11 Best Pimple Patches 2023, According to Experts

Editor Tip: You won’t be tempted to pop your pimples as long as these acne-fighting stickers — which won a Readers’ Choice Award two years in a row (2022 and 2023) — are around. Peace Out also offers Acne Day Dots (a sheerer version of the original dots for daytime wear), microneeding Dark Spots, and even Anti-Wrinkles Retinol Patches.

Key Ingredients: Hydrocolloid, salicylic acid, aloe vera extract, retinyl acetate | Best For: People who want a more intensive (yet soothing) acne treatment

How do pimple patches work?

For the uninitiated, here’s how pimple patches work: Most are small, circular hydrocolloid bandages, meaning they absorb fluid and impurities from the pimple, explains Debra Jaliman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and assistant professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. They’re a Korean beauty staple, inspired by the hydrocolloid dressing used in wound healing.

The newest versions offer versatility: The thinnest, most invisible patches are ideal for daytime wear, so you can treat your breakouts whenever, wherever you please. Otherwise, nighttime is the perfect time to heal blemishes or hormonal acne in total privacy while you snooze. And get this: There are even stickers designed with extra-slim microneedles that deliver acne-fighting ingredients even deeper into the skin to confront your most stubborn, hard-to-reach breakouts.

Should I pop a pimple before putting on a pimple patch?

No, don’t even think about it. In fact, pimple patches also have the added benefit of preventing you from aggravating your skin by picking at pimples, says Elizabeth Tanzi, MD, the founder and director of Capital Laser & Skin Care and associate clinical professor in the Department of Dermatology at the George Washington University Medical Center. This is key, as “picking a pimple increases the inflammation and can slow the healing process down,” she says. The chances of acne scarring, developing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and getting an infection rise when you pop your pimple, too.

What do pimple patches pull out?

You’ll know the healing dot is working because you can see the process happening: The clear patch turns white and expands, and the skin (where your zit once was) flattens out and becomes redness-free. After a couple of hours — or a good night’s sleep — simply peel it off to reveal all of the accumulated gunk. Just be sure to apply the patch onto clean skin, right after a thorough cleanse and before applying any other skin-care products, like face serums or creams. With that, keep one or more of these best-selling options on you at all times (by your bedside, in your bag, you see where this is going) and thank us later.