10 Best Pimple Patches 2023

13 items in this article 5 items on sale!

13 items in this article 5 items on sale!

It's so strange to think that we used to get by without pimple patches. Now, if you notice an angry zit developing, you pop on a pimple patch for a few hours and the sticker will suck the nastiness out of your skin. Each week, it seems that another new pimple patch has entered the market, so we spoke to skin-care experts — including board-certified dermatologists and our resident beauty writer — to find out what to look for in a pimple patch and which ones are the best. But before reading on, take stock of the one piece of advice all of our experts were unanimous about: Stop picking your pimples!

Hydrocolloid — a fluid-absorbing gel — is the ingredient in most pimple patches. "Hydrocolloids are wound dressings that have been used for decades on the skin for chronic ulcers, trauma wounds, and even burns," says Dr. Jamie Glick, a dermatologist at New York Dermatology Group. You may have already used a hydrocolloid patch to treat a blister or small wound, and the process with pimple patches is the same: They draw out any excess oil and gunk. The patches also help acne blemishes to heal by acting as a physical barrier, keeping out bacteria and stopping you from picking. "Long before I was a dermatologist, my mother used to say, ‘Touching a pimple is like watering a plant — it will grow and grow,’" Glick says. "I use that phrase all the time with my patients and recommend acne patches especially to my patients who are pickers."

Some other common ingredients in pimple patches include active acne-treating topicals like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and tea-tree oil. But Dr. Amy Perlmutter, also of the New York Dermatology Group, recommends "sticking with the hydrocolloid-only patches unless evaluated by a dermatologist and instructed otherwise. This is because patches with active acne-fighting ingredients have the potential to irritate and/or dry out the skin." If your skin is sensitive, that's an even higher risk for you.

The majority of pimple patches are designed to look as imperceptible as possible, so in theory, you can pop one on and head out without it being super-obvious. Most of the patches on this list, then, are small, thin, transparent dots, making them hard to spot on any skin tone. But that's not always the case. I’ve outlined what each patch looks like and what sizes they come in to best suit your needs.

Beneath each pack, I’ve made a note of the price per patch.

Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Appearance: Transparent dot, one size (12 mm) | Price: $0.36 per patch

Dr. Perlmutter recommends these patches from Hero Cosmetics. They contain medical-grade hydrocolloid to remove excess fluid and oils from blemishes, but she says they also "maintain optimum PH level and temperature, which helps prevent bacterial overgrowth and promote healing." Mighty Patches take about six to eight hours to work, so they are a great option to use overnight. Any oil sucked out turns white on the transparent patch, so you can really see the benefit. These patches contain only hydrocolloid, so they shouldn't dry out sensitive skin. They’re also transparent — turning slightly opaque once they’re finished — so look subtle on a variety of skin tones. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Margarita Lolis also finds that as the patches are matte, they blend in well if you’re layering foundation over them. They’re also great value for money.

Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Appearance: Transparent dot, mix of medium (10 mm) and large (14 mm) | Price: $0.14

At $6 for 42 patches — or just $0.14 per sticker — the Klog patches are amazing value. "The patch is thinner and almost clear, which helps it camouflage better into most skin tones," says Carmen Castilla, M.D., who also appreciates the mix of patch sizes for different-size pimples. "Hydrocolloid patches are also unlikely to cause irritation, so they work well even on those with more sensitive skin types," she says.

Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Appearance: Transparent dot, mix of small (7 mm), medium (10 mm) and large (12 mm) | Price: $0.25 per patch

"Cosrx Pimple Patches are the holy grail. Drop everything and buy them," says Strategist beauty writer Rio Viera-Newton. She recommended these patches in her original skin-care Google doc and thinks that they work best for extracting every last bit of gunk from whiteheads. "If you pop or pick a zit, put this on immediately afterward, go to bed, and in the morning, you’ll see what I’m talking about and thank me." And while we’re not recommending picking, hey — we know it happens.

Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Appearance: Transparent dots or triangles, exact size not listed | Price: $0.33 per patch

Dr. Perlmutter also likes these ultrathin options from Neutrogena, which are more discreet when applied. They’re available in either dot or triangle shapes, with the latter specifically designed for angling on the side of your nose or for treating larger breakouts on the back or the chest. Containing just hydrocolloid, they’re nondrying and nonirritating.

Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Appearance: Ultra-thin transparent dots, mix of small (10 mm) and medium (12 mm) | Price: $0.46 per patch

These patches, another by Mighty Patch, are a favorite of both Dr. Shereene Idriss, a board-certified dermatologist, and Viera-Newton. They’re great because they’re "super-ultrathin, so you can barely see them — sometimes I even lose track of where I’ve put them when I look in the mirror," says Viera-Newton. "On days where I have a really bad zit and want it to be protected from the horrible grime of the city, I use these. I’ve even thrown some concealer on top of it to further disguise it." Again, they contain only hydrocolloid, so they are kind to sensitive skin.

Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Appearance: Neon yellow stars, 12 mm | Price: $0.46 per patch

Dr Idriss, Viera-Newton, and Dr. Perlmutter each recommend these fun pimple patches (that you’re sure to have seen on your feed at least once.) Each one is shaped like a star and uses hydrocolloid to draw out oil and gunk from pimples. They inject a bit of whimsy into not picking away at your face all day — at an affordable price point.

Ingredients: Hydrocolloid, niacinamide, and salicylic acid | Appearance: Baby-blue clouds, 12 mm. | Price: $1.50 per patch

"The blue cloud patch is fun if you are not trying to camouflage the fact you have a pimple patch on," says Dr. Castilla. But these cloud-shaped patches differ from the original Starface patches beyond just the look, says dermatologist Dr. Kristina Collins. In addition to hydrocolloid, they have darts that contain niacinamide and salicylic acid. The hydrocolloid dressing protects the affected area from dirt and will also help absorb pus and oil away from the skin, while the salicylic acid helps increase cell turnover and dissolve any dead skin cells clogging the pores. Niacinamide then helps to reduce inflammation.

The patches are ideal for targeting cystic pimples in the early stages. If you feel the signature aching of a gnarly under-the-skin pimple, that's the ideal time to press one on. However, as the additional ingredients may cause irritation, neither doctor recommends these patches to those with sensitive skin, instead pointing patients back toward the original Starface patches.

Ingredients: Tea tree, salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid | Appearance: Transparent dots, one size (not listed) | Price: $3 per treatment (a wipe and a patch)

The Acropass Trouble Cure is actually a two-step process involving a wipe that treats your skin before you apply the patch. The wipe pairs acne-fighting tea-tree oil and salicylic acid, which can dry the skin, but the patch adds moisture back. "The Acropass has teeny-tiny microneedles infused with hyaluronic acid, an ingredient that deeply hydrates the skin, and niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, which has brightening and soothing effects," explains Viera-Newton. "The microneedles — which, I know, sound scary — are so thin you can barely feel them, and they puncture the zit to attack it from the inside out." After testing them on a few different types of blemish, Viera-Newton says these work best on large, intimidating, unpoppable spots.

Ingredients: Salicylic acid, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid | Appearance: Transparent dots (one size, not listed) | Price: $3.62 per patch

"Into adulthood, I’ve still been plagued with monthly flare-ups of hormonal cysts on my chin. Like clockwork, the deep, painful, under-the-skin growths erupt to trumpet the arrival of my period," says Strategist writer Dominique Pariso. After testing a few pimple patches and getting nowhere, she decided to try the multistep patches from ZitSticka. They work in a similar way to the Acropass patches — micro-darts push salicylic acid, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid into the skin. But the ZitSticka patches also have a hydrocolloid top layer, meaning they can fight acne before it develops. "The first time I slapped the patches on before bed, I woke up to find that the monster welts lurking beneath my face were flatter, calmer, and less red than they had been the night before," says Pariso, whose cysts now clear up in a couple of days as opposed to a couple of weeks.

Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Appearance: Transparent dots, 15 mm. | Price: $0.40 per patch

"Bioré patches feature perforated packaging, which makes it easier to get the pimple patch off without bending the corners," says Dr. Castilla. That's important because "if the corners are bent, the pimple patch is more visible and doesn't stick as well. It also allows you to put the patch on without touching the part that will lay on your skin, meaning the patch itself stays clean." As the Bioré patches are just hydrocolloid, without any active ingredients, they’re suitable for even sensitive skin, but the patches do only come in one size, so they’re not the best option if you want a wide variety.

• Dr. Carmen Castilla, board-certified dermatologist at New York Dermatology Group and clinical instructor at Mount Sinai Hospital• Dr. Kristina Collins, board-certified dermatologist• Dr. Jamie Glick, dermatologist at NY Dermatology Group• Dr. Shereene Idriss, board Certified Dermatologist• Dr. Margarita Lolis, board-certified dermatologist• Dominique Pariso, Strategist writer• Dr. Amy Perlmutter, dermatologist at NY Dermatology Group• Rio Viera-Newton, Strategist beauty writer

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