12 Best Pimple Patches to Tackle All Sorts of Breakouts

Key Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Best For: If your zit has come to a head

Best for Adult Acne: Peace Out Acne Healing Dots

Why It's Worth It: The Peace Out Acne Healing Dots are flecked with 0.5% salicylic acid, which we all know by now is a breakout's worst nightmare. While the classic acne-fighting ingredient rids pores of acne-causing bacteria and dirt, calming aloe vera leaf extract reduces the appearance of redness. Another notable ingredient is retinyl acetate (a very gentle derivative of vitamin A), which helps even skin tone.

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

Best for Cysts: Peach Slices Deep Blemish Microdarts

Why It's Worth It: Consider these patches for deep or on-the-rise pimples, which deploy 176 tiny, painless spikes to get deep into the skin, penetrating deep, cystic acne. Each infuses a clarifying blend of salicylic acid, tea tree oil, and willow bark into the targeted area to kickstart the acne-healing process, while hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and cica offer hydrating and soothing benefits. And just like that, you can stop a pimple before it dares to reach its peak.

Editor Tip: Peach Slices is an affordable collection created by the team at K-Beauty retailer Peach & Lily that also offers standard Acne Spot Dots and Dark Spot Microdarts.

P.S. A third type of acne dot that Peach Slices offers is the Dark Spot Microdarts which target hyperpigmentation.

Key Ingredients: Salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, Centella asiatica, tea tree leaf oil | Best For: Hormonal or cystic acne

Cutest Design to Flaunt: Starface Hydro-Stars

Why It's Worth It: One of the well-known ways to make acne treatment feel fun (a tall order indeed), the 100% hydrocolloid Hydro-Stars are unabashedly bright yellow in color, starry in shape, and bonafide bestsellers. The refillable compact even includes a mini mirror, so you never have to second-guess your sticker placement, and a refill allows you to save money on a 32-pack of patches.

Editor Tip: Starface has a salicylic acid-infused version of Hydro-Stars if you want an active ingredient.

Key Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Best For: People who want a playful take on pimple patches

Best for Daytime: The Klog Soft Shield Pimple Patch

Why It's Worth It: These nearly invisible, vegan hydrocolloid patches are designed with beveled edges to ensure the most secure fit possible — making them ideal for curved areas of the face, like the chin and nose. Better yet: Each pack offers two sizes (10mm and 14mm) to ensure you get the best fit for your zit.

Editor Tip: The brand also offers the Soft Shield Pigment Patch, spiked with tranexamic acid and allium cepa (onion) extract, to reduce post-acne pigmentation, dark spots, and scarring.

Key Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Best For: People game to wear patches during the day

Best Microdart Patch: ZitSticka Killa Kit

Why It's Worth It: For a pimple patch that goes the extra mile, consider this version — it's covered with dissolving microneedles filled with blemish-busting ingredients like salicylic acid, niacinamide (also known as vitamin B3), and hyaluronic acid. Bonus: Niacinamide can address dark spots in case you're prone to post-acne marks. These blemish patches also come with cleansing swabs that gently exfoliate the target zit first, allowing the patches' ingredients to better absorb into your skin — and bring down zit swelling, redness, and size.

Editor Tip: Since the ingredients need two hours to absorb fully, plan to use this patch overnight to ensure it doesn't budge.

Key Ingredients: Salicylic acid, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, oligopeptide-76 | Best For: Blind or early-stage zits

Best for Red Zits: Florence by Mills Spot a Spot Acne Patches

Why It's Worth It: These patches not only prevent you from picking and worsening your blemishes, but their potent blend of exfoliating salicylic acid and tea tree oil (both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, goodbye redness!) keeps clogged pores and inflamed skin in check. FYI: Salicylic acid can also help break down the plugs that cause blackheads. The hydrocolloid stickers, which won a 2021 Best of Beauty Award, are perfect for absorbing fluids from your pimples and accelerating the healing process.

Editor Tip: These visible patches are shaped like clouds, whales, and butterflies — who said treating acne can't be cute?

Key Ingredients: Salicylic acid, peppermint oil, tea tree oil | Best For: Inflammatory breakouts

Best Staying Power: Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch

Why It's Worth It: These hydrocolloid circles cling to skin no matter where you wear them. In fact, one Allure editor wore them to a Korean day spa and reported that they withstood multiple rounds in the sauna. Despite their staying power, they're easy to peel off. They also come in three different sizes, depending on what level of coverage you need.

Editor Tip: These are a little thicker, so they may be better for overnight use. (If you're looking for a sheerer version to wear during daylight hours, check out Cosrx Clear Fit Master Patch.)

Key Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Best For: People who want a stickier adhesive

Best Value: Rael Beauty Miracle Patch Invisible Spot Cover

Why It's Worth It: Be prepared for the long haul with an impressive 96 pimple patches (that means each patch is 18 cents!), which offer 10-millimeter and 12-millimeter sizes in a clear, matte finish that blends into all skin tones — making them a good choice for daytime wear. These hydrocolloid stickers also have tapered edges to avoid any slipping or sliding.

Editor Tip: These patches are also hypoallergenic, making them great for sensitive skin.

Key Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Best For: Someone who goes through pimple patches quickly

Fastest-Acting: Good Light Luna Pimple Patches

Why It's Worth It: If you want your zit gone ASAP, look no further than these pimple patches, which can bring down the swelling in as soon as six hours — without drying out skin, no less. They also come in two sizes, are made of vegan hydrocolloids, and have been tested by dermatologists, making for a patch that works without compromises.

Editor Tip: Since they take six hours to work their magic, plan ahead before using these.

Key Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Best For: Anyone who wants a simple option that can work overnight

Best Under Makeup: Curology Emergency Spot Patches

Why It's Worth It: Wear an ultra-thin and transparent Curology Emergency Spot Patch alone while you work, run errands, or sleep — or layer it underneath makeup with little proof that it's actually there. However you wear it, you'll be ready to tackle just about any surprise blemish that comes your way. Did we mention they're also waterproof, sweat-resistant, and highly safe for sensitive skin types? These check off all of our boxes.

Editor Tip: Their sweat-resistant nature makes them an excellent pick for humid weather and strenuous workouts.

Key Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Best For: Busy, on-the-go people who want to conceal their zits without sacrifices

Best for Blending In: Olive Young Care Plus Spot Patch

Why It's Worth It: These patches from Olive Young are super adhesive, but won't make you wince when you peel them off after six hours of sticking. Hydrocolloid protects blemishes from contact with dust and water and absorbs excess fluid while you go about your day. The patch features two "rings" — the inside ring containing the active ingredients, and the outside, the adhesive to help the sticker stay in place. Wearers especially love these patches for their translucence

Editor Tip: The efficacy of the patch maxes out around eight hours, so remove or replace it after that.

Key Ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Best For: People looking for an unnoticeable patch

Frequently Asked Questions

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 beauty staple inspired by the tradition of hydrocolloid dressing to heal wounds.

The thinnest, most invisible patches are ideal for daytime wear, so you can treat your breakouts whenever, wherever you please. Or, you can opt for overnight wear to heal blemishes or hormonal acne in total privacy while you snooze. 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.

No, don't even think about it. One of the reasons to wear a pimple patch is to curb your temptation to aggravate your skin with pimple-picking, 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, she explains, as "picking a pimple increases the inflammation and can slow the healing process down." The chances of acne scarring, developing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and getting an infection rise when you pop your pimple.

You'll know the healing dot is working because you can see it in action. The clear patch will turn white with gunk and expand. But what exactly is that gunk? Marisa Garshick, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously told Allure, "Think of these [cystic blemishes] almost like a wound that needs to heal. By reducing the inflammation and fluid, you can help to improve the appearance." AKA, the white stuff is the drawn-out fluid and excess sebum.

When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.

For our list of the best pimple patches, we considered each product’s performance across four primary categories: product ingredients, efficacy, product wear, and value. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors — along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.

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