The Inkey List Just Got Into The Pimple Patch Game — Here’s Our Review

In my professional opinion, pimple patches are the best thing that happened to my acne routine. Not only are they generally affordable, highly effective additions to my skincare regimen, but they prevent serial pickers like me from causing damage to my skin and exacerbating hyperpigmentation. As a longtime acne-haver, I’ve tested every brand out there. So naturally, when a new one comes along, I make it a mission to get my hands on it. 

Which brings me to The Inkey List, the UK-based skincare brand behind beloved products like the Oat Cleansing Balm and Omega Water Cream. The brand is known for its affordable yet effective products with a focus on high-quality ingredients, so when The Inkey List announced it was entering the pimple-patch category with its Hydrocolloid Invisible Pimple Patches, my expectations were high. But how do they stack up against the abundance of pimple patches already on the market? Keep reading to see what R29’s beauty editors had to say about the new launch, which you can shop exclusively at Sephora starting today.

The Inkey List's Hydrocolloid Invisible Pimple Patches are made from a type of lightweight material called hydrocolloid. “Hydrocolloids have long been used in medicine to enhance wound healing,” Joshua Zeichner, MD, tells Refinery29. “They protect the outer skin layer, absorb excess fluid, and enhance healing of the skin.” Zeichner explains that hydrocolloid on its own is not medicated and does not get to the root of the breakout, but some newer patches contain acne-fighting ingredients, “like salicylic acid or brighteners like niacinamide.” 

The Inkey List’s Hydrocolloid Invisible Pimple Patches are made with 99% hydrocolloid. Then there’s trace amounts of salicylic acid, a gentle exfoliant with anti-inflammatory properties to reduce redness, and succinic acid, an antimicrobial ingredient that reduces acne-causing bacteria. The addition of ectoin ensures that skin is hydrated, not parched, when you remove the patch. When applied onto dry skin and left on for a few hours, or overnight, the patch can help draw out the contents of your breakout and get you on your way to clearer skin.

Unlike 100% hydrocolloid bandages or stickers, The Inkey List’s addition of skincare ingredients work wonders to treat the pimple from the inside out. So do they live up to their promise? Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29’s Deputy Beauty Director, was among one of the first to try them. “My bathroom cabinet is a pimple patch graveyard — from squares to stars and circles, it’s filled to bursting with boxes of the little hydrocolloid bandages, plenty of which claim to absorb pus and minimize angry redness,” she says. “In my experience, though, the most they ever do is prevent me from picking and subsequently forming a scar. More often than not, when I remove pimple patches, the breakout has filled up again and it’s like a never-ending cycle. That didn’t happen this time, and I’m convinced it’s all down to the salicylic acid.” 

Kilikita says that these patches are so effective at reducing redness and raised breakouts, she totally forgot she was wearing one. “Later in the day, I haphazardly applied cream blush over the top before heading out for lunch and it was more or less seamless. I only realized I was still wearing it when I removed my makeup at the end of the day. They’re now front and center in that cabinet of mine.”

In addition to reducing the urge to pick, pimple patches also offer a gentler yet targeted approach to acne care that spot treatments can’t always replicate: “Back in the day, I used to drown zits in the strongest spot treatment I could find,” says Refinery29’s Senior Writer, Karina Hoshikawa. “While it was effective in drying out my breakout, it also sent the surrounding area of skin into a nuclear winter.” Hoshikawa continues, “Patches of red, irritated, dehydrated would eventually breakout again, and the cycle resets. When I discovered pimple stickers, they became a game-changer in my routine. Not only did patches prevent me from picking and popping, but they gently drew out the pimple juice without a slash-and-burn approach.”

Another thing we loved about these patches in particular was the design itself. “As much as I love brands that make patches in cute shapes, I really just need them to work. That’s it! So when I got to testing The Inkey List’s new ones, I immediately liked what I saw right out of the box,” Hoshikawa says. “The beveled edges of the round patches really hug the skin and have that ‘invisible’ effect that makes them blend right into your complexion. I barely notice them once they’re on. I also love having a variety of sizes, and these come in large and small. The teeny ones were perfect for popping onto edges of my face like the side of my nose or along my lip line, and the larger ones were great for bigger bumps on my cheek, forehead, or body.” 

But lest you think pimple patches are all hype, think again: “Hydrocolloids are great at treating inflamed pimples or pustules,” Dr. Zeichner explains. “They do little for blackheads or prominent pores on the nose.” For deep, cystic acne, a targeted spot treatment or in-office cortisone shot will be able to penetrate further into the skin than a patch. 

On the other hand, if you have surface-level breakouts that have come to a head, these are likely to be a great addition to your routine. “I’ve been breaking out a bit on my chin and jaw, so I popped a few patches on after cleansing my skin, and went to bed,” Hoshikawa says. “When I woke up, I eagerly went to the bathroom sink to examine the results as if it were Christmas morning. To my delight, a cloudy haze of whitish oil and impurities were left on the patch (see above for photographic evidence) and my skin was smoother and less red than the night before. I’ll definitely be keeping these on hand for when an emergency zit decides to show up unannounced.”