manager_1 For most of our adolescent and adult lives, at-home acne-treatment tactics have been limited to over-the-counter creams and doctor-prescribed topicals. If you have to call a friend to get rid of a pimple or can’t make it in to the dermatologist for a cortisone shot, acne patches are the real MVP. In the world of skin care, innovation is exploding. Many brands have been able put the power and effectiveness of acne-fighting ingredients into tiny stickers that can be applied to your pores.
When left on for a few hours, acne patches vacuum the gunk from a bulging .whitehead .and soothe redness and irritation from a painful bump. These patches are great to keep in your skin-care drawer for those annoying breakouts. They are transparent, so you can use them while you’re shopping or at work.
To help enhance your emergency acne kit, we rounded up the acne patches our staffers swear by, ahead, from five-dollar hydrocolloid stickers to our Beauty Innovator Award-winning system.
ZitSticka Killa
“I am one of those lucky people who doesn’t get angry, hateful under the skin cysts. I don’t have cute, poppable whiteheads. This means that most acne patches have the effect to put stickers on my face when all I really need is a cortisone injection. Although these microdart patches don’t replace a dermatologist with a steady hand and a $30 copay they do a lot to treat the underlying mountain ranges.”
ZitSticka Killa Spot Clarifying Patch Kit, $29.00, available at Net-A-Porter.
Dr. Jart Focus Spot Blemish Micro Tip Patch
“When painful, large cysts begin to form under my skin, it is a pleasure for me to poke them. Dr. Jart’s patches have micro tips that deliver vitamin A3 and hyaluronic to the skin. They are almost gone when you remove your patch. Any redness or inflammation I experience usually disappears within a few hours of having one of these patches on my face.”
Dr. Jart+ Focuspot Blemish Micro Tip Patch, $18.00, available at Sephora.
Peace out Acne Dots
“I hadn’t believed in pimple-patch magic until I noticed a large whitehead on my chin. It was easy to apply one of these patches before going to bed. I woke up with my pus-filled bump still on the sticker and my face completely free. They have been a great help with flare-ups of all kinds.”
Peace Out Acne Healing Dots, $19.00, available at Sephora.
Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Invisible Patch Kit
“Why should we waste daylight hours that could have been spent battling a cystic acne? One of these patches is so invisible that I often forget it’s there. I have been known to spend my entire day with one of them on. They work by drawing out the white-ish pimple juice. After a few hours they can help calm and flatten your acne. They keep me from picking at my skin, causing scarring.”
Hero Cosmetics, Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Invisible Patch Set, $18.00, available at Anthropologie.
Good Light Luna Pimple Patches
“These hydrocolloid dots, by Good Light, were just launched and work quickly to draw out any yuck from pores. They are attached to perforated PET plastic for quick and easy removal. You can even recycle the backing if you finish a sheet. So cool right?”
Good Light Luna Pimple Patches, $8.50, available at Good Light.
Alba Botanica AcneDote Pimple Patches
These patches go beyond the mild acne-fighting ingredients such as salicylic acid and tea tree oil. They are all about getting the best bang for your buck. The tiny box contains 40 stickers that absorb dirt and soothe inflammation. The cost of the product is only $6.99 per piece, which is affordable because it doesn’t require you to spend a lot on acne care.
Alba Botanica Alba Botanica Acne Pimple Patch – 40ct, $6.99, available at Target.
