you're targeting. While most have two sizes, I found this detail really useful and less wasteful — plus, the dots were really effective. Rael Beauty is a close second to my beloved Hero Mighty Patches.
Blume Buds Power Patches for Acne-Prone Skin
The details: Using just two ingredients: hydrocolloid and salicylic acid, these patches were also incredibly effective at reducing the appearance of pimples while protecting skin from scabbing or scarring. While these aren't marketed as being invisible, I found you could wear the Blume patches throughout the day without drawing too much attention.
Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch
The details: Cosrx has a bit of a cult following online due to being the pioneer of pimple patches. A clean beauty brand, these pimple patches worked well but I felt it took a few more applications to get the results I was hoping for. That said, these patches also come in three different styles so you can customize your treatment and the adhesive stays put all night.
Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
