Have you heard of or tried pimple patches? A popular item in K-Beauty, these hydrocolloid patches are little bandages for your zits! Keep reading to see why, Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch is our favourite go to during a breakout.
Product reviews by Dermletter: A new series of personal product reviews from our DermLetter Staff. Quick, to the point, and honest reviews of products and services they love or have tried.
What Is It?
Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch is a round hydrocolloid bandage. The patches are placed on top of pimples overnight and act as a protective barrier and help speed up the recovery time by morning. Each pack comes with 24 patches in 3 different sizes.
Price:$5 – $8 CAD depending on where you buy it from. I’ve found that YesStyle.com has the cheapest price.
Claims to:
- Acts as a protective barrier (Yes)
- Non-drying (Yes)
- Absorbs impurities and oils (Yes)
Directions:
(Extra tips + tricks on how to best use the patches)
- Cleanse skin. Any moisture on the skin will cause the patch to not stick properly.
- Peel back a patch that will completely cover the blemish and apply it onto the pimple.
- Continue with the rest of your skincare routine and remove the patch in the morning.
Ingredients: Cellulose gum, Styrene Isoprene Styrene Block Copolymer, Polysobutylene, Petroleum Resin, Polyurethane Film, Liquid Paraffin, Tetrakis Methane
What’s so special about these hydrocolloid patches?
The magic of these patches comes from is its ability to keep the skin/blemish moist and dirt and bacteria away from blemish. The hydrocolloid bandage creates a non-drying environment for the pimple and the moisture helps promote healing. While also absorbing oil/fluid from the popped pimple, turning the translucent patch white. If you would like to read more on how it works, science educator LabMuffin has a great explanation on how hydrocolloid patches work.
Thoughts & Results
I love these patches because I have a hard time leaving pimples alone. Although it doesn’t prevent pimples from appearing, it does help speed up the healing process of a pimple, especially surface pimples or one that have been popped. Instead of waking up with a redder irritated pimple or scab. The patches help keep the pimple from being disturbed, which results in a flatter and calmer blemish. For deeper pimples, the patches aren’t actually healing it in anyway other than stopping you from touching and rubbing the already irritated area. Peeling off the patches in the morning is also a painless and satisfying experience.
Before I bought these, I would instead buy blister bandages and cut it into squares big enough to cover a blemish. Both are hydrocolloid bandages and provide the same benefits listed earlier. There any many other brands of hydrocolloid pimple patches at varying prices. If you have a blemish you can’t seem to leave alone, I highly recommend giving these patches a try.
