The Best Pimple Patches of 2026

Hydrocolloid

In testing, nothing about CeraVe Blemish Barrier Patches elevated them from the pack. At about 50 cents a piece, they were also among the most expensive options in the plain, unmedicated category.

A close runner-up to our PanOxyl pick, CosRx Acne Pimple Master Patch won testers over with its variety of patch sizes, in 7 mm, 10 mm, and 12 mm diameters. A tester said the smallest ones were especially undetectable — ideal for wearing them out and about during the day. They were edged out by PanOxyl patches because one tester deemed them to be too thick and visible.

No patch polarized our testers quite like Good Molecules Pimple Patches did: A few testers loved the ultrathin tapered edges; others were frustrated by how those beveled edges folded over when peeled from the plastic backing and looked lumpy on skin.

Hanhoo Blemish Patch, the most affordable patch we considered — at just about a dime each — was fine but not phenomenal in our price-concealed testing. What’s more, it’s not as readily available as other options here (we only ever found it at Walmart).

Neutrogena offers hydrocolloid patches in an array of shapes and sizes — we tried Acne Patch Sensitive Skin, Nose Patch Sensitive Skin, and Triangle Acne Patch Sensitive Skin — but they failed to wow us and were relatively expensive in this category.

We’ll always admire the role Starface Hydro-Stars played in the pimple positivity movement, and several teenage testers loved their unapologetic cuteness (and cheery yellow mirrored case). Even so, the stars didn’t always adhere to skin and tended to peel off one tentacle at a time.

Medicated

Cetaphil Acne Fast Rescue Pimple Patch was the only patch we tried that contains heartleaf, a botanical that helps regulate oil production and soothes redness. But none of our testers really noticed that it worked any better than a plain, unmedicated patch.

Testers appreciated how Differin Fast Fix Acne Patches stayed put and didn’t peel or roll. That said, they didn’t suction out as much gunk as other medicated contenders. (These patches also didn’t work well under foundation.)

Peace Out Acne patches are enhanced with retinyl acetate and salicylic acid, but testers didn’t necessarily clock the effectiveness of those actives. Instead, they were disappointed to learn the patches typically cost almost $1 each.

While testers lavished praise on the PanOxyl Overnight Spot Patches, feedback for PanOxyl Daytime Invisible Patches was … spottier. Several folks pointed out that the smallest rounds were too little to handle comfortably, and one tester noted that the patches peeled off too easily.

Testers found that The Inkey List Hydrocolloid Invisible Pimple Patches didn’t stay put or suck enough gunk from zits.

Although ZitSticka Undercover was “respectably subtle under sunscreen and makeup,” as one tester put it, others struggled to get the patches to stick to their skin and disliked the overall texture.

Other

The Wu-Tanginess of ZitSticka Killa’s name charmed us, but that’s where the enchantment ended: The rounds felt thick and gummy and were annoyingly hard to adhere, and the microdarts were noticeably uncomfortable. These were the most expensive options our testers tried, and we frankly expected far better results.

In theory, we loved the idea of Bioré Paint & Peel Liquid Pimple Patch: Create your own patch of any shape or size. In practice, however, this clear gel felt gooey and sticky on skin — and required a full 15 minutes to dry down. For convenience’s sake, we far preferred the peel-and-stick contenders.

We also ruled out a number of additional patches from Band-Aid, Cardon, Celecare, Clearasil, Curology, CVS Health, Daewoong, Dimora, Face Reality, La Roche-Posay, Livaclean, McKesson, Peach Slices, Neutrogena, and Walgreens. We chose not to panel-test them for a variety of reasons, including concerns relating to value.

This article was edited by Jennifer G. Sullivan and Courtney Schley.