How Do Pimple Patches Work? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

How bash pimple patches work? Back successful the day, getting a zit meant caking connected disguising layers of foundation, concealer, pulverization …or possibly conscionable a strategically angled hairstyle. But now, the crippled has changed: Why fell a pimple erstwhile you tin formal it up? No frantic blending oregon pore-clogging products are required. Today, we’re embracing a radically antithetic (and refreshingly low-key) attack to clogged pores: slapping a agleam yellowish star-shaped sticker connected it and calling it a day.

Welcome to the epoch of the pimple patch, wherever blemishes aren’t shameful secrets to conceal but conscionable portion of the quality experience. While putting a literal sticker connected a zit whitethorn look bold, it’s besides an effectual mode to dainty blemishes. Here, we dive into the science, benefits, and champion ways to stone a hydrocolloid pimple patch.

If you're funny successful tegument science, don't hide to cheque retired our guides to red airy therapy masks and LED devices, exosome treatments, and the past past of snail mucin.

Updated July 2025: I've added Dearcloud Hydrocolloid Blemish Patches, CeraVe Hydrocolloid Blemish Patches, and Peach Slices Acne Spot Dots arsenic caller picks. I've besides updated information, prices, and links.

What Is a Pimple Patch?

In simplest terms, pimple patches are tiny, adhesive stickers made to tackle antithetic types of acne, 1 blemish astatine a time. These patches unclog pores and sorb excess fluid, velocity up coiled healing, and support you from picking astatine your skin—no tiny feat. Pimple patches travel successful assorted formulas, with antithetic ingredients for antithetic breakouts, but the astir fashionable are hydrocolloid acne patches.

How Do Pimple Patches Work?

Hydrocolloid patches are a benignant of coiled dressing that helps clasp moisture and make a moist, healing situation for pimples, burns, oregon lesions. “They’re made of a water-attracting material, which is attached to a truly bladed integrative film,” says cosmetic chemist Michelle Wong. “So if you person an unfastened pimple, for example, it tin suck retired the pus.”

Although hydrocolloid dressings has been utilized for coiled attraction since the 1960s (the dressings were primitively developed successful the 1930s by a dentist), it wasn’t until the aboriginal 2010s that pimple patches started showing up connected skincare and quality shelves.

When applied to an inflamed pimple—typically 1 with fluid—the warmth of your tegument softens the lining of the sticker, helping it suck retired the impurities and gunk. It besides acts arsenic a protective obstruction that shields the blemish from further irritation oregon spread. If you’ve ever pulled disconnected a spot to find the underside coated successful an icky achromatic substance, that’s a premix of the hydrocolloid gel and the excess oils pulled from the skin. This healing process besides prevents you from picking astatine the pimple—a wont that tin pb to longer healing times, infection, and scarring.

Our Favorite Pimple Patches

Other Spot Treatments

“Spot treatments [tend] to incorporate benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, oregon witch hazel,” writes Lindsey Zubritsky, a board-certified dermatologist astatine Premier Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center, successful an email. “These are progressive ingredients—while they whitethorn work, they tin besides perchance origin dryness and irritation.” Pure hydrocolloid patches, connected the different hand, don’t incorporate progressive ingredients, which makes them perfect for delicate oregon reactive tegument types.

How Often Can You Use Hydrocolloid Patches?

According to astir dermatologists, you tin usage pimple patches arsenic needed. Zubritsky (aka @dermguru connected TikTok) suggests wearing them for up to 12 hours, ideally overnight. But they tin besides beryllium worn during the day. They’re peculiarly effectual connected fluid-filled pimples, specified arsenic papules, pustules, oregon cysts.