Ick! Getting pimples is never fun.

Especially when blemishes appear on your face, they can be a real self confidence killer. Even the sensation of a blemish forming is enough to knock your self-esteem for a loop. Job interview? First date? Meeting up with your family? Forget about it. It’s hard enough to walk down the isles of your local grocery store without feeling out of sorts, uncomfortable in your own skin.

Of course we want to keep these sensations to a minimum. While they might be unavoidable, we don’t want to grow to tolerate them!

At Skin Actives we know that stopping pimples and blemishes fast feels just as important as doing it in a way that is healthy for your skin.

After all, there are plenty of ways to do it that aren’t healthy and they show no signs of business going down on that front. So how can you take care of zits as well as honor your holistic skin health? 

Many people have turned to so-called “acne patches”, which have turned up just about everywhere. Are “acne patches” right for you? And is there a way to get ahold of them without reaching into your pocket for brand name prices? Let’s find out.

What is an Acne Patch?

While acne patches may be one of today’s hottest trends, the technology that makes them has been around for a long time, just in a different form. Like many products that become popular for a specific, niche application, acne patches began as a product designed for something completely different. 

Have you ever heard of a hydrocolloid bandage?

Turns out this very common, easy to get bandage is really where acne patches come from.

Originally designed and marketed to people suffering from blisters, hydrocolloid bandages have two layers. The first, inner, layer contains an adhesive that will hold firm to your skin along with hydro-active particles that will absorb fluids coming out of your skin. (That’s not a very nice image, we know. But these were in fact designed for blisters and other open wounds.) 

The second layer is designed to protect and seal, creating a barrier between the cleaned wound and the outside world. The concept is to segregate out new bacteria, dirt, or other irritants that might be present and prevent wound healing.

One thing to keep in mind is that while you might get an image in your mind of the hydro-active layer sort of, shall we say, sucking the fluid out of your emerging zit, it doesn’t really work like that. Hydrocolloid bandages absorb fluids that are already emerging from your wound. So perhaps the hydro-active layer could absorb some surface oil, that’s not impossible. But acne patches are sort of assuming that your pimple has burst, either on its own or under your care.

Now, you should know that it’s not recommended to “pop your zits” so to speak. And Skin Actives doesn’t recommend that here, or ever. If you have a pimple that is already open, you might benefit from a hydrocolloid patch. Or, if you are using acne patches over your closed blemishes, and they aren’t working out for you, that could be why. 

Still, it bears repeating, Skin Actives does not endorse a course of action where you break your skin. And remember this open legion, though small, is in fact a wound.

So, still interested in acne patches? If so, they are easy to make at home. All you have to do is buy a hydrocolloid patch anywhere from your local drugstore to a grocery store to an online purveyor and cut it down to shape. It’s that easy! Or many “acne patches” come in ready to use pre-cut shapes or even cute stickers, whatever works best for you.

Get Rid of Pimples the Skin Actives Way

As long as you aren’t causing your skin trauma by breaking open your blemishes into wounds, Skin Actives has no problem with you using hydrocolloid patches, if that’s what feels right for you!

But you might want to consider all the products that we keep on hand for breakouts as well.

At this point it bears mentioning that there is a real difference between a single blemish and a full fledged breakout. While a lone pimple might feel like an emergency based on what you have to do that day, a breakout that affects a wider area is going to be more than you can cover with a single patch (or even two, three, or four patches depending). This is where a holistic approach to your skin’s long term health comes in. 

Skin Actives has been working for years to make sure that people from all walks of life have access to gentle solutions to blemishes and irritation caused by all sorts of different factors. Not all skin is the same. This goes for men and women, the young and let’s say, the less young. What’s most important is that the solutions to your breakout concerns are grounded in science and health, not speed at any cost.

Zit Ender - Skin Actives’ classic spot treatment, Zit Ender will pair perfectly with your acne patch. Designed to be used overnight while you sleep, dab a small amount of this formula on to your blemish before you cover it with a hydrocolloid patch. Designed to reduce the redness and irritation that can be the root of so many of the bad sensations that surround breakouts, this 5-star reviewed product has helped Skin Actives customers for over a decade.

Ultra Clarifying Blemish Oil - Who says that oil is not your friend? Excess oil, rolling across your face, picking up dead skin cells, clogging your pores: that’s your enemy. Ultra Clarifying Blemish Oil is formulated with healthy oils that starve out the p. acnes bacteria that get trapped in your pores, reproduce and cause breakouts. This gentle formula is perfect for sensitive skin and won’t cause long term oxidation damage like the harsh alcohols (benzoyl peroxide) found in many of the top anti-acne brands. Just like Zit Ender, dab a small amount on the affected area before applying your hydrocolloid patch.

Salicylic Wash - Before you apply your hydrocolloid patch, you’ll want to make sure your skin is clean and ready. Remember, part of the purpose of the patch is to seal against outside bacteria and irritants. Salicylic Wash gently exfoliates dead skin cells, removing them and helping prevent pore-clogging build up. Salicylic Wash is an essential part of an anti-blemish routine, use it before you apply your acne patch.

There you have it everyone! We hope you found that helpful. Now you are ready to make your own hydrocolloid “acne patches” at home and fight blemishes safely with the power of science. Check out all the products Skin Actives has to offer against pimples and irritation, and check back here, soon, for another instalment of the Skin Actives blog. See you later!