Have you been introduced to pimple patches yet? If not, prepare to fall in love. Put simply, they're little hydrocolloid stickers that you place on your blemishes as an acne treatment. Their genius is manifold: the sticker helps keep the area sterile, prevents picking and stays in place as long as you need it as it works on drawing out impurities and oil, shrinking your zits before your very eyes.
We're trying our best not to wax hyperbolic here, but it's a rare pimple that can stand up to the power of acne patch — even the biggest, most inflamed, most stubborn, reddest blemish is going to look (and feel) a lot better post-patch. Plus, they really do help cut down on healing time, thanks to the fact that they help the affected area retain moisture (fun fact: hydrocolloid dressings are often used post-surgery for this very purpose). Oh, and we'll try to keep it polite, but there's something to be said about the gross sense of satisfaction you get when you remove these in the morning and can see exactly how much oil and gunk they've absorbed (it's a feeling akin to removing a Biore pore strip, minus the pain).
Some swear by using them to bring their spots to a head, while others love to use them on zits that have, ahem, already ruptured. There are also a few types at play: medicated, non-medicated, hydrocolloid, non-hydrocolloid — but no matter the mode of use or materials, pretty much everyone can agree that they get the job done. We've rounded up a few of our favorites — keep reading for the lowdown on all the best acne patches in town.