11 Best Pimple Patches for Every Breakout, Tested & Reviewed 2024
As someone with sensitive, oily, and acne-prone skin, I could talk about the the best pimple patchesâand why theyâre so important to meâfor literal days. Possibly even months. Fortunately for anyone who knows me IRL, I’m putting that energy into this article. You’re welcome in advance.
As for why I’m so genuinely passionate about pimple products? Well, nothing else I’ve tried has successfully treatedâor even slightly impactedâmy aforementioned monthly breakouts. Spot treatments and face serums are great for preventing blemishes over all, and even treating other types of pimples like blackheads, whiteheads, and âtraditionalâ breakouts. But, when it comes to my stubborn, hormonal, and cystic acneâwhich decorate my jawline and left cheek every month like clockworkâpimple patches never disappoint. (Trust me, my own wedding day beauty routine unfortunately included salicylic acid-spiked patches.)
The best pimple patches, at a glanceBest Salicylic Acid Pimple Patches: Peace Out Salicylic Acid Acne Healing Dots, $19Best Hydrocolloid Pimple Patches: Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch The Original, $12Best for Cystic Acne: ZitSticka Killa Kit Self-Dissolving Microdart Acne Pimple Patch, $14Best K-Beauty Pimple Patches: COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch, $6Best for Preventing Breakouts: Peter Thomas Roth Acne-Clear Invisible Dots Blemish Treatment, $32Best for Sensitive Skin: Rael Beauty Miracle Patch Invisible Spot Cover, $7Do pimple patches work?Obviously, I’m a pimple patch stan, but seeing as I’m no chemist or dermatologist, I tapped an expert. âPimple patches are essentially small bandaids placed over pimples to encourage them to resolve as quickly as possible,â Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of New York Cityâs Mudgil Dermatology, tells Glamour. “They’re made using hydrocolloid material, which draws moisture out of the underlying area, while some contain benzoyl peroxide and/or salicylic acid, classic acne-fighting ingredients, which help exfoliate the underlying pimple.â
I still don’t know if itâs the zit stickers’ robust formulations or the physical barrier preventing me from popping, picking at, or even touching my blemished skin, but what I do know is that they really work for me. Several other Glamour editors and fellow beauty lovers feel the same, too, meaning that the best pimple patches really are worth the hype.
Now that you’re an expert in all things pimple patches, get your carts ready, and say bye bye to those stubborn blemishes.
All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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Peace Out Salicylic Acid Acne Healing Dots
Original photo courtesy of Glamour associate beauty editor Danielle Sinay
Peace Out’s pimple patches are more than a cult-favorite, it seems like everyone, no matter the skin type or interest in skin care, loves them equally. Case in point: Dr. Mudgil also cites them as one of his top picks. âPeace Out Acne patches are excellent; they contain salicylic acid and retinol, which work well to âdry outâ pimples,â he says. Skin care expert and content creator Matt Woodcox (you’ve likely seen his skin care memes @dirtyboysgetclean ) feels the same way.
âThese are the best pimple patches ever,â Woodcox tells Glamour. âThey actually contain acne-fighting ingredients in them unlike many others, meaning they not only eradicate the zit, but ensure the skin where the zit was is healed and not left looking like a wound!â
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Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch The Original
Original photo courtesy of Glamour senior beauty editor Ariana Yaptangco
Glamour shopping editorsâwho again, quite literally shop for a livingâcan’t get enough of Hero Cosmetics’ Mighty Pimple Patches. Glamour senior commerce editor Jenifer Calle absolutely âlovesâ them, Glamour commerce writer Andrea Navarro relies on them for preventing and treating her most stubborn acne. And Glamour’s beauty team feels similarly: Glamour senior beauty editor Ariana Yaptangco and I consider these to be some of our best, tried-and-true pimple patches of the hydrocolloid variety.
âI’ve tried almost every pimple patch under the sun, and these remain some of the best Iâve ever used,â writes Glamour beauty contributor Bella Cacciatore in her Mighty Patch review. âFor starters, they stay put and donât slide off in the middle of the night, which is crucial (and sadly, not always the case with other brands). They suck out all the gunk, flattening zits in just one night. I tend to be a popper (do as I say, not as I do), so my favorite way to use them is on picked-at zits, and they really help speed up the healing process. Iâll never be caught without a pack in my arsenal.â