"Oh no!" a pimple is about to pop the night before a big day. To save your skin from any bumps, reinfection or hyperpigmentation on your big day, get yourself hydrocolloid pimple patches! These pimple patches will help absorb the pus from your pimple and help your skin to recover. But wait, many people have been using pimple patches in the wrong way! Let us break down what pimple patches are, how it works and how to make the best out of your pimple patch.
What are cosrx acne patches?
Image Source: COSRX
Cosrx acne patches are made of hydrocolloid material. These hydrocolloid bandages are commonly used in the medical field to help heal post-surgical wounds by speeding up the healing process. Coming from this idea, the beauty industry created small-sized patches made from the same hydrocolloid materials to help speed up the acne healing process.
How do Pimple Patches help pimples?
Image Source: COSRX
Hydrocolloids have water-absorbing properties that can absorb the excess gunk or pus from your pimple. Simultaneously, it also prevents further infection and creates a moisture barrier that is favourable for the skin's healing process. It will leave your pimples with less chance of post-inflammation hyperpigmentation as well.
Three basic functions of hydrocolloid patches:
- Absorb excess moisture from your pimple
- Prevent infection
- Serve as moisture barrier to speed up recovery and prevent formation of acne scars
At which stage of a pimple should you use your Cosrx hydrocolloid pimple patch?
Hydrocolloid patches are created for the end-stage of your inflammatory pimple, where you can observe the yellow pus (pustules) at the end of your pimple. This means that the inflammatory process has subsided, and it only leaves your skin with the remaining debris and pus. Sooner or later, the top layer of your skin will eventually break, and people usually refer to this as a pimple "pop". However, when your pimple pops, it means that your pores are prone to reinfection. Reinfection causes more skin inflammation and indirectly increases the chance of scarring/hyperpigmentation. That's why a pimple patch will help you cover it up, absorb the excess pus and protect the pimples from the invasion of other acne-causing bacteria.
You can also put your hydrocolloid patches on your whiteheads. It will help absorb excess sebum trapped under a pile of dead skin cells, although it is not an effective way to get rid of them since whiteheads most often come in clusters in larger areas that acne patches can't cover.
However, there is no point in applying hydrocolloid patches on a still inflamed papule since it hasn't come to the surface of your skin, and there is nothing to be readily absorbed.
When to use a pimple patch in your skin care routine?
This is where it gets a little tricky. Many people have been doing it wrong; thus, they haven't seen much benefit from their acne patches. Pimple patches made with hydrocolloid materials are meant to be applied early on in your skincare routine. Make sure you apply them on cleansed and dry skin. Excess oil can reduce the adhesiveness of the pimple patches. Please refrain from using your pimple patches on top or after layers of toner, essences or serum since it will make them less effective. Instead of absorbing the excess pus and debris from your pores, it will absorb the moisture from your product instead. Not only will you waste your pimple patches, but you will also most likely waste the product that you have put on your skin as well.
Librarian Tip: Use tweezers to take your pimple patches off from the packaging. This will prevent transferring the oils from your fingers to the pimple patches that will affect the adherence of it.
How long should you leave your acne pimple patch on?
Image source: COSRX
It is best to leave your pimple patch overnight or around 8 – 12 hours for each patch. However, when your pimple patch has raised and turned cloudy, it means that it is time to replace your patch with a new one when you still observe remaining pus/water oozing out of your pimple. You can keep on reapplying your pimple patch until the wound is completely covered and a scab is formed. The scab will eventually fall off, and your skin will completely heal soon.
Librarian Tip: Don't leave your pimple patch on for too long (until it is wet and damp) since the adhesive materials will stick firmly to your skin resulting in a wound when you try to peel the patch off.
At Skin Library, we have curated several types of pimple patches from COSRX, the best-selling patches and one of the pioneers of pimple patches.
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How to prevent the formation of acne in the first place and fade hyperpigmentation?
It is better to prevent than to treat. That’s why we will give you some tips and tricks on how to prevent acne in the first place:
When you wear makeup regularly, make sure that you have removed everything off of your face every night. When you don't wash your face properly and leave makeup or dirt residue, it will form clogged pores (whiteheads).
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Look for these actives
AHA
This will help remove the top layer of dead skin cells, thus reduce the chance of comedone formation.
Some-by-mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner
BHA
Also called salicylic acid, it has antibacterial, exfoliating and sebum controlling properties. It is one of the best ingredients for acne-prone skin to help prevent the formation of whiteheads, blackheads and controlling acne.
COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
Vitamin A or the royal in skin care is the perfect actives for acne-prone skin for its tremendous benefits. It makes a great comedolytic due to its antibacterial and sebum controlling properties; it even fades hyperpigmentation.
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Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH)
Sometimes, even with a pimple patch, hyperpigmentation may still be inevitable. If it happens, look for these ingredients that can help fade hyperpigmentation:
Some by mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Cream
Acwell pH Balancing Licorice Toner
- Niacinamide
COSRX AC Collection Blemish Spot Clearing Serum
- Alpha arbutin
- Kojic acid
- Retinol
- Vitamin C / ascorbic acid
Dear klairs, Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop
Takeaway: We know how hard it is to resist the urge to pop the pimples yourself, but with these pimple patches, it can not only prevent reinfection, it can also help speed up the skin's recovery process. Have you figured out which pimple patch best fits you? If you need any help with your acne skincare journey, don't fret #justaskthelibrarian.
- By Claudia Christin (@funskincare)
MBBS, Ph.D. (Dermatology)
2 comments
Can I get best master patch to remove black spots on the face caused by pimples
Hello . I have oily acne prone skin. It becomes dry in winter. For now, I have less acnes than before. But during periods, 3-4 acnes are seen on face. I want them to fade away . Which patch would be helpful ? Acne pimple master patch or AC collection one ?