Hi Everyone!
Today, I’m comparing Pimple patches! I’ve only tried hydrocolloid patches. I’ve never tried the microneedling ones and/or the ones with salicylic acid. I just use spot treatments instead. I may be missing out on the other types of pimple patches, but they’re so expensive for one time use.
The COSRX acne pimple master patches were the first one I tried. Then I tried the clear fit ones, nexcare acne absorbing covers and last, but not least, Rael.
I have tried eight different acne patches from six brands:
Tapered patches
- COSRX Clear Fit Master Patch
- Rael Invisible Spot Cover
- Nacific Fresh Herb Origin Clear Spot Patch
- Subi Beauty Perfect Pimple Patch
Non-tapered patches
- COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches
- Rael Overnight Spot Cover
- PanOxyl PM Overnight Spot Patches
- Nexcare Acne Absorbing Covers
I was sent the Subi Beauty Perfect Pimple Patches and PanOxyl PM Overnight Spot Patches to try, but all other patches were purchased by me.
Even though some claim that you can wear them with makeup, I wouldn’t. They’re less noticeable without any makeup (see my reviews for some pictures).
I’ve written about five different reviews/comparison reviews on my blog, so I thought I would collect all the information and update my thoughts in one post. You can check out my previous posts below:
Reviews
COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches | COSRX Clear Fit Master Patches
This or That
COSRX vs. Rael | COSRX vs. Nexcare
Non-tapered
Pros
- absorb more than tapered ones
- can wear them overnight
Cons
- easier to detect (but you could still wear them out of the house, if you don’t care)
- aren’t as flexible, so it could stick out if you have it on a curved part of your face
- if they absorb too much or get wet, the edges can start to peel off
Tapered
Pros
- harder to detect, so you can wear them out of the house
- they stay on well, even if you get them a bit wet. I’ve washed my face with one on
Cons
- don’t absorb as much
- COSRX ones only come in one size
- if they absorb too much, they could come off easily
- if you wear them for too long, they get sticky/gummy
| Rael Overnight Spot Cover | COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch | Nexcare Acne Pimple Patch | PanOxyl Pm Overnight Spot Patches | Rael Invisible Spot Cover | COSRX Clear Fit Master Patch | Nacific Fresh Herb Origin Clear Spot Patch | Subi Beauty Perfect Pimple Patch | Rohto Mentholatum Blemish Cover Patch | COSRX AC Collection Acne Patch | JUMISO AC Cure Vegan Cover Patch Blemish Care | BY WISHTREND Clear Skin Shield Patch | Peace Out Salicylic Acid Acne Healing Dots | THEKSHOP Acne Pimple Patch | Some By Mi 30 Days Miracle Clear Spot Patch | SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Tea-Trica Spot Cover Patch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type - hydrocolloid only vs. hydrocolloid with salicylic acid, tea tree, etc. | hydrocolloid | hydrocolloid | hydrocolloid | hydrocolloid | hydrocolloid | hydrocolloid | hydrocolloid | hydrocolloid | hydrocolloid | hydrocolloid | hydrocolloid | hydrocolloid | hydrocolloid with salicylic acid | hydrocolloid | hydrocolloid | hydrocolloid |
| perforated sheet? | perforated | not perforated | not perforated | not perforated | perforated | perforated | perforated | perforated | not perforated | perforated | perforated | perforated | not perforated | perforated | perforated | perforated |
| Tapered vs. non-tapered | non-tapered | non-tapered | non-tapered | non-tapered | tapered | tapered | tapered | tapered | non-tapered | tapered | tapered | tapered | non-tapered | tapered | tapered | tapered |
| # in a pack | 52 | 24 | 36 | 40 | 48 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 36 | 20 | 39 | 18 | 22 |
| 7mm | - | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 8mm | 16 | - | 24 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 9mm | - | - | - | 20 | - | - | - | - | 28 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 10mm | 20 | 5 | - | - | 24 | 18 | 9 | 18 | - | - | 18 | - | - | 24 | 9 | 12 |
| 12mm | 12 | 9 | 12 | 20 | 24 | - | 9 | - | - | - | 12 | 24 | - | 15 | 9 | 10 |
| 13mm | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 20 | - | - | - |
| 14mm | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 12 | - | - | - | - |
| 9x13mm (oval) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 11x16mm (oval) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 15x23mm (oval) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| thickness | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.2mm | - | 0.4mm with 0.39 mm edge | - | - | - | - | - |
COSRX Acne Pimple Master patches are the cheapest in terms of cost per patch. I didn’t take into account the sizes. There are more 7mm ones in the pack, so if you don’t use those as often, maybe one of the other brands is more cost effective for you.
| Cost (CAD) | Cost per patch | |
|---|---|---|
| Subi Beauty Perfect Pimple Patch (54 count) | $24 USD from subibeauty.com | 0.44 |
| Rohto Mentholatum Blemish Cover Patch (28 count) | $9 from chuusi.ca | 0.32 |
| Rael Overnight Spot Cover (52 count) | $15.99 from amazon.ca | 0.31 |
| Rael Invisible Spot Cover (96 count) | $24.46 from amazon.a | 0.25 |
| Rael Invisible Spot Cover (72 count) | $21.40 | 0.30 |
| Rael Invisible Spot Cover (48 count) | $14.52 from amazon.ca | 0.32 |
| PanOxyl PM Overnight Spot Patches (80 ct) | $20.99 from amazon.ca | 0.26 |
| PanOxyl PM Overnight Spot Patches (40 ct) | $11.99 from amazon.ca | 0.30 |
| Nexcare Acne Pimple Patch (36 count) | $13.40 | 0.37 |
| Nexcare Acne Pimple Patch | $12.49 from shoppersdrugmart.ca | 0.347 |
| Nacific Fresh Herb Origin Clear Spot Patch | $5.99 from thekshop.ca | 0.33 |
| Mighty Patch Original Hydrocolloid Patches (36 count) | $12.77 from iHerb | 0.35 |
| COSRX Clear Fit Master Patch (18 count) | $4.80 from chuusi.ca | 0.26 |
| COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch (24 count) | $5 from chuusi.ca | 0.208 |
| COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch (10 packs of 24 count) | $37 from amazon.ca ($3.70 per pack) | 0.15 |
| COSRX AC Collection Acne Patch (26 count) | $7.00 from chuusi.ca | 0.27 |
| JUMISO AC Cure Vegan Cover Patch Blemish Care (30 count) | $6.99 from thekshop.ca | 0.23 |
| BY WISHTREND Clear Skin Shield Patch (36 count) | $9.99 from thekshop.ca | 0.278 |
| Some By Mi 30 Days Miracle Clear Spot Patch (18 count) | $7.99 from thekshop.ca | 0.44 |
| THEKSHOP Acne Pimple Patch (39 count) | $9.99 from thekshop.ca | 0.256 |
| SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Tea-Trica Spot Cover Patch (22 count) | $8 from thekshop.ca | 0.36 |
Ranking the hydrocolloid patches in different categories:
Ease of use
Both Rael patches have perforated backings to make it easier to peel off the patches without folding them or ruining the side of the patch. One time I accidentally folded a bit of the side and then the patch didn’t lie flat on my skin. COSRX Clear Fit, Nacific and Subi Beauty patches also have perforated backings. PanOxyl and Nexcare do not have perforated backings.
Packaging
The Rael patches and the Nexcare patches come in boxes. The COSRX patches comes in a shiny plastic pouch, as does the Subi beauty (holographic) and Nacific which can’t be recycled. They all come in a little sleeve that keeps the patches sterile. My least favourite is the PanOxyl ones, it’s almost similar to the packaging of a bandaid where it’s hard to slide it back in because it’s a bit tacky.
Variety
The Rael and COSRX patches are best for variety of sizes and tapered vs. non-tapered. Rael also offers larger sizes (for body) and micro-crystal patches. COSRX also sells AC Collection ones that are oval-shaped.
Accessibility
COSRX and Rael can be bought on multiple sites. Nexcare is available on Amazon.ca and the Shoppers Drug Mart website. Subi beauty, I think, can only be purchased on their website. Nacific patches are pretty accessible to Canadians, but they’re more expensive than the others that I like.
Most of the patches perform the same, but the Nexcare ones weren’t sticky enough (stuck to my hair in the middle of the night) and the PanOxyl ones are almost too sticky that I’m afraid it’ll pull off some skin (especially if the pimple has popped and it’s an open wound.)
My top choices out of the brands would be Rael and COSRX. For me, the Rael ones are slightly more worth it because of the sizes available for both tapered and non-tapered. I rarely used the 7mm COSRX ones and, for some reason, they have more 7mm ones in their pack than the other sizes. I also like that Rael switched from a pouch with foil to a recyclable box.
What pimple patch brand is your favourite?
Love,
