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

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

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

If you're willing successful tegument science, don't hide to cheque retired our guides to red ray therapy masks and LED devices, exosome treatments, and nan ancient history of snail mucin.

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

What Is a Pimple Patch?

In simplest terms, pimple patches are tiny, adhesive stickers made to tackle different 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 mini feat. Pimple patches travel successful various formulas, pinch different ingredients for different breakouts, but nan astir celebrated are hydrocolloid acne patches.

How Do Pimple Patches Work?

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

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

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

Our Favorite Pimple Patches

Other Spot Treatments

“Spot treatments [tend] to incorporate benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, aliases 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 nan different hand, don’t incorporate progressive ingredients, which makes them perfect for delicate aliases 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 nan day. They’re peculiarly effective connected fluid-filled pimples, specified arsenic papules, pustules, aliases cysts.