COSRX Acne Pimple Patch Absorbing Hydrocolloid Original 3 Size Patches for Blemishes and Zits Cover, Spot Stickers for Face and Body, Not Tested on Animals (72)

As a lucky sort who has chronic acne in her thirties, I have spent the last 20 years or so figuring out the best ways to control and heal blemishes. There's no one size fits all approach-- what works for my skin won't necessarily work for someone else, and vice cersa, so everything is a test and see sort of situation. I get all sorts of acne, and have had the chance to try these patches on a variety of blemishes (lucky me!). I've also had a chance to try both these and two other types of hydrocolloid bandages, so I have a thorough comparison of what's best, what's cheapest, and what's worth the money. You're welcome.I've exclusively worn all types in my home, generally overnight. This type of product works best on blemishes that are "open," although I had some middling success applying them to still-closed blemishes. They helped to pull some remaining stuff out of extracted blackheads on occasion, and have done a great job helping open spots not only empty, but heal, without getting dry and flaky.My first venture was another brand of acne patches from NexCare. They were effective in terms of pulling out and absorbing the contents of a spot, but they didn't stick reliably, even to very clean skin. They wouldn't come off overnight, but if I moved my face too much between applying the patch and going to sleep, they'd come unstuck around the edges. They're also fairly thick. Per patch, they cost about 18 cents.Next, I bought the Corsx brand. They stick infinitely better (I've only ever had one that came up around the edges, and only then when I forgot to remove moisturizer from the spot before I applied). They're much thinner and, while I wouldn't wear them out and about, they're far less visible than the Nexcare ones. They at least or more effective than the Nexcare patches, but it's a tough thing to measure. They cost roughtly 25 cents apiece when you buy just one pack, so they're definitely more expensive.Finally, I bought a pack of blister bandages (target brand) and cut of squares and strips from them to use. Making some assumptions about how many patches one could get out of a bandage, this is by FAR the most economical option at less than 5 cents per patch. Whether or not cutting up the bandages yourself into custom sizes is a negative or a positive will depend on the user (custom sizes are cool, but having to cut one off each time you need a patch, keeping track of falloff for future use, making sure you have scissors handy at all time are all drawbacks, however minimal they may seem). These were not as demonstrably effective as the ones designed for acne: while the other two patches had visibly absorbed the contents of a blemish, these sorta kinda had? You could tell where the blemish had been open under the patch but... did it absorb much of anything, or did it just keep stuff from coming out? Dunno. On top of that, the adhesive on these is much more substantial, so while any and all patches I applied stuck, they stuck a little too well, and peeling them off in some instances was painful.In the end, I'm all about doing what is best for my face, even if it hurts my wallet a little more than a less effective alternative. Moreover, I like finding a better deal on what's best for my face when I can. Which is where this multipack deal comes in! For 10 packs of patches the price per patch drops to about ten cents a pop (heh), which for what is in my opinion a better product than the 18 cents apiece Nexcare and a MUCH better product than the 5 cents apiece generics.My advice, in the end: Try the Corsx brand and the generic hydrocolloid bandages. If the generics work for you, you'll save quite a bit of money, and you can pick them up at any drugstore. If you prefer the Corsx, buy this multipack and save a bunch and always have them on hand (they don't expire, unlike a lot of skincare items, so stocking up is a no-brainer for people with chronic recurring blemishes).

I buy these so often because theyre so good and a really great value. They're not the thinnest or the most transparent, but theyre good enough and absolutely get the job done. I love that they come in various sizes, and sometimes i cut the big ones in half to get more use. I have sensitive skin and these patches don't irritate me at all.

The best pimple patches ever. These actually work. Put onto dry skin for a few hours and peel off. The pimple will be gone down significantly. I liked to wear mine over night. The key is to make sure the skin is clean and dry before applying for best results and to ensure it will stick to skin. Highly recommend.

These work as effectively as any other hydrocolloid blemish patch. They're effective for me, and the adhesive isn't SO strong that they're painful to remove. That said, they aren't the best value for the price in this category, so I tend to only repurchase these on sale.

I’ll start with the myth. Contrary to popular belief, these DO NOT “suck out” pimples, puss, gunk, etc. What you see on the patch is actually the hydrocolloid breaking down which it does when exposed to moisture. This doesn’t mean you won’t see gunk on it afterwards or that it isn’t doing it’s job.HOWEVER, this leads to tip number one. This is why you should make sure to wash and dry your skin properly before applying! This also makes sure you’re not trapping any bad bacteria or dirt under the patch.Tip number two is these are great to use on new emerging spots. It helps protect them from getting irritated which leads to inflammation and higher risk of dark spots and painful acne.Tip number three, these are AMAZING for people who struggle with OCD and/or skin picking disorders or habits. It prevents you from scratching at or touching the spots. This not only prevents you from doing damage, it also stops oils and dirt on your hands from getting onto the problem areas. If I’m having trouble not messing with a spot, I keep it covered until it heals. Which leads to my last tip.Tip four, when the patch starts to breakdown, remove it, wipe the area gently with water to remove any residue, and put a new patch on. You can tell when the patch needs to be switched because it’ll start to feel gummy and look like it’s “sucked out” gunk. In my experience, this takes anywhere from 6-12 hours depending on the area of my face and the severity of the spot. In oily areas it will happen faster. On spots with heads it will also happen faster.Some advice, DON’T PICK! Derms recommend to leave acne even if it has a head on it as so often even then you do more damage than good. If you DO feel like you need to do something about it, use a sterilized needle or acne poker to gently open a spot for the gunk to come out and very gently express the acne. Don’t push too hard, don’t force it, make sure your hands are clean and make sure not to press your nails into your skin. Those little acne remover hoops work well sometimes, but make sure not to press to hard with them! Also make sure they’re bigger than the spot your expressing so you don’t push gunk deeper into your skin. After you’re done, gently clean the area. I’ve also used these patches after expressing a spot. You can also use a warm cloth on the area for a while before trying to pop anything as it helps open up the pores and make expressing it easier.As for my rating on these particular patches, they’re great and they’re affordable. I like the sizes they come in and they actually work a lot better than concealer or foundation for hiding spots. They blur and smooth the area while also protecting it from makeup which can also irritate acne. I will even sometimes put them on before my foundation and go out with no issues. You can see them if you look for them of course or if someone is very close to you, but it looks far better than makeup/concealer which may cover the color (sometimes not even completely) but it doesn’t do anything for texture (and often makes it look even worse). They’re great for both hiding and healing spots. They work for all skin tones as they’re sheer.The one thing that would make these better in my opinion is some aloe or skin soothing ingredients. I’ve used patches before with aloe and they seem to help a bit more with calming things down. I personally don’t use the salicylic acid patches at all as salicylic acid has only ever made my acne a lot worse. I have very sensitive skin and a lot of allergies, so I recommend anyone with similar issues to also avoid salicylic acid patches. Opt for the pure hydrocolloid like this one or patches with something gentle and calming like aloe.Hope this helps!